The picks are in: Penn football at Harvard

After defending home field last week against Cornell, Penn football (6-2, 3-2 Ivy) will be hitting the road one last time this season, this time going north to Cambridge, Mass. and taking on conference-leading Harvard (7-1, 4-1), with a share of first place in the Ivy League on the line. The Crimson are currently ranked 19th in the FCS Coaches Poll. Ahead of this crucial test, members of The Daily Pennsylvanian's Sports Department make their picks for this critical battle. 

Penn 28, Harvard 17 — Caleb Crain, Sports Editor

This weekend marks the second game in the home stretch of Penn's schedule, after its loss to Brown made every remaining match a must-win. I think their success will continue in Cambridge, as the Quakers will dethrone the last remaining one-loss team in the Ivy League and set up a chaotic final weekend. Harvard's strength is in its running game, as both juniors Shane McLaughlin and Charles DePrima are in the top five of the Ancient Eight in rushing yards per game. 

But the Crimson struggles through the air, which will be important if the Quakers can get out in front. To do that, they'll have to use the arm of junior quarterback Aidan Sayin and hope that sophomore receiver Jared Richardson is fully recovered from an injury sustained last week. Fortunately, the numbers are in Penn's favor here, as Harvard has the conference's worst pass defense, giving up nearly 250 yards per game. I see the Quakers building an early lead and holding it throughout the afternoon. 

Penn 28, Harvard 21 — Walker Carnathan, Deputy Sports Editor

In an up-and-down season for Penn football, the time is now or never. With two games left to play, the Quakers likely need to win out in order to have a shot at the Ivy title, and no contest could be more critical than Saturday’s tilt with the conference-leading Crimson. With the season on the line, I think the Red and Bluewill pull through.

Last season, Harvard embarrassed Penn at Franklin Field behind a 316-yard, four-touchdown performance from quarterback Charlie Dean, as well as a 117-yard rushing yard day from running back Aidan Borguet. But both Dean and Borguet are gone, and this year’s Quakers will be prepared for what Harvard has in store. In a down-to-the-wire contest, I see Penn coming out on top and keeping its title hopes alive. 

Harvard 31, Penn 24 — Griffin Bond, Sports Associate

The Quakers have taken their fans on a roller coaster of a ride this season. They started conference play losing in overtime to Dartmouth and nearly dropping a game to Columbia, who are now 0-5 in Ivy League play. Then Penn rattled off a win against the defending Ivy League title-holders only to drop the next game against a struggling Brown. Last week against Cornell, the team seemed to hit its stride behind freshman running back Malachi Hosley’s historical performance. Everything seems to be heading in the right direction, but we have heard this story before. 

At this point, I don’t have enough trust in this team's consistency to expect them to go into Cambridge and win. Against a much better Harvard defense, the offense likely won’t be able to rely on another career game from Hosley. On the other side of the ball, Harvard boasts the best offense in the Ivy League. Harvard’s offense is averaging 28.8 points per game against conference opponents. Penn has yet to score more than 27 points in any Ivy game this season.

Penn 31, Harvard 28 — Kristel Rambaud, Sports Reporter

Harvard has been a force to be reckoned with on offense. Barring two back-to-back games where the team scored 14 and 17, Harvard averages a whopping 41 points via a rush-heavy offense. However, Penn defense typically stifles opponents’ ground assault and can force the Crimson to turn to passing — which begs the question of if DePrima or sophomore Jaden Craig will be QB1 on Saturday. 

But most importantly: Penn is in do-or-die mode. While they have fallen short in close games against Dartmouth and Brown, I think Penn has learned from its mistakes and won’t let it happen a third time. 

Harvard 30, Penn 21 — Ethan Crawford, Sports Reporter

Following a bounce-back win against Cornell on Homecoming, the Quakers have good vibes and momentum on their side once again after a crushing loss to Brown a week ago. Hosley churned out 261 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries to lead the team to victory, while setting multiple program records in the process. However, Penn faces the number-one team in the Ivy League in a game that has major title implications. 

Harvard is coming off a 38-24 victory against Columbia. Looking at this week, a win against Penn would seal at least a share of the league title for Harvard, and this will certainly be on the front of the team's mind as it looks to fend off a solid Red and Blue squad. Ultimately, I believe the Crimson’s Ivy-leading offense will propel them to victory. The Crimson are undefeated at home this season, and unfortunately for Penn, I think it will remain this way after Saturday’s game.