Can Anyone Stop Harvard? Ivy League Football Enters a Defining Weekend

Yale Bulldogs vs. Penn Quakers - Friday 7:00 pm 

Last week I wrote about how this Yale defense was still such a concern and not to read too much into a fluke good game on that side of the ball against Dartmouth and unfortunately, it reared its ugly head once again.

The Bulldog's defense was manhandled by Rhode Island who scored 41 points and really took Yale out of the game right from the start. Yale was down 14-0 early and never looked comfortable as it seemed the Rams could do no wrong. Once the defense put them behind the 8 ball even Reno had trouble in obvious passing situations to lead a comeback. Yale though still has a dynamic offense and will be dangerous all season, the defense though limits their upside and my preseason and season long concerns about that side of the ball may actually be worse than imagined. 

Penn meanwhile were upset by Columbia. The Lions continue to be a team that impresses every week, despite not getting a lot of recognition for their games. They certainly know how to win close ones and this was another case of that. The Quakers have also played a lot of one score games so far, in fact each of their last three games have been decided by 4 points or less and while the offense had their best day of the season, the defense had their worst. 

I fully expect Yale's offense to have a better game here but Penn's defense has shown they can frustrate teams and make it a low scoring game. Perhaps this is exactly the type of slow, methodical and struggling offense that the Bulldogs defense needs, but at this point I have a hard time trusting them to stop anyone. I think being at home and in prime time helps the Quakers, but Yale is the better team, and Reno could simply put them on his back and will them to a win here. 

Cornell Big Red vs. Brown Bears - Saturday 12:00 pm  

The Brown offense once again couldn't get things done, as has been the case most of the season. Brown scored just 10 points on the day, which is now the third time they have scored just 10 points in a game in their five games, and they were kept to 17 in another low scoring contest on opening day. Brown has all sorts of problems moving the ball, but defensively they once again stepped up and played well. Princeton is not a dynamic offense by any stretch but anytime your defense holds a team to just 16 points you expect to win. Defensively this team is really looking good as they have not allowed a single opponent to score 17 points yet this year. 

Cornell upped their record to 3-2 on the year with an emphatic underdog win against Lehigh. Lehigh was not only undefeated on the season, with the best RB in the country leading the way, but they also were a huge favorite and the Big Red simply outscored them. Lehigh put up 38 on this defense but Cornell looked great with 48 points and a win. Garrett Bass-Sulpizio threw for a career high 366 yards and was a dual threat with over 100 rushing yards as well. After nearly upsetting Harvard and now winning against Lehigh and Yale, we have to take this Cornell team seriously, at least the offense, which has scored 29+ points in every game but the opener against Colgate. 

This is a fun game between contrasting styles and contrasting units. Brown's defense has shown that no one can crack them while Cornell's offense looks unstoppable. What's the old saying about irresistible force meeting immovable object, it seems that's what we have on our hands here. There is another side of the ball though and while that will be a fun battle, Cornell's defense has shown they can hold teams down, while Brown's offense hasn't shown they can do much. Cornell is the favorite here for a reason, but they have to avoid the let down spot. 

Dartmouth Big Green vs. Columbia Lions - Saturday 1:30 pm 

The Lions are the biggest surprise of the Ivy league season, and they just continue to impress. Columbia went on the road and walked away with a win over Penn and now they are sporting a solid 4-1 record. The Lions defense has been shaky this season, allowing 27+ points to all but one opponent, but they are finding ways to win. The blood pressure for Lions fans has to be off the charts with two overtimes wins and now the one-point thriller last week, but they are racking up wins and continue to grow as a team. 

Dartmouth is on the other side of things. What was once thought to be a banner year ahead has quickly turned into a question mark season. They tried to quiet some of those doubts last week with a 27-21 win over Merrimack, yet struggled all day with an inferior team. Merrimack had a lead after the first, at the half and even heading into the 4th quarter, that's a concern. There is a bright side though and that is a 13 point final quarter and momentum heading into this week. The Big Green have been up and down all season. At times their offense has been on the upswing and we've seen the defense also look good in spurts. 

If Dartmouth wants to win they need a complete game against the upstart Lions. Once again Columbia will be underdogs, but the way this team keeps fighting I'm not counting them out. We are all waiting for that complete game by the Bug Green and it's simple that if it comes together, they'll win, but if you leave the door open for the Lions, they'll be headed to 5-1. 

Princeton Tigers vs. Harvard Crimson - Saturday 3:00 pm 

The Crimson once again separated themselves even further from the pack as the clear best team in the Ivy League's last week with a total game against Holy Cross. The offense has been humming the past two weeks, now scoring 71 points the past two week, and the defense was once again on fire. The defense has now held three of their five opponents to 10 points or less, and another to just 17 en route to their 5-0 start. Charlie Smith is really looking like an all conference player and threw for nearly 300 yards last week. Kise Flannery ran for two touchdowns and showed the depth of this Harvard offense. The defense shutting down Holy Cross was even more impressive when you consider the fact that the Crusaders were averaging 40 points per game the past two games and couldn't do a thing against the Crimson. 

Princeton's defense has been carrying this team all season and has established itself among the best defenses in the country. They once again relied on that excellent defense holding Brown to just 10 points. That is now the 4th straight game where the Tigers have not allowed even 14 points to an opponent and in their lone loss they only allowed 21 on opening day. Princeton is looking at this game as a chance to take full control of the Ivy League and know they need more than they got last week from their offense. When the Tigers are at their best they play a slowed down offensive game, but they showed they can open it up against Columbia and Wagner, where they scored 63 points in two games. 

Princeton will need to generate that sort of offense if they expect to beat Harvard in Cambridge. This is a Harvard offense that can push the Tigers and they can't expect to get out of town allowing less than 14 points again. I expect a hard fought, tough defensive battle, but Harvard's offense and Charlie Smith have been super impressive lately and that should be the difference. The winner will be atop the Ivy leagues after all is said and done, and with the way the Crimson are playing it's going to take a perfect game for Princeton to pull the upset.