The Tulsa-Dartmouth Connection. Really.

Honestly, would you really think that Dartmouth and Tulsa University football have much overlap? Didn't think so, but they do.

The Tulsa World has a revealing story about standout linebacker Matt Linscott, the team's second-leading tackler. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound junior who leads the American Athletic Conference and is 10th in the country with six tackles for loss told the paper:

“I was either going here or to Dartmouth to play up there.”

Tulsa junior Jerry Uwaezuoke, a 6-3, 295 defensive lineman, was accepted at Dartmouth and considered part of the recruiting class before having a change of heart. For a while he was expected to switch back to the Big Green before ultimately landing at Tulsa, where he started 10 games as a sophomore.

Find Linscott's Tulsa bio HERE and Uwaezuoke's Tulsa bio HERE.

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The Ivy League week begins tonight with Penn and Villanova squaring off a couple of days early because of the impending visit of Pope Francis to Philadelphia. BGA Premium's Fearful Forecast won't be posted until tomorrow. Rather than miss the opportunity to cherry pick a "W," here's the pick out of Philly: Even with star quarterback John Robertson lost to a knee injury, Nova will be too much to handle for the Quakers. How does 35-14 sound?

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Dartmouth gave a tour of the new press box and stands to a select group of dignitaries (they'll like that description ;-) and one person in flip-flops yesterday. Here is a selection of photos from in and around the stands. (Click to enlarge.)

It is astonishing how the new stands make the old facade "pop" from the inside. Several of us were trying to figure out where the arches were hiding in the old configuration.

This is the main entrance to the new stands.

Memorial Field was dedicated to those who served in The Great War.

Plaques and memorials from around the campus are being relocated to the stadium.

This is the writer's level of the new press box.

This is the view from the new reserved seats. The visitors are on the wide concourse that divides the grandstand into upper and lower sections.

Dartmouth coach Buddy Teevens made his way into the stands at one point yesterday to observe a practice period.

Championship banners now adorn the raised front wall of the new grandstand.

More banners are on the visiting stands.