We are down to the last two weeks of Ivy League football. These next eight games will decide which of the seven teams still in contention wins the Ivy League title. That’s right – every team except Brown has a shot at the title. Yale is currently leading with a 4-1 record and seems very likely to claim a piece of the championship; all the team has to do is win one of its next two games. However, it faces tough opponents in Princeton and Harvard in the next two weeks so it may be harder than it seems. If Yale ends up dropping a game, it opens the doors for one of the four teams sitting at 3-2 (Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard and Cornell) to claim a share of the title.
Let’s take a step back and review last week’s match-ups. Yale handily defeated a weak Brown team 34-7 as Elo had predicted. Elo also got the Harvard match-up correct as the Crimson was able to edge out Columbia in a 21-14 win to keep Harvard’s championship hopes alive. In the closest-yet Elo prediction, Penn defeated Princeton by a single field goal. This win put Elo perfect on the week and also kept Penn’s hope of an Ivy League title alive. In the final match last week, Cornell lost to Dartmouth by 10 points. However, the Big Red has a good chance to get a piece of the title if it wins out its schedule.
Ivy League predictions for November 10th and 11th are below.
Brown vs. Dartmouth, Friday, November 10th at 8:00pm
This match seems to be well within Dartmouth’s ability. The game is being played at Fenway Park so it is a neutral site for the two teams. Dartmouth has shown this season that it is a strong team while Brown has failed to win an Ivy League game so far. I do not expect this game to have a surprising outcome.
University of Pennsylvania vs. Harvard, Saturday, November 11 at 12:00pm
This game is very important for both teams. A loss by Penn would eliminate its slim hopes of a title. A loss by Harvard means it is not technically eliminated, but would need a lot of help to claim a title. The game is being played in Cambridge and I expect nothing but a win out of this strong Crimson team.
Yale vs. Princeton, Saturday, November 11 at 1:00pm
This game has the most importance for the whole league. Every team is hoping that Yale will stumble and drop a game, opening the doors to the rest of the league to win a title. All eyes will be on Princeton as its 2-3 team takes on Yale in the highly-anticipated home game. Elo still believes Princeton is a strong team despite having a lackluster year and the Tigers play for its season in this game. If Yale does not play one of its best games, expect some major mix-ups in the standings for next week.
Columbia vs. Cornell, Saturday, November 11 at 1:30pm
Finally, the most important game of the week. Our Big Red take on the Lions in Ithaca. Most years, this game is a boring match between the worst teams in the league but this year, there are large title implications on the line. The winner of this game will stay with only two losses on the season and will just be one Yale loss away from tied for first in the standings. Cornell has a very good chance in this game after having several stunning victories this year. The team is ready to face Columbia. The Lions started the year flawlessly; however, it has dropped its last two games and seems extremely vulnerable. Make sure to check this game out at Schoellkopf Field this Saturday at 1:30pm to see if our Big Red can keep its amazing season on track.
Elo sits at 11-9 overall! Make sure to come back next week to read the final Ivy League Elo projections for the 2017 season.
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