Another Win

So here's a fascinating quote:

“I wish Coach [Trent] Dilfer the best and thank him for his class, tireless work and commitment during his tenure at UAB. While his efforts did not translate into a winning record, each young man who played for him will be a better person as a result.” 

This was the quote from Alabama-Birmingham Director of Athletics Mark Ingram on the school website. Knowing how quotes end up on school websites, TigerBlog would suggest that this quote went through several versions before it was approved. 

Is there anything that sums up where FBS football is right now? Yes, winning is obviously important, hugely important. Everyone doesn't get a trophy.

And yes, coaches on the FBS level know what they're signing up for when they take the job. You just had to look at the headlines this weekend to see how ruthless the profession is.  

Didn't someone get fired over the weekend who took his team to the College Football Playoff semifinals a year ago? Yes, he did. Didn't another one get fired who was in his second year coaching at his alma mater and had every mechanism to be successful yanked away? Yes, he did too. 

Still, "each young man who played for him will be a better person as a result?" Doesn't that have to at least buy you until the end of the season, and maybe at least another one?

Oh, and speaking of "buy," put the word "-out" after it and those numbers become staggering.  

TigerBlog was also struck by the fact that Dilfer — a Super Bowl-winning quarterback with the Ravens — was fired with a two-year record of 9-21. 

Hmmm. Want to know whose first two years as a Division I head coach saw him have an 8-21 record? 

That would be a certain Bill Tierney in his first two years at Princeton. Yes, lacrosse isn't FBS football, but still — isn't there something to be said for allowing coaches to grow and develop into the position? Tierney certainly did, right? 

There will always be a long line of coaches ready to sign up for this, knowing that the financial rewards can be life-altering. On the other hand, what's the message? It's "win at all costs or be fired." 

Oh well. From TB's perspective, it just makes it harder to enjoy college football at that level.

And that's all he'll say about that for now. 

Besides, the Princeton men's soccer team won again. That's better than all of FBS football put together.  

This time, it was a 2-0 win over Cornell in Ithaca in a matchup of the only two perfect Ivy teams. The Tigers are now 9-1-0 overall, 3-0-0 in the league.

What's more, Princeton has shut out four straight opponents and seven of its last eight. Through 10 games, Princeton has given up only three goals. That's pretty good stuff. 

When was the last time Princeton men's soccer had four straight shutouts? That would be back in 1980, when Princeton defeated Harvard 2-0, tied Penn 0-0 and then beat Rider and Delaware 4-0 each.

By the way, the time before that was the last three games of 1953 and first in 1954. If you want four straight in the same season, then you go all the way back to 1942.  

The last time there were seven shutouts in eight games? Also 1942, when the Tigers actually had eight shutouts in nine games. Penn was the only team to score against that team, in a 5-2 Princeton win, and the Yale game to end the season was a 0-0 tie. 

Princeton is on the road tonight at 7 to take on James Madison. After that will be the next Ivy game, at home against Columbia Saturday at 4. 

Princeton continues to be ranked No. 1 in Division I in the RPI. The new coaches' rankings come out today; Princeton was ninth last week.

After the Columbia game will be a home game a week from tonight against Bryant. That will be the No. 1 RPI team against the current No. 3 RPI team. Who's No. 2? Vermont. 

For now, Princeton is alone atop the Ivy League standings, with a win over the only team within three points.