Ragone named finalist for Ivy Player of the Year

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The Ivy League announced the four finalists for the Asa S. Bushnell Cup, given to the conference's player of the year, and Penn sophomore quarterback Billy Ragone has made the cut.

Though there was some question about whether the League would honor the quarterback or a member of the Penn O-Line, the choice of Ragone seems pretty logical. The sophomore finished fifth in the conference in rushing — a high rank for a quarterback — and was third in the League for pass efficiency. Ragone was sacked just four times in 223 dropbacks.

While I applaud Ragone's efforts, I also wonder how much of his strong performance came from having a solid offensive line. Penn's strength in rushing offense comes in large part from having a solid lane set up by linemen, and Ragone's successful passes came when the linemen were able to keep the pressure off.

Still, the sophomore has strong numbers, and his judgment did lead Penn to many of its wins this season. Ragone, who will wait until Dec. 6 to find out whether he has received the Cup, faces tight competition from Dartmouth tailback Nick Schwieger, Harvard senior Gino Gordon and Princeton receiver Trey Peacock.