Big Weekend In Store

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It is way too easy to take where we live here on the shoulder of Moose Mountain for granted. Walking Griff this morning I saw the sun peaking through through the clouds and dappling the Vermont hills on the horizon and hoped the pup would finish his business in time for me to grab the camera before the view changed. He did ;-)

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STATS FCS senior editor Craig Haley picks Dartmouth to win at Brown with this explanation:

X-No. 23 Dartmouth (7-1, 4-1 Ivy) at Brown (4-4, 2-3), 12:30 p.m. - The Big Green's senior-dominated defense has forced an Ivy League-best 21 turnovers in eight games, led by free safety David Caldwell with four interceptions and three fumble recoveries. Meanwhile, Brown has coughed up a league-high 25 turnovers.

Alas, he also picks Harvard to win the showdown with Penn and claim at least a share of its 17th Ivy League title, thereby moving into a tie with Dartmouth for the most in conference history. He writes:

Penn (5-3, 4-1 Ivy) at X-No. 12 Harvard (8-0, 5-0), noon - The unbeaten Crimson, who would clinch at least a share of their third straight Ivy League title with a victory, have won 16 in a row over league opponents. The four longer streaks in Ivy history, ranging from 17 to 20 games, are all held by Penn squads.

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Dartmouth is going with the traditional look for Saturday's game at Brown.

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Dartmouth's game notes for Brown are HERE. The notes reveal that last week's win lifted Buddy Teevens' coaching record in Ivy League games at Dartmouth to 55-54-1. He was 21-14-1 in his first stint in Hanover from 1987-1991 but the Big Green's difficulties in his first years back dropped him below the break-even mark in 2006. His teams have gone 23-10 in the Ivies since 2011, finally getting him back on the right side of .500 with the 21-3 win over Cornell.

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Back to predictions. The Harvard Crimson has Dartmouth defeating Brown, 31-10. As for how the school paper sees Harvard faring against Penn, here's what it says:

Penn has won four straight, making it one of the hottest teams in the Ivy League. The problem is, its opponent is the hottest Ivy team. Harvard will enter this game hungry and ride a balanced performance to victory, but it may be a tighter contest than many expect.

Prediction: Harvard 28, Penn 17

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The Daily Pennsylvanian has a story that includes a fact that may catch you by surprise given Dartmouth's success this fall and its championship hopes. The DP writes:

Penn and Harvard are the only two Ivy teams to currently control their own championship destinies . . .

It's true. Harvard can clinch a share with a win over the Quakers. Penn can move into a tie with a win over the Crimson. Two Dartmouth wins would keep the Big Green's hopes alive – but without someone knocking off Harvard it won't matter in the championship race.

Here's something else from the DP:

Either Penn or Harvard has had at least a share of the Ivy League football championship for the last eight seasons. It looks like this will be the ninth.

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The Columbia Spectator has an excellent look at how the Lions have performed in Al Bagnoli's first year as coach, focusing on the team's defense. From the story:

Between Dartmouth, Princeton, and Yale—teams which are averaging 32, 30, and 23 points per game, respectively—the defense surrendered only two touchdowns.