Win or lose, Saturday’s contest against Cornell will be the last of the football team’s 2009 season. But the Quakers aren’t too happy about that, as many of them are frustrated that the Ivy League Champion does not receive a berth to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
The Ivy League is the only FCS conference that prohibits its champion from participating in the postseason tournament.
“It’s one of those rules that no one’s ever articulated any reasons why,” coach Al Bagnoli said. “On the surface it’s so illogical that you sit there scratching your head and it seems so unjust. But that’s the rule we live by, and I knew it coming in so it wasn’t like I was blindsided by it.”
Some players have their theories. Senior quarterback Kyle Olson claims he was told that all members of the conference must agree to allow the champion to participate.
Olson thinks that Harvard and Yale refuse to vote in favor of the rule change in order to preserve the status of their annual meeting as the climax of the season for the Ivy League.
But as the stipulation won’t be changing any time soon, the Quakers are left to predict how well they could have fared.
“We would’ve definitely gave some teams a run for their money,” senior linebacker Jake Lewko said. “We could’ve gotten pretty far I think, maybe to the championship game. Who knows?”
We’re Number 24. In the next-to-last week of the regular season, Penn has finally received enough votes to enter the FCS top-25 rankings. The victory over Harvard boosted the Quakers to No. 24 in The Sports Network poll and No. 25 in the Coaches’ poll.
But at this point in the season, the Red and Blue don’t care too much.
“I don’t even think about it right now,” Bagnoli said. “It’d be nice at the end of the year, but it doesn’t really mean much in Week 9.”
Olson echoed his coach’s disinterest in the ranking at this point in the season.
“Yeah, I heard something about it, but I’m not too worried about that,” he said. “I’m focused on Cornell.”
But it’s not completely meaningless for everyone, as for some it’s certainly a subject for bragging rights over high-school teammates.
“It’s nice to get home and tell people: I got a ring, and oh yeah, I’m top 25,” Lewko said. “I had a couple friends playing in other divisions … but besides that you don’t get too much for it.”
As for whether Penn — whose only losses this season were close defeats to No. 3 Villanova and No. 22 Lafayette early in the season — should have been in the rankings earlier, Lewko could only muster a “no comment.”
Celebrate good times, come on. As soon as the whistle blew to signal Penn’s 17-7 victory over Harvard last Saturday, the party started.
Alumni distributed cigars to whichever players wanted them, and they hung around on the field for a while, taking pictures and soaking in the moment.
But how will the Quakers celebrate if they can beat Cornell and gain sole possession of the title?
“More champagne and cigars,” Lewko said. “We’ll have to bring double the amount.”
Comments
PAYOFF ???? - CELEBRATION TIME IS HERE !!!!!
Three weeks ago, after the OT victory over Brown, I posted a comment that we should not look ahead and celebrate too early. We still had to play arch rival Princeton and defending Ivy League Champion Harvard. Those games are now history and Penn has prevailed, assuring itself a 14th Ivy League Football Championship. I made the remark to save our celebration for November 21. Well that date is this Saturday. IT IS TIME TO PARTY.
It is true that the Ivy League does not partake in the FCS playoffs.
Whatever the reasoning behind this decision, it is the rule Penn follows. How far the 2009 Penn Football Team would have gone in the playoffs is a matter of conjecture. The Quakers have no control over it. Let Penn be concerned with what it can control. Penn controls the outcome of Saturday's football game against Cornell.
As we all know by now, although the Quakers have already clinched a share of the 2009 Ivy Football title, a victory over the Big Red would give Penn its 11th OUTRIGHT Ivy League Football Championship, the most by any Ivy school. It would also give Coach Bagnoli an unprecedented seven outright Ivy League titles in his 18 years at Penn.
The 2009 Ivy Football Champion Penn team would appreciate student support at their last game. They deserve the support of the entire Penn community. I posted a comment before the Harvard game for the team to SEIZE THE MOMENT, A LIFETIME OF GOOD MEMORIES AWAITS THEM. Now it is time for the entire school to seize the moment and help cheer Penn to an undefeated Ivy League season. You will relish the memories for the rest of your life. Don't let Cornell's record fool you. They have everything to gain by beating Penn.
The best payoff you can reward the 2009 Penn Football Team with is your support. Come to the game and be part of Penn Football history.
CELEBRATION TIME IS HERE!!!!.