Kotloff | Vote Ragone for Ivy League MVP

For the Penn football team, the difference between success in 2009 and domination in 2010 lies in the left arm and swift feet of one man: quarterback Billy Ragone.

More than anything that statistics or coaches can say, the ease with which the Quakers ran the Ivy League table this year works in Ragone’s favor most when considering his Player of the Year candidacy.

Sure, the 121.8 pass efficiency rating, 548 net rushing yards and 7 rushing touchdowns are impressive. But the sophomore didn’t simply perform well on the football field ­— he changed the dynamic of the team.

The 2009 Quakers’ wins were physical, low-scoring and ugly. In 2010, the stout defense and punishing run game remained, but Ragone added speed, creativity and excitement.

When the offense came out sluggish in Penn’s two major battles for the Ivy title against Brown and Harvard — both games were tied at zero after the first quarter — long runs from the quarterback sparked the team to blowout victory.

“When he goes back to pass and nothing is open, he’s not throwing the ball out of bounds, he’s not taking a sack,” coach Al Bagnoli said after Ragone’s 151-yard rushing effort against the Bears. “He’s got that escapability factor that everybody’s looking for, and when he gets into the open field, he’s electric.”

That offensive explosion didn’t exist in 2009. While Kyle Olson was a great veteran presence, he was forced into the role of game manager, frequently opting for safe throws and trusting the defense to hold its ground.

The fact that Ragone stayed healthy and brought stability to the Penn backfield also proved invaluable. Bagnoli stressed late in the season that working with the same players each week, and developing a rhythm in the passing game, allowed the coaches to open up the playbook.

“As the quarterbacks allow us to throw the ball better, then I think we become multi-dimensional on offense,” Bagnoli said after his team’s 52-10 win over Princeton.

And as the Quakers hit the stretch, they performed better each week, culminating in a 20-point win over the Crimson to clinch their second straight Ivy title.

For the eight coaches that vote on the POY award, the ring on Ragone’s finger should be enough to separate him from the pack. But MVP races are often skewed when voters get caught up with flashy individual numbers.

Running backs Nick Schwieger (Dartmouth) and Gino Gordon (Harvard) and wide receiver Trey Peacock (Princeton) each posted eye-popping stats this season.

But their teams also lost 13 Ivy games combined — three at the hands of the Quakers. And the other thread joining the non-Penn candidates?

Each of their defenses got left in Billy Ragone’s dust.

BRIAN KOTLOFF is a junior communications major from Elkins Park, Pa. He can be contacted at dpsports@theDP.com.

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