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Subject: Best Football Team in the past decade Author: IvyFan2005 [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 03:46:00 06/14/08 Sat Hey all, Its that time of year where there aren't any sports going on (well the ones that get all the news and attention), soooo I thought it'd be interesting to get this topic started. I picked the last decade because that the time frame that I was personally involved in so here's my pickings: 1) Penn 2002 - They lost one game, to Villanova (a semifinalist that year) by three I think on a last second field goal. Otherwise they ran the table beating all the Ivy teams by over 30 points per game. That was domination that I don't think can be repeated in these modern times. 2) Harvard 2004 - They scored an average of 33 points per game and gave up right around 14 points per game. They had two close games, but dominated all the others. They had Ryan Fitzpatrick and Clifton Dawson on their team, enough said. 3) Penn 2003 - Penn was a heated rival for Harvard during my time with the Crimson, but I have to give them respect with their results. Another undefeated team on this list and they ran the table convincingly (albeit less than their above mentioned teammates in 2002). It seemed as if they were disinterested in playing either because they thought they were too good or because they actually were more human than we all thought. 4) Yale 2007 - I know, I'm crazy, I'm putting before my Crimson of 2007 even though they didn't win the title, but I have to give props. Minus the catastrophy at The Game this past year, the Yalies ran roughshod through their season and McLeod made the competition look like pee-wee leaguers. Anyone that can break my boy CD's record deserves some major respect. Without a passing game of any form though, they dropped down in this list in my book, though dominating in their own right. 5) Brown 2005 - An offensive juggernaut team, were leaky on defense though giving up over 20 points per game except for the first game of the season. Had a masher in Hartigan and athletes galore (DeOssie was a biggie). They drop down as well due to their loss early in the season to Harvard that year, but being a Ivy Champ makes up for the one blemish on their record. Let's hear your thoughts and opinions as well! Don't rip me apart to much and give your thoughts of best teams in the past 20 years if you like, I'd just prefer to stick to the last decade personally. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[> Subject: Re: Best Football Team in the past decade Author: foehi [Edit] Date Posted: 06:23:47 06/14/08 Sat I think you have it about right, though it's depressing to think of 2002 not being "modern times".

[> Subject: Re: Best Football Team in the past decade Author: OutOfTheLoop [Edit] Date Posted: 07:51:40 06/14/08 Sat I'd agree for the most part with the list as is, though based on head-to-head performance, I'd swap Yale 07 with Harvard 07. At 8-2, the Crimson actually weren't that far from another undefeated season - a loss to Holy Cross in the opener when they should have been in kneel down mode for the win - and a close call against Lehigh were the only things keeping them from 10-0. Penn of 02 and 03 had as teams that were as tough as any in the league in some time. Harvard 04 was just awesome to watch - about a half dozen players from that group ended up signing NFL contracts and two remain in the league. Going back a bit further, the 94 Penn team was something to behold as well. I think someone on this board posted a link to the SI story from their game against Princeton - a feat which, by itself, should tell you all you need to know about their level of play.

[> [> Subject: Re: Best Football Team in the past decade Author: foehi [Edit] Date Posted: 19:23:02 06/14/08 Sat 94 was the best Penn team I ever saw highlighted by the Terrance Stokes smackdown of Elias and co in the SI game to which you refer.

[> [> [> Subject: Stokes-Elias was 1993 Author: Go Green [Edit] Date Posted: 21:27:28 06/15/08 Sun IMHO, the 1994 Penn team was better than the 1993 team.

[> Subject: Re: Best Football Team in the past decade Author: Harvard Crimson Rule! [Edit] Date Posted: 18:45:57 06/14/08 Sat 2004 team is my vote :)

[> Subject: Re: Best Football Team in the past decade Author: Know-it-all [Edit] Date Posted: 00:06:07 06/15/08 Sun In response to Ivy Fan 2005, the Penn team of 2002 lost to Nova by 17 to 3 in a soaking rain storm, not by 3 points. This was, in fact, the only loss of the season and Penn rolled over the rest of the opposition by impressive scores and had the two most feared linebackers (Belden and Lhotak). Still, the greatest Penn tean of my life time was in 1986 - although I know you're only considering the past decade. The 1986 team was, in my estimation, better than the 2002 squad because it went 10-0, beat Navy at Navy, and won a winner-take-all championship game against Cornell at Ithaca on the last day of the season. Cornell was also undefeated in league play to that point, was a ferocious team, and lost only to Lafayette earlier in the year.

[> Subject: Re: Best Football Team in the past decade Author: IvyFan2005 [Edit] Date Posted: 07:34:02 06/15/08 Sun Ah, yeah, I couldn't really remember the exact score of the 2002 Penn-Villanova game, I remember it being much closer. That does not deter from my stance as them being the top dog (though the 2004 Harvard team also, in my biased opinion, is deserving of being top dog Harvard Crimson Rule! - from A Cincy fan in New Orleans if you can interpret my secret message if you are whom I think you are). But regardless, that team still put a whooping on our 2002 Harvard team and in a matchup of 2002 Penn vs 2004 Harvard, my biased opinion says a Harvard win, but man that Penn team was a machine. That'd be one game I'd give my first born to make happen. Well maybe not first born, but an extra year in residency ha ha.

[> Subject: Re: Best Football Team in the past decade Author: gp [Edit] Date Posted: 08:11:25 06/15/08 Sun That 44-9 game in 2002 in the freezing rain was the worst day of my football life. That Penn team outplayed, and in a rare occurance in the Murphy era, out coached us, in all facets of the game. Thankfully our return trip to Penn in 2004 was a fruitful one. In a matchup I think the 2004 Harvard team wins simply because there was no way to stop the two headed monster that was fitz and dawson, especially with a quality offensive line and a defense that was dominant by season's end. I still, and always will, think that 2004 team could have made a championship run in the 1-AA playoffs. It's great to hear that med school is going well and that you are about to enter residency. -A 24 year old tight end with an eighty year old's body

[> [> Subject: Re: Best Football Team in the past decade Author: foehi [Edit] Date Posted: 08:29:22 06/15/08 Sun That was the ESPN Game Day game I believe. Great day!

[> [> [> Subject: Re: Best Football Team in the past decade Author: Know-it-all [Edit] Date Posted: 18:25:20 06/15/08 Sun Penn's 2002 victory over Harvard at Franklin Field should have been 44-2. Harvard scored first with a safety, then Penn held them scoreless until the last two minutes of the game, when the Crimson was awarded a questionable TD on a fingertips reception in the end zone. I was actually shocked at the dominance we showed that day. In 2004, Harvard won at Franklin Field, shlould have won, and controlled the action all day. We could not mount an offense, because we started a freshman QB (Bryan Walker) who was pressed into service because of an injury to our number 1 guy. By the end of that game, Penn's defensive line was exhausted and could not get any push against the massive and talented Crimson offensive line. At that point, Fitzpatrick took us apart, moved the team at will, and Murphy rolled up the score (everyone construed it as payback for 2002). I would have liked to have had our starting quarterback in there, and the game would have really been an epic contest. But the Harvard 2004 team was the best Crimson squad I can remember in a very long time.