Updates Ahoy!

The athletic department has just posted some great new content on the first few days of training camp. Interviews with captains Alex Gross and Mike Stephens are included.

Pictures of players from August 27th's first practice are also there.

I also noticed that some of the players bios on the roster have been updated, so check it out.

Set Your DVR’s!

There are just 22 days until the Columbia football season starts, and if that seems really soon consider Towson.

The Lions’ week two opponent kicks off its season in just SIX days when they travel to Bloomington to take on the Indiana Hoosiers.

Game time is 7:30pm this coming Thursday. I believe some subscribers will see the game on tape delay.

And for those of us who like to scout future opponents, the game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

Don’t have the Big Ten Network? You have six days to switch cable companies and get it! I recommend the channel highly.

Even though Indiana is a perennial Big Ten doormat, it goes without saying that a win or a good showing by Towson Thursday night would probably supercharge the Tigers for the rest of the season. A loss by even 20 points wouldn’t have much of an effect, unless it’s accompanied by a slew of injuries.

Don’t think it can’t happen. The last time I can remember an IVY team playing the cupcake role was back in 1991 when Cornell traveled to Stanford.

The game was set up to commemorate what I think was the anniversary of the first Cornell-Stanford game decades before.

The result?

Stanford thrashed the Big Red, 56-6. Worse, Cornell suffered a rash of injuries against the bigger Cardinal and many Big Red fans believe those injuries were the biggest reason they didn’t repeat as Ivy champs that year.


Patriot Preview

Craig Haley of The Sports Network is out with his gpreview of the seven Patriot League teams.


Since week one opponent Fordham is not eligible to win the league title, he picks them last. But it’s clear that he believes there’s a lot of talent on the team, especially on offense.

The key line in his Fordham preview is this:

“With a soft non- conference schedule, the Rams should post a winning record, which they have done only once over the last five seasons.”

This is the second time in as many weeks that Haley seems to have taken a swipe at Columbia. In his CAA preview, he called Towson’s game against the Lions “an excellent opportunity for a win.”

When Haley’s preview of the Ivies comes out maybe next week, I guess we can expect him to bury us in the standings.

Something we might find encouraging in Haley’s Patriot preview is he believes week four opponent Lafayette is in for a drop in the standings this year. With all the key seniors graduating last May, it’s hard to argue with that. But Haley also notes that the Leopards have been a great road team in recent years and the Lions-Lafayette game is at Wien Stadium.