Looking Ahead To Princeton

The Daily Dartmouth on Saturday's game at Princeton:

Point comparisons aside, Princeton offers what is perhaps the most realistic chance, statistically, for the Big Green to gain a win since its matchup with Columbia.

Of course, there's a lot at stake for both teams, as the Daily Princetonian writes:

The game marks the first chance Princeton has had at a five-year win streak over the Big Green since the Tigers dominated Dartmouth from 1949-1952, during which Princeton boasted a national championship in 1950 and the 1951 Heisman Trophy winner in Dick Kazmaier ’52.

But the Tigers’ opponent have history on the line too. One would have to go back 125 years to find Dartmouth’s last winless season. In 1883, the Big Green went 0-1 following a 5-3 loss against Williams.

The Harvard Crimson's weekly prognosticator has one final chance to take a shot at Dartmouth and makes the most of it:

I’d like to reassure you Dartmouth, by telling you that it’s almost over. But honestly, I’m starting to think you enjoy it.

Prediction: Princeton 28, Dartmouth 10

The official Dartmouth sports information preview is available here and a PDF of the full game notes can be downloaded here.

While there will likely be a great many empty seats at Princeton's fabulous stadium, there won't be any at The Game. From a Harvard release:

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The 125th playing of “The Game” between Harvard and Yale on Saturday is officially sold out. Select student tickets remain and are being distributed on campus.

Given that Harvard Stadium is currently listed as having a seating capacity of 30,323, it's a pretty safe bet that there will be more people at The Game than at the other three Ivy League games combined.

Speaking of Harvard, add quarterback Chris Pizzotti to the Walter Payton Award list for the top offensive player in the FCS (I-AA). That means Dartmouth will have faced four players on the list at some point this season: Colgate's Jordan Scott, Yale's Mike McLeod, Holy Cross' Dominic Randolph and Pizzotti. And frankly, Brown's Michael Dougherty wouldn't look out of place on that list. Check out this promotional PDF Harvard put together for Pizzotti's candidacy.

Sign up for an account with Bleacherreport and you, too, can be a sportswriter. But just because someone has a forum doesn't mean you should believe what he/she writes without challenging it – present company included. That said, this Bleacherreport column on Columbia's football fortunes flat-out has it wrong.

If you haven't read the USA Today investigative report on the academic issues in major college football, it paints a very scary picture.