Playtime's over. While the rest of the Ivy League is enjoying another Saturday of tuneups against non-conference foes, Harvard, Brown, Yale and Cornell kick off their Ivy League seasons this weekend.
More interestingly, tomorrow looks to be a "Separation Saturday" of sorts. The four undefeated teams are each facing each other: Harvard is travelling to Brown, while Yale treks up to Cornell.
Harvard at Brown
Although they've only played one game, Harvard and Brown have put up some impressive numbers that should make for an interesting clash of styles.
Behind quarterback Chris Pizzotti, the Crimson gained 370 yards through the air. However, Brown brings a potent passing attack of its own with Matt Dougherty as its signal-caller. The Bears also allowed just 111 passing yards last weekend against Stony Brook, winning the game with their defense.
Expect a high-scoring one, but Harvard, the better team, will eventually prevail. This isn't a game it can afford to lose if it want to keep its No. 1 Ivy League preseason ranking.
Yale at Cornell
In the other Ivy League matchup of the weekend, Yale heads up to Ithaca, N.Y., to face Cornell.
Despite some uncertainty at the quarterback position, the Elis rode the tandem of Ryan Fodor and Brook Hart to 300-plus passing yards and a 47-7 win over Georgetown. Yale running back Mike McLeod amassed fewer than 90 yards on the day.
The Big Red, however, are not the Bulldogs. They pulled out a gritty win against Bucknell last Saturday that earned the players back the "C"s on their helmets. (Jim Knowles stripped the Cornell "C" off the players' helmets before the season, saying they needed to earn them back.)
Moreover, Cornell allowed just 46 yards to Bucknell. If the Big Red can turn in a repeat performance, they'll have a shot. But chances are that McLeod won't be held down for two games in a row.
UNH at Dartmouth
New Hampshire and Dartmouth duke it out in the Battle of the Granite State tomorrow.
The No. 10 Wildcats are 3-0 on the season and coming off a 32-24 win over Albany, while the Big Green were dealt a loss in their season opener to Colgate.
Between 1901 and 1972, the Big Green went 14-0 against UNH, winning by a combined score of 367-22.
But this isn't 1916. Given recent results - Dartmouth is 0-15-1 in their last 16 meetings - the Big Green will be lucky if they don't lose the game by 367-22.
Columbia at Towson
The Lions surprisingly made a game of it against Fordham last week by taking an early lead. Then, they did what they do best - lose.
The 1-3 Tigers, though, present another opportunity for Columbia to chalk up a "W" in what should be a fair fight.
If the Lions hope to capitalize, they must neutralize an efficient but mistake-prone Towson passing offense.
This is a coin-flip, but give Towson the home-field edge.
Lehigh at Princeton
Princeton turned in a strong first-half performance against a more athletic, more talented Citadel squad.
The Mountain Hawks are well-rested after a bye week. They last played Sept. 13, in a 33-14 loss at Villanova.
History is on Lehigh's side, as it has won eight of the last nine meetings with the Tigers. The extra rest - and talent - will benefit them.
Take the Mountain Hawks.
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