The Woods, Dark And Deep

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The video scoreboard at Memorial Field really does look as if it is in "The Woods" in this shot of a test being done during yesterday's practice. Don't worry about the numbers on the board. They mean there was 1:58 remaining in the third period of practice when the picture was taken.

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As a former beat writer covering Princeton sports, The Sports Network's Craig Haley has a very good knowledge of the Ivy League, which makes it curious that while the wise guys have Dartmouth an 18½-point favorite against Central Connecticut State, TSN is picking the Blue Devils to win. The Sports Network doesn't usually go out on that kind of limb.

Here are TSN's other picks:

Georgetown over Brown
Fordham over Columbia
Colgate over Cornell
Harvard over Holy Cross
Penn over Jacksonville
Princeton over San Diego
Lehigh over Yale

The only Ivy playing a ranked team is Columbia, which will have its hand full against No. 18 Fordham according to TSN, which writes in part:

. . . Fordham should score over 50 points for the third time this season.

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Speaking of Columbia, the Spectator has its football season preview up HERE.

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Fordham, of course, is a member of the Patriot League, which was founded largely on Ivy League principles. The Rams were ineligible for the PL championship after breaking away and introducing football scholarships a few years ago, but the other Patriots (sans Georgetown) have now followed suit. That's one of the reasons why the Ivy-Patriot relationship could be heading for the rocks.

A loyal BGA reader shared a story from the Lehigh Valley's Morning Call that appears under the headline: Have Patriot League teams become poison for the Ivy League? (LINK)

From the story:

(Lehigh Coach Andy) Coen said the scholarships that the Patriot League schools are one reason.

"I also think they want to go and play someone in the Midwest, play someone in California as part of their recruiting," Coen said.  "It's a shame if we lose some of these games because there's a lot in common between the student-athletes in the two leagues.

"The model of the Patriot league was to piggyback off the Ivy League, without a doubt. I think it's important that we still play those people and even more important that we beat them."

For what it's worth, the Call notes that over the past three years the series stands 24-23 in the Patriot League's favor.

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There was an interesting looking visitor at Dartmouth's practice yesterday. Wonder who he is? Click HERE.

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And finally, we have a nice group for the BGA hike on Moose Mountain Saturday at 11:30 and more are welcome. For more information, CLICK HERE to send me an email and I'll answer whatever questions you have as well as send along directions. It should be about 60 degrees and mostly sunny while we are hiking.