Yesterday, The Daily Pennsylvanian looked back at the 2003 Cornell football team, a team that won zero Ivy League games and finished last in nearly every statistical category in the Ivy League.
Almost everything that was written about the 2003 Big Red could also be used to describe the 2002 Columbia Lions, a team that finished with the exact same record (1-9, 0-7 Ivy) as the 2003 Cornell squad.
With the program in shambles, the Lions turned to former Yale graduate Bob Shoop to turn around the program.
Under his guidance, Columbia was much improved in 2003, finishing 4-6 overall and winning a respectable three league games. The Lions fielded a solid core of position players led by quarterback Jeff Otis and second-team All-Ivy performers tight end Wade Fletcher and running back Ayo Oluwole.
But the thing most Penn students would remember about Columbia football last season was its homecoming game with the Quakers. Shoop made a daring and somewhat impetuous decision to guarantee victory over the Red and Blue, a team that was both undefeated and the defending league champions.
On its first possession, Columbia scored on a touchdown from Otis to Travis Chmelka.
That was about all that went right for the Lions, as they were shut out for the final 55 minutes. Penn rolled, 31-7.
But despite the snickering that Shoop endured in the postgame press conference, his players emerged with a sense of their own potential, and a clear indication of the trust the coaching staff has in them.
"It was more of a challenge he placed on us," Otis said of Shoop's guarantee. "He went out on a limb, and that shows he has a lot of confidence in us. It didn't happen, but definitely it shows he believes in us."
Many people involved with the Penn football community felt that Shoop's prediction showed a lack of respect for Penn football.
But Otis insists that it's just the opposite.
"I heard that [Penn] coach [Al]Bagnoli made a comment about lack of respect," Otis said. "We have a lot of respect for Penn. That's who we're trying to emulate. And that starts with the belief that you're gonna win."
Shoop has been credited with reinstituting that belief within the Columbia football program.
"Coach changed the mindset of the team" last year, Otis said. "And that in itself bought us a couple of wins. But this year, we might not sneak up on anyone."
With that in mind, the Lions look to improve on last year's record, knowing that this year teams will be expecting to face a competitive squad.
Otis, Fletcher and Oluwole lead an offense that is capable of a breakout season. Otis threw for 2,552 yards and 17 touchdowns last year. Many of those went to Fletcher, who caught 59 passes for 874 yards and nine touchdowns, impressive numbers for a tight end.
Oluwole hopes to build on his 2003 campaign, during which he rushed for 903 yards and five touchdowns.
But the Lions are hoping that young players will step up and replace last year's starting receivers Chmelka and Zach Van Zant, who combined for 105 receptions for 1,254 yards last season.
Columbia also returns all-Ivy selections in offensive tackle Kevin Coco, kicker/punter Nick Rudd and defensive tackle Michael Quarshie.
But other than Quarshie, the Lions defense has not proven that it can be successful on a consistent level in league play. Columbia gave up 27 points per Ivy game last season, ranking second-to-last in the Ancient Eight. This season, the defense must overcome the loss of both starting safeties to graduation.
So for now, it would appear that Columbia's best chance at a successful season lies with Otis and the rest of the offense. Last season, Otis did a terrific job of spreading the ball around, as four receivers had over 20 catches. It will take more of the same for the Lions to make the next step from competitive to contender.
