This past weekend wasn't just "Survival Saturday" for the top 25 in Division 1-A football; "Survival Saturday" applied to the Ivy League as well. Following Dartmouth's shocking 30-16 win at Harvard and Princeton's 28-6 shellacking of Cornell, the race for the title just got a whole lot more interesting.
Imagine this scenario if you will – the football team wins out, Harvard beats Columbia and Penn, Yale beats Brown and Harvard, and Penn beats Cornell. If all these things happen, Princeton, Harvard, Yale and Penn will split the Ivy League title among four teams for the first time in the 48-year history of the league.
While this scenario seems farfetched at first glance, considering eight games must go exactly according to plan, in actuality there is more than just a remote chance of this occurring.
Let us begin with Princeton football (2-5 overall, 2-2 Ivy League) winning its remaining three games. The Tigers travel to Penn (7-0, 4-0) this weekend, then face Yale (5-2, 3-1) on homecoming weekend and close the season against Dartmouth (3-4, 2-2) on the road. While none are easy games, all are winnable.
The offense has finally put together consecutive solid outings. After posting 40 points and almost 600 yards against Harvard, the team followed with an efficient 28 points against Cornell. In addition, the defense showed up big against an inferior opponent.
Princeton dominated a team it was expected to beat handily, unlike its last league game at home against Columbia (2-5, 1-3). In talking with the players and coaching staff, confidence is high for the first time this year.
The Tigers' first challenge is the Quakers, who, while being ranked No. 9 in Division I-AA (Sports Network Poll), have been anything but the dominating force they were last year and at the beginning of this season. Penn has had two straight close Ivy League contests, beating Yale by three in overtime at the Yale Bowl and topping a hapless Brown (2-5, 1-3) team, 24-21, this past weekend.
Penn's defense has been the best in the Ivy League thus far, giving up the fewest points and yards per game, 14.8 and 286.6 respectively.
The Tigers follow their contest versus Penn with a home game against the Elis. While Yale has been tough in league play, it has been vulnerable, especially on defense. Its offense, however, is one of the best in the Ivy League. Led by quarterback Alvin Colwin and running backs Robert Carr and David Knox, Yale has averaged over 40 points a contest so far this year.
The Tigers finally head to what will likely be a frigid Hanover, N.H., to face off against Dartmouth. The Big Green were expected to be an improved team under head coach John Lyons this season, and they finally showed it against Harvard this weekend.
The victory by the Big Green not only put Penn in the driver's seat, but also gave hope to those teams with one loss and even those with two.
Dartmouth quarterback Charlie Rittgers led the way with 344 yards and accounted for three Big Green touchdowns.
Harvard must try and regroup after its tough loss and should have an easy time facing Columbia this weekend. The Crimson almost survived three games without injured quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick broke a bone in his throwing hand and had not played in the last two games. He did not start Saturday's game either, but entered after backup Garrett Schires, who directed Harvard to a win over the Tigers last weekend, was ineffective.
The Crimson should pick up an easy win at Columbia this weekend but close with their two toughest games of the year, at home against Penn and on the road at Yale.
Playing at Harvard Stadium in their last home game of the season, the Crimson should test the Quakers and Fitzpatrick should be 100 percent healthy. The Elis will be a tough matchup for the Crimson, especially since their defense has given up over 1000 yards in their last two games.
That's life in what has been a wacky Ivy League season. Only five days ago, a league championship seemed about as likely as the men's basketball team losing its star player before the season started. But hey, it could happen.
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