Thursday, September 18, 2025

Closing In On It

Tonight's BGA Overtime posting will be the weekly Fearful Forecast prediction for this week's games featuring Dartmouth opponents. Come back tomorrow for an overview of the 2025 Dartmouth team, as well as the Dartmouth-UNH game preview.

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This was put up by the Ivy League, which as of 9:30 a.m. on the day before the season opens with a Columbia Friday night game, has no notes posted that I could find.

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Craig Haley of Stats Perform and Zach McKinnell of FCS Football Central on SI did a 50-minute podcast titled, FCS Stock Report. Lucky for you, I transcribed the main Ivy League section, which deals with Dartmouth-New Hampshire, what the commentators consider the Ivy game of the week. Here's what they had to say:

Craig Haley of Stats Perform
The Ivy League kicks off this week. You know, they play 10 straight weeks, a smaller schedule. This year, the champion's going to the FCS playoffs for the first time. They've allowed an automatic bid. The big game there, I would say, is Dartmouth at home hosting number 25, New Hampshire. It's the Granite Bowl. They've had a wacky series through the years as well. I'm going to go New Hampshire on the road. I think (New Hampshire quarterback) Matt Vezza has been terrific. But Dartmouth, they have a lot of offensive talent. They're really a sleeper here as far as getting to the FCS playoffs.

Zach McKinnell of FCS Football Central on SI
I'm going to go, I guess, upset. ... I'm going to go Dartmouth here. I think Dartmouth has been the most overlooked Ivy League team. I mean, Craig, everyone talks about Harvard and Yale and even some Princeton. People forget Sammy McCorkle was thrust into this role unexpectedly due to the tragedy that happened. He's won a share of the Ivy League in back-to-back years, Craig, and they got so much better. They finished 8-2 last year, went undefeated in out of conference play, if I remember right. So 14-6. I think they get it done. I love Grayson (Saunier) who they have coming back at quarterback. The offensive line is going to be anchored by both returning starting offensive tackles, one of which is Delby (Lemieux), who is an FCS All-American coming into the year. Their secondary is going to be so good, man. They have five guys coming back that played over about 150 snaps last year. Sean Williams at safety is one of my favorite safeties to watch. I think Dartmouth gets it done at home.

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The odds are up for Ivy League openers although FanDuel doesn't have all the games. First, the odds from something called SportsBook Review:

Columbia is a 3.5-point underdog at home against Lafayette

Dartmouth is a 1.5-point underdog at home against New Hampshire

Brown is a 4.5-point home underdog against Georgetown

Cornell is a 1.5-point underdog at Albany

Harvard  is a 35.5-point favorite at Stetson

Penn is a 13.5-point favorite at Stonehill

Princeton is an 11.5-point home favorite over San Diego

Yale is a 4.5-point favorite at home over Holy Cross


Here's what FanDuel has:


Dartmouth is a 2.5-point underdog against New Hampshire

Brown is a 2.5-point underdog against Georgetown

Harvard is a 39.5-point favorite at Stetson

Penn is a 13.5 point favorite at Stonehill

Princeton  is an 11.5 point favorite over San Diego

Yale is aa 3.5-point faovirte over Holy Cross


Green Alert Take: Odds posted on BGA are for perspective on the games only.


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EXTRA POINT

I came across something interesting on my hike the other day. This is what I saw:



If you are wondering what a baseball was doing on top of a mountain at least three or four miles from the nearest baseball field, so was I.


Then I looked closer. It was actually a relatively round, white-ish rock with shadows from a fern looking like stitching on a baseball. I came through at just the right time of day for the shadows to momentarily fool me.

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