1. Harvard – 118 (9)
2. Dartmouth – 105 (4)
3. Yale – 103 (3)
4. Columbia – 72
5. Princeton – 55
6. Penn – 49
7. Cornell – 42
8. Brown – 32
As promised, here’s how my ballot would have looked if redistricting hadn’t taken way my vote:
1. Harvard
2. Yale
3. Columbia
4. Penn
5. Princeton
6. Brown
7. Cornell
Wait, wait, you say, What about Dartmouth?
No, I’m not trying to avoid the ire of Big Green readers and coaches. In a perfect world no beat writer would ever be allowed to slot the team they cover in a poll. Beat writers know way more about the team they cover – both the good and the bad – than they do about the other teams, particularly when there’s precious little available on other teams around the league. When I worked at Dartmouth Ivy schools were required to send along a prospectus with a full fall roster and a relatively comprehensive look at the strengths and challenges each team faces, making voting much more educated. To my chagrin, the Ivy League doesn’t do that anymore.
So where would I peg Dartmouth? I’ll say this much: I’d have the Big Green in the mix and playing for something on the final Saturday of the season along with at least two others.
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EXTRA POINT
The Great Route 66 Road Trip of 2025 made it deep into Ohio yesterday. A Scrabble game is already heating up at the campground and our well-charged EV is keeping a small fridge cool. We’ll hit Route 66 for the first time tomorrow as we visit the Gateway Arch.
