Fearless Football predictions

The Daily Pennsylvanian makes 20.02 fearless football predictions for the 1998 football season. The Daily Pennsylvanian makes 20.02 fearless football predictions for the 1998 football season. 1. Matt Rader will pass for 2,000 yards. Rader will write his own place in the record book and be the first signal caller to not have to suffer comparisons to Penn's star QB of the mid-'90s, Mark DeRosa. The Duke transfer is no longer a Duke transfer. 2. Jim Finn will rush for 1,100 but finish second in the League rushing title to Harvard's Chris Menick. A unanimous All-Ivy First Team selection last year, Finn has gained respect around the league and beyond. As the primary back for the first time in his four years at Penn, and with no defensive responsibilities, Finn should see the ball 20-25 times a game. Finn, however, won't get enough carries with the talented Rader sharing the backfield. Menick will take the title with an option and ball control offense that will try to keep a weaker Crimson defense off the field. 3. Fifth-year senior Darren MacDonald will be named First Team All-Ivy League again. Penn's version of The Big Mac Attack will be the best defensive Quaker for the second straight year. He and co-captain Joe Piela will be asked to solidify a John Bishopless defense. 4. The secondary will be the key to an Ivy League title if for no other reason than because there are so many questions to be answered in this area. The people who will be asking them go by the names Sean Morey and Terrence Patterson, the two top receivers in the league. Returning starter Joe Piela is a sure thing for Penn at one corner, but the cornerback position opposite him will have to be strong to stop the threat of deep balls. If Joey Alofaituli can play solid cover-corner, the Quakers should be able to stop the other Ivy League receiving threat. 5. There will be more Penn than Princeton fans in Old Nassau -- if the Quakers are still undefeated going into their match with the Tigers. This is one of the greatest phenomenons in Ivy League football. The Penn-Princeton football game always brings out the best in both teams, but it doesn't always bring out the Princeton fans, even in New Jersey. With a new stadium Princeton fans have an added reason to show up, but the potential to remain undefeated gives Penn fans a better one. 6. Al Bagnoli will be heard mumbling, "Where is John Bishop?" all season long. One of the biggest question marks this season will be the ability of the Penn defense to replace All-Everything safety John Bishop. While there is a cast of several competing, no one Penn player will bring the leadership, mental fortitude and shear ability that made Bishop a star. If he can be suitably replaced, the defensive secondary will be a strength of this matured team. (See No. 4) 7. Penn freshmen will once again wrongly assume it is cool to leave after throwing their toast. Ask anyone who left before the end of last year's Princeton game how cool it is. Don't do it. 8. Not one Penn student will show up at Fordham to see the football game, because those that actually consider it will find the nearby Bronx Zoo is more entertaining. Fordham is bad. The Zoo has lots of animals. No contest. It is a non-descript game on the schedule, as are most of the games against the Patriot League. Depending on the tone of the season to this point, it may be a key to gaining momentum getting back into the Ivy League schedule. Just because students may yawn does not mean the football team will overlook it. 9. Richmond will wish that they had cancelled this season's game as well after being shutout, 54-0. Five years ago, before the 1994 season, Richmond withdrew from the scheduled game with Penn. The Quakers only played nine games that year. The Spiders aren't that bad, but it's time for revenge. 10. Penn wins the Ivies. Why? Matt Rader. Jim Finn. Toop's defense. It's payback time for 33-0 and asterisks next to 5-2* records.