The showdown in Beantown

The time is nigh.

The most anticipated matchup of the Ivy League football season -- indeed, of the past several seasons -- will finally be consummated tomorrow when unbeaten Penn (7-0, 5-0 Ivy League) meets unbeaten Harvard (7-0, 5-0) in Harvard Stadium at 12:30 p.m.

This is the first matchup of two Ancient Eight unbeatens this late in the season since Nov. 6, 1993, when Penn beat Princeton by the score of 30-14 and shut down outspoken Tigers running back Keith Elias.

Throughout Ivy League history, there have only been four such matchups, which is why this game seems to be taking on a life of its own.

Apparently, the whispers around Harvard are that this is the biggest game in the nation's oldest stadium since 1968, when the Crimson tied Yale in another clash between undefeated Ivy League teams.

Tomorrow's matchup is also garnering a bit of national attention, as ESPN "College GameDay" analyst Beano Cook suggested on the air that tomorrow's edition of the college football show should be hosted from Harvard.

"Obviously, it's not something that happens on a frequent basis," Penn football coach Al Bagnoli said. "So it's something that should be written up as one of those classic matchups.... It should get a little bit of hype."

Beyond the buildup, however, tomorrow's game has huge implications in the hunt for sole possession of the Ivy League championship. To garner a share of the trophy, the loser of tomorrow's game will have to win a week from tomorrow on the last day of the season and hope that the winner somehow loses in an upset.

And though the confident and quietly excited Quakers have breezed through their season with few rough spots, the players realize that in Harvard they face their greatest challenge yet.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Crimson feature wide receiver Carl Morris, who could make a case for being the Ivy League's best wideout over Brown star receiver Chas Gessner.

"[He's] the best receiver in the league, hands down," Penn linebacker Dan Morris said. "Any time he touches the ball, it could be a touchdown."

Harvard also features banged-up quarterback Neil Rose, who has been prolific in moving the ball and can scramble in a manner similar to the one Princeton quarterback David Splithoff used last Saturday to give the Penn defense fits.

"[Their offense] is probably comparable to Brown," Bagnoli said. "They have a quarterback who can make plays. They have a standout wide receiver surrounded by some other good wide receivers. They've got a couple good running backs. They have a physical offensive line.... They're just as athletic. They're just as potent, and we'll have our hands full."

The Quakers also face a good deal of athleticism and speed in the Harvard defense, though Penn quarterback Gavin Hoffman maintains that the Red and Blue will not alter what's worked for them all season -- a potent air attack and a whole lot of running back Kris Ryan.

"No sense in changing [the offense] in the most important game of the year," Bagnoli said. "You don't want to shake things up too much."

Undoubtedly, what will be shaken up tomorrow is the football landscape of the Ivy League.

"We're going to find out who's better," Hoffman said.

"This is a huge game," Morris said. "This is why we come here -- to play in these sort of games. I can't even explain how much everybody's looking forward to it."

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