Maybe Columbia should get the Banner Student system.
Thanks to a scheduling mistake with the class credits of a defensive tackle on the Columbia football team, the Lions may have to forfeit their two wins this season--including their 27-20 victory over Dartmouth two weeks ago.
According to news reports, Matt Stary, a 6-2, 285-pound senior, was declared ineligible this week because of the scheduling blunder. The school will await a ruling from the Ivy League regarding its two wins.
A ruling against Columbia would represent good fortune for Dartmouth, which has melted in recent weeks under a flurry of bad breaks. A Columbia forfeit would guarantee the Big Green a fourth consecutive two-win campaign.
Regardless of how that turns out, the Big Green will get a chance for an on-field win tomorrow when mediocre Cornell visits Memorial Field. Cornell is a bottom feeder by any measure; the Big Red has gotten worse in each of the past few years and is an ugly, 10-7 victory over 1-5 Princeton away from being winless this season.
I know I said this about Columbia and proved to be a goat, but I will say it again: Cornell is not a good team. Their passing game is basically the converse of Dartmouth's in that they have an established quarterback but few, if any, reliable receivers.
Dartmouth would be well-advised to jump all over this team early in each half and, most of all, play smart football. The Cornell offense is punchless enough that 21 points should be enough for a win.
I'm picking the Big Green to win the battle of Christmas colors, 24-10.
