Columbia: Once More with Feeling

For a well-done video look at a Homecoming spoiled, check out the Columbia TV highlights from Dartmouth's 24-21 win over the Lions. (link)

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The key to the win for the Big Green? Not letting Sean Brackett – Columbia's terrific sophomore quarterback – beat them. From the Columbia Spectator:

At the Homecoming game this past Saturday, fans saw something that they had yet to truly see so far this season: Sean Brackett struggling.

Another key, the way the Spec saw it:

Two times in the second half, the Big Green left its offense on the field for a fourth time after moving the chains, and both times, the unit delivered.

If Columbia had stopped Dartmouth on either of those plays, 10,904 students and alumni would probably have returned to Morningside thrilled about their team’s 4-2 record and hopeful for an Ivy League championship. Instead, they sulked home with a 3-3 mark and dim hopes of finishing the season better than .500.

Dartmouth is second in the Ivy League with a 38.7-percent conversion rate on third down behind only Penn's 42.7 percent but leads the league on fourth down by a wide margin.

Fourth-down conversion success rate:
1. Dartmouth 76.9 (10-13)
2. Penn 50.0 (4-8)
3. Princeton 46.2 (6-13)
4. Cornell 37.5 (3-8)
5. Columbia, Yale 36.4 (4-11)
7. Harvard 27.3 (3-11)
8. Brown 0.0 (0-12)

Wondering why Dartmouth's success rate on fourth down is double what it is on third? It's simple, really. In general teams only go for it on fourth down in manageable situations like fourth-and-one or fourth-and-two. They have little choice but to go for it in third-and-long situations. (Except for our high school team when I was in junior high. It was known to punt on third-and-long and no, we're not talking quick kick.)

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Jake Novak down at Roar Lion Roar has his power ratings up after getting a first look at the Big Green in person. He bumped Dartmouth up one spot and Columbia down three. Here's how he sees it:

1. Penn
2. Brown
3. Harvard
4. Yale
5. Dartmouth
6. Columbia
7. Princeton
8. Cornell

Jake also writes:

If I were a Dartmouth fan, I’d be a little miffed at being shut out of the top honors this week. But if they keep playing like they did this Saturday, the cold shoulder won’t last.

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The latest edition of corner Kevin de Regt's blog The Deregtory takes a look at Columbia, Homecoming games and Harvard.

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The Harvard WHRB blog offers some insights on the Crimson quarterback situation in its overview of last Saturday's win at Princeton that saw the return of Andrew Hatch and Collier Winters, both former starters. Winters was thought to be out of action for the season and Hatch's status was uncertain in light of a concussion.

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Harvard sports information writes about tailback Gino Gordon begin named Ivy League co-Offensive Player of the Week after running for 204 yards on 20 carries against Princeton. Gordon, you may remember, had 119 rushing yards and 103 receiving yards in last year's 42-21 Harvard win over Dartmouth. Fellow tailback Treavor Scales added 120 yards in that game, which saw Dartmouth's Nick Schwieger leave the game and have his season ended with a broken finger after carrying 10 times for 18 yards.

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The ECAC Lambert Meadowlands Football Championship Subdivision Poll presented by FieldTurf has been released and the ranking that is "emblematic of Eastern Supremacy" at the FCS level looks like this (record and points included):

1. William & Mary 6-1 180
2. Delaware 7-1 152
2. Villanova 5-2 152
4. UNH 5-3 128
5. Penn 5-1 90
6. James Madison 4-3 78
7. Richmond 4-3 72
8. Robert Morris 6-1 56
9. Massachusetts 4-3 42
10. Lehigh 5-2 36
Also receiving votes: Harvard, Holy Cross.

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Should have mentioned this yesterday. Penn is No. 21 nationally in the FCS Coaches Poll. Colgate is No. 34 and Harvard 36.

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Check out Green Alert Premium tonight for reflections on a successful visit to New York City, a quick peek at what's ahead and bits and pieces from today's practice.