By far the biggest game in the Ivies this weekend is Brown against Penn. The 3-2 Bears, owners of the most potent scoring offense in the league, look to even up their Ivy record (2-1) with the 3-0 Quakers' who are 5-0 overall. The key matchup in the game should be between the two big, bruising running backs: Michael Malan of Brown and Kris Ryan of Pennsylvania. Although the Quakers certainly have a better defense statistically, they have yet to face a back as accomplished as Malan combined with a quarterback as competent as Brown's standout, Kyle Rowley.
Still, Penn has a solid, punishing defense and unless turnovers severely alter the character of this game, the defending champs should be able to grind out a win and remain undefeated.
The other two games are of little consequence to the race for the Ivy title. Columbia, fresh off spoiling Dartmouth's Homecoming for their first win of the season, will host Yale, the only team to lose to the Big Green this year.
Nevertheless, Yale lost under a barrage of Greg Smith '02 bombs and they are a far better team than the inept Lions. This one should not be pretty, or close.
Princeton, 1-4, hosts 0-5 Cornell in the anti-marquee matchup of the week. Cornell has been miserable after graduating nearly every player who helped the Big Red contend for the Ivy League crown last season.
Just be glad you don't have to watch this one, and also, as a Dartmouth fan, be glad that the Big Green has a chance to sink its fangs into these two rudderless programs later in the season.
Still, even without the home-field advantage, the Big Red will catch the Tigers cat-napping and stumble away with their first W of the year.
