It is a game to solidify their place in the record books. It is a game for revenge. It is a game to play spoiler. Most importantly for the Big Green, tomorrow's contest at Princeton is not a game for the Ivy League championship, which they won outright last weekend by defeating Brown 27-24.
However, even with its 17th title wrapped up, Dartmouth still has a lot to play for.
A victory would give the Big Green the only 10-0 season in the history of the school and perhaps establish this squad as the best ever to wear the Green.
Not only can they achieve a perfect season, they can extend their unbeaten streak to 17 games, two longer than the previous record of 15.
Unfortunately for the Big Green, history is not on their side. Seven times Dartmouth has gone into their final game against Princeton undefeated and all seven times the Big Green lost.
This is also a team looking for revenge. Last year's last-second 10-10 tie on the final play of the season against the Tigers dashed the Big Green's hopes for a share of the title in a game that many of the returning players feel they should have won.
Now with the title safely in hand, the Big Green is looking to ruin the Tigers' final home game in Palmer Stadium, which will be torn down after the game, 82 years after the two teams played the first game there in 1914.
Furthermore, it is a chance for the 26 seniors to go out with a victory over the only team they have not defeated in their Big Green careers.
"I definitely felt last year that if I had played better against Princeton, we would have won the title," quarterback Jon Aljancic '97 said. "Tomorrow is a chance to go out and redeem myself."
On paper, this game doesn't look to be much of a contest. The Tigers are 3-6 overall with a 2-4 mark in Ivy League play. But the team isn't taking an undefeated season for granted.
"If we think we just have to show up at Palmer Stadium to make history, well, think again," Aljancic said. "I think we are the better football team, but this is always a hard-fought game."
"It's going to be pretty special, the last game in that stadium, a big crowd and a chance for us to go 10-0. I don't want to go out having not beaten Princeton in my years here," he continued.
Princeton's record is deceiving, with five of its six losses coming by less than six points. Yet the Tiger offense has struggled to score points for most of the season, scoring 20 points or more only three times.
They were hampered by the loss of tailback Marc Washington, who will most likely not play due to an injured knee, one of the reasons that their offense is only averaging just above 260 yards per contest.
Wide receiver Kevin Duffy has developed into the playmaker on offense, leading the team with 35 catches for 458 yards and four touchdowns.
Tomorrow will also be a chance for a few personal records to be set. With one field goal, placekicker Dave Regula '98 can set the Ivy League record for most field goals in a season with 11.
With just 13 yards passing, Aljancic can move into fourth place on the all-time passing list while tailback Greg Smith '97 can become the fourth 1,000 yard rusher in school history with 114 yards.
Overall, there is a special feeling with what this team can accomplish with a win tomorrow.
"Obviously we wanted to get the championship and get a ring," tri-Captain Brian Larsen '97 said. "We've done that."
" Now we have a chance to write our own history by going 10-0, something that no other Dartmouth team has ever done before. We have a chance to be remembered as a truly, truly good football team for Dartmouth College," he continued.
With a win, they could leave the field for the last time ever at Palmer Stadium as not only a truly, truly good Big Green team, but rather the best.