Tony | Not so fast, my friend

There was no question. Harvard had the 2012 Ivy title in the bag.

Colton Chapple, right? Coming off a 2011 junior season in which he broke two school records in only four starts, Chapple was well-equipped to lead the Crimson to the promised land. He had second team All-Ivy Cameron Brate and first team all-everything tight end Kyle Juszczyk both flanking him, not to mention the ever-shifty running back Treavor Scales in the backfield.

And that defense! Six returning 2011 All-Ivy selections and three preseason first-team All-Ivies in its front seven alone! How would anyone move the ball on the Crimson? And how would anyone stop them from moving the ball?

Nov. 10, 2012: Net yards rushing: Penn 227, Harvard 121. Sacks by: Penn 6-for-25 yards, Harvard 0-for-0 yards. Final score: Penn 30, Harvard 21.

There is no question. Penn has the 2013 Ivy title in the bag.

Billy Ragone, right? Coming off a 2012 senior season in which he intangibled his way to Ivy glory once again, he’s got second team All-Ivy Conner Scott flanking him and dependable O-line anchor Chris Bush hiking to him, not to mention all-everything mouth-smasher Brandon Colavita in the backfield.

And that defense! Ballhawks Sebastian Jaskowski and Dan Wilk return to lead a deep secondary corps fronted well by first team All-Ivy linebacker Dan Davis. How can any Ivy squad expect to pick apart Penn’s back seven? And how will anyone outclutch Billy Ragone?

Nov. 16, 2013: ?

All it takes is one bad day on the throne for it to be whisked away. Because it’s Penn and Harvard, Harvard and Penn.

Combined, they’ve claimed shares of 13 of the last 16 Ivy crowns dating back to 1997. This year, they’ll meet on Nov. 16, and this year it’s Penn’s turn to be the more experienced group, the team with Ivy hardware and the aura of a champion to defend. On the road. Against what promises to be a stout Harvard defense.

Anything could happen.

Don’t get too scared, though. All the points listed above in Penn’s favor still stand. No Ivy coach has his players prepared as consistently year after year as Al Bagnoli, who is going for his 10th Ivy crown in 22 seasons at Penn.

And with two fifth-year senior quarterbacks in your arsenal, you know the target’s on your back.

Indeed, last month’s Ivy Football teleconference was an ode to the Red and Blue, with Harvard coach Tim Murphy and especially Columbia coach Pete Mangurian going out of their way to pay Ragone compliments. Ragone’s second-half heroics against both last year explain that lovefest.

But how do you explain away a Penn defensive line so young, so full of question marks? Brandon Copeland’s gone, and thus, so is the heart and soul of last year’s gritty defense.

You don’t explain it. You just point to the other side of Harvard’s line at a starting quarterback — junior Conner Hempel — with only 24 career pass attempts to fall back on.

And what genuinely can’t be questioned is the poise and championship mindset of Bagnoli’s Quakers. They know how to win.

So sure, expect another Ivy title come late November. But keep your eye on the thin line between sure thing and shocker, especially for a team that played down to its level of competition last season. Even for a program this consistently good, the Quakers haven’t been this humongous of a target in a long time.

SEE ALSO

Penn football’s fight for four

Penn football’s young D-line Cope-ing with inexperience

Young backs carrying the load for Penn football

Penn’s defensive backs are oldies AND goodies

An in-depth look at the depth chart for Penn football

Ivy teams at a glance

30 Second with junior linebacker Dan Davis

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