If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around, does it make a sound? If another player gets arrested in big time college football, does anyone care?

As another offseason comes to a close, it is time that college football fans ponder these existential questions, and it is time the NCAA starts to examine the crime epidemic that has gripped the sport.

Senior goalkeeper Miles Kass knew it as soon as the Penn State players started celebrating their improbable overtime victory in the final game of the regular season.

Some of the other Hoyas had a bad feeling but held out hope. Senior defender Jerry Lambe knew early during ESPN’s selection show.

Earlier this month, the U.S. women’s national team prepared for its exhibition game against Canada on North Kehoe Field, drawing many fans to the Hilltop to watch the red, white and blue practice. Only a row below the press box, a crowd was treated to the opportunity to pick the brain of a man whose boisterous Irish accent and sharp wit could be heard above all else in the grandstands.

Updated: Monday, May 5, 10 p.m.

For the first time since 1996, Georgetown’s men’s lacrosse team, which was ranked fourth in the nation entering Saturday, was shut out of the 16-team NCAA tournament field.

The Georgetown players huddle during a timeout, their postseason hopes hanging in the balance. The Hoyas have peppered Massachusetts with shots, holding a 20-4 first-quarter advantage over the Minutemen, but they find themselves down 2-1.

Their spirits seem to be wilting under the sun on this warm Saturday afternoon.

Scott Urick speaks first, addressing the offensive issues of the team.

Usually this season the seniors have been leading the way for No. 4 Georgetown (9-3, 5-1 ECAC), but on Saturday, the sophomores were the ones spearheading the Hoyas’ victory. The sophomore class combined for eight goals and six assists to lead Georgetown to a 13-7 victory over Rutgers (5-7, 3-3) Saturday in Piscataway, N. J.

Saturday’s matchup between Georgetown (8-3, 3-1 ECAC) and Rutgers (5-6, 3-2) features two ECAC rivals in a contest that has NCAA tournament ramifications. In a few years, these two teams will likely still be conference rivals, but that conference could be the Big East.

It had been three weeks and eight games since its last Big East victory, but on Sunday, Georgetown finally beat a conference opponent.

After dropping the first two games of its weekend series, Georgetown (14-22, 4-14), who was swept back-to-back series by teams in the bottom half of the Big East, edged top-ranked Cincinnati (22-14, 11-4) 8-5 on Sunday.