Around the Ivies: The Game

This column was surprisingly hard to write, and I think I have figured out why.

Really, it should have been easy. There is simply so much to talk about.

Harvard (9-0, 6-0 Ivy) going for an undefeated season. Yale (8-1, 6-1) going for a share of the Ivy title. College GameDay and what Lee Corso might put on his head if he picks the Crimson. Sam Clark doing Sam Clark things.

For the first time in a long time, the storylines justify capitalizing The Game—and it starts with the coaches.

I expect you know the backstory with former Harvard assistant and current Yale head coach Tony Reno. His move across enemy lines rekindled this rivalry three years ago.

Reno remodeled the Eli program in the Crimson’s image, and it has worked. Animosity between the programs seemed to die down as Harvard players brought to Cambridge by Reno graduated in waves. Princeton winning two years in a row diverted attention, too. But with the Bulldogs now competitive, expect the old wounds to flare up again.

As Harvard coach Tim Murphy becomes the league’s elder statesman after Penn coach Al Bagnoli’s impending retirement, Reno is emerging as a viable candidate to replace Bagnoli as an antagonist in Murphy’s story.

That said, Saturday will go a long way in determining whether Reno will play the part of pest or predator.

And the storylines get no less interesting when The Game actually kicks off. Whichever fans are sober enough to see will get to watch the best unit-vs.-unit matchup the Ivy League has to offer when Yale has the ball.

Quarterback Morgan Roberts and running back Tyler Varga lead the league in passing and rushing, respectively. Harvard, meanwhile, leads the conference in passing and rushing defense.

The Crimson defense was a question mark if not a weakness entering the year, but it will likely finish the season as historically great. Harvard leads the FCS in points against. Regardless what happens Saturday, members of this defensive unit will be able to hang their helmets on a special year.

I just know they will not be happy to do it if they cannot meet their tallest task this weekend.

See, this should have been easy to write. It wasn’t.

At first I thought I was struggling because this will be my last football Around the Ivies. It hit me leaving Murphy’s office after my 30th weekly sitdown with him that I would not be going back, so maybe I was putting pressure on myself to make this column some sort of culminating triumph—wiser and funnier than any before?

But no, that was not it. Eventually I realized what was holding me back. I’ll explain in my final picks section…

YALE AT HARVARD

This column was so hard to write because I don’t know what Saturday’s game will mean. The storylines are overwhelming. The Game could solidify Yale’s resurgence or ensure Harvard’s continued dominance.

I’ve waffled on this pick. At first I felt the Bulldogs had the talent and motivation to finally turn the tide. But the more I thought about it, the more I trusted the Crimson’s defense to stand tough and its offensive line to make a difference. At the end of the day, I have more faith in Murphy and his team to win another big game.  In a big spot against Princeton last week, the Bulldogs dug themselves a hole. Harvard will make them pay if they are not ready for the stage again.

Prepare for a great game. The history is there, the stakes are there, and the talent is there. But also get ready for perfection. The Crimson is close to achieving it.

Prediction: Harvard 35, Yale 31

COLUMBIA AT BROWN

If anybody should be celebrating Saturday, it’s Columbia (0-9, 0-6). Another wretched season is finally over. Brown (4-5, 2-4) will win this to get back to .500 after beating every team it was supposed to beat and losing to the rest, as average as it gets.

Prediction: Brown 34, Columbia 6

PENNSYLVANIA AT CORNELL

Shout out to the Big Red in advance for helping send Bagnoli out with a win on Saturday. The Quakers (1-9, 1-6) came to life last week in a 34-24 loss to Harvard, and I expect them to continue building momentum towards the post-Bagnoli era by rolling through the Big Red (1-9, 1-6).

Prediction: Penn 30, Cornell 10

DARTMOUTH AT PRINCETON

While GameDay is coming to Cambridge, this is the game on ESPN3, and with good reason. If Yale can beat Harvard, a Dartmouth (8-1, 6-1) win would earn the Big Green a share of the crown and give three out of eight Ancient Eight teams a title. Princeton (5-4, 4-2) will not make it easy though, especially after the Big Green knocked the Tigers off in last season’s finale. Still, I think Princeton is not quite the team it was last year, and that will show Saturday.

Prediction: Dartmouth 28, Princeton 20