Spring Wish List
Think Spring!
The spring game date and time has been announced.
The game will be at 7pm on April 22nd at Wien Stadium.
The evening start times the team has been using for spring games lately seem to be more convenient for everyone, and more fun.
Last year, the weather was great too and that helped.
Sometimes, the spring game can answer a lot of questions about the upcoming season.
Other times, injuries and big contributions from the incoming freshman class change everything that we “learn” from the game.
This year, it would be nice if the spring game gives us at least some clues to the following questions:
-Who will be the starting running backs?
-Who starts at tight end?’
-Who looks like the best defensive tackles/run stoppers?
-Who looks like the most effective linebackers and safeties?
Feel free to list the questions you’ll be looking to get answers to in the comments section.
posted by Jake @ 8:21:00 AM
26 comments
26 Comments:
Who will the big down linemen be who can plug up the interior gaps on the run?
Who will the Defensive Ends be who can defend the run?
Who will fill Gross's shoes?
Alot of the answers to your questions have been answered by last years performance. It's to bad the negative is being emphasized so much. Last year there were players in the positions mentioned that did well. Maybe they should be acknowledged sometime.
Article on former Columbia and Denver Broncos safety, Steve Cargile.
http://clevelandheights.patch.com/articles/athletes-at-cleveland-heights-high-sign-letters-of-intent
Alec Fisher looks like a pretty good runner who can find the holes but doesn't appear to have breakaway speed.
Chris Woods looks like a very good choice as DC.
Folks can speak for themselves, but I don't see anyone being negative. Unless you're returning most of your players off of a championship team, it is natural to have questions about the upcoming season. The questions Jake raises and the similar ones raised by the first poster focus on the areas of play that are unresolved. Bottom line, we have some real strengths, just to cite one example, our QB, and some areas of concern, e.g., our ability to stop the run and our ability to run the ball.
-Dr.V
To second poster...come on, other teams ran through us consistently last year. If we cannot speak of this candidly without worrying so much about people's feelings, what is the point of this blog? This is football not cumbaya around a campfire....it's OK to care about winning and addressing weaknesses....not at the expense of integrity or anything but it IS OK to care about winning!
In any event, we herald once in a generation guys like Brackett and Knowlin and standout players like Gross and Kennedy...quite a bit honestly.
Chen 82
How come the Womens Field Hockey team can post their Class of 2015 and football has to wait til May to release the names ????
Frank F '70C
I don't get it either. And a month or two ago men's golf announced recruits too.
-Dr.V
I don't get it either. And a month or two ago men's golf announced recruits too.
-Dr.V
I think we keep our list confidential because we had some very bad experiences with our least favorite opponent coming in and unhooking our recruits after they saw our official list. A great defensive tackle at Bergen Catholic some years ago who went on to be a multiple all Ivy performer was unhooked by Bags after he gave us a verbal yes. So long as Bags is coaching in our league, and Penn is an opponent, I am all for secrecy.
Isn't it obvious that Football doesn't announce recruits now because the class isn't done? In the last couple of years Columbia has announced full classes. They do it in May because that is the deadline for deposits for the school (which is kinda like the Ivy League equivalent to letter of intent). Looks like field hockey and golf completed their classes early.
My understanding is the Ivy League rules do not allow the schools from announcing the name of an incoming football recruit until that person actually receives his acceptance letter and sends in a deposit. If a candidate has been accepted by Early Decision/Early Admission and sent in his deposit, then his name can be disclosed as I believe Dartmouth did last year. I'm not sure if the same rules apply to the other sports. Prsumably, the Columbia golfer(s) and field hockey players were all admitted by Early Decision.
For those who hate "Bags" remember he is dealing with an inferior product in terms of academics, so he can only resort to poaching tactics to win good recruits. See admissions rates below...Penn is second weakest link in the Ivies.
Brown: 9.3%
Columbia: 9%
Cornell: 18%
Dartmouth: 11.5%
Harvard: 6.9%
Penn: 14.2% (per the Daily Pennsylvanian article)
Princeton: 8.2
Yale: 7.5%
Who will return punts?
Kickoffs? Do we dare risk
Mike Stephens?
Mike Stephens never returned kickoffs; I doubt he will return punts. Look for one of the rising sophomores.
Mike Murphy on kickoffs and possibly punts.
I have little love for Penn, but it's silly to suggest that Penn is academically inferior to Columbia. All of the Ivies have great academic strengths.
-Dr.V
According to Gocolumbialions.com he, Stephens, has done both.
Field hockey's recruits must have been all early decision. Columbia could comment on football early decision admits if it so choose once all their paperwork was returned. No Ivy sport is allowed to release a list of regular decision admits, or have coaches comment on the recruits until after admissions go out to ALL students (read: non-athletes) and then the paperwork is returned.
Dr V
Just tossing some data in to spark comments. Ivies are all highly selective....but some more so than others.
Reurn kickoffs...No brainer
Nick Gerst....4.38 speed I am told..Time to use this kid all over the place.
Why this kid never played as a freshman and was limited last year I am asked all the time is a big question
Question about Nick Gerst: I understand that he has gotten much bigger from very hard work in hte weight room. Any confirmation? I hope the extra weight doesn't slow him down. As far a slast year, we had two pretty good seniors playing ahead of him.
Re admissions stats: because we went ot the common application, we jumped up to something like 36,000 applicants this year. My guess is that our acceptance rate will be the lowest in the Ivies.
As to Gerst, I agree that he should see alot of time on the field. He always seemed able to make plays and have the killer instinct. Coaches need to go with this and let him show us what his limits are rather than be limited by conservative play calling.
Let the kid play...he's hungry, aggressive and a winner.
Chen 82
I think we are all a little tired of hearing about seniors playing ahead of underclassman. It's obvious Gerst was the best back by far ahead of the other backs. We have to stop pussy footin here and start winning some games.
Here's a thought ... there are currently 15 lineman on the team who ar 270 lbs. or bigger .... 10 are OL and 5 are DL .... why not take 2 of the OL guys and make them denfensive tackles ??? .... the middle of the D-line needs to not give up ground .... bulk (and, let's not forget, talent) will help ....
Frank F '70C
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