Advertisement

Eight Ivy Elevens Face Each Other; Princeton Hosts Yale in Key Contest

Ivy Outlook

Tomorrow is the last day this year the Ivy football teams will all be together, but it's doubtful they will be able to come to any final decision about the season's championship.

This year, as just about every year, the Ivy League has lived up to the hopes of its founders, who looked forward to a collection of teams all capable of beating each other. Almost every Saturday has brought a new "major upset" in the League. Although injuries have been responsible for the defeat of some favored squads, most often the cause has been psychological deficiencies. It is possible that in the future all teams will employ a psychiatrist as well as a medical doctor to minister to players at all times.

Psychology may very well be the deciding factor in an interesting, if not crucial, match at Hanover tomorrow. Ernie Roberts, Dartmouth publicity director, is confident that his Indians and the Big Red of Cornell will put on a "football show to rival anything seen on Sunday parlor-flicks."

Dartmouth, despite disastrous visits to Harvard and Yale, still counts itself in the title competition, and has tried to convince its fans that a Cornell win could put the Green in striking position. This is doubtful, but the Cornell game could be very good just the same.

Wood The Record Holder

Advertisement

Cornell's Gary Wood is nearing the end of a distinguished career in which he has excelled in about everything but winning. His major records include career rushing (1,641 yards) and total offense (3,150). Recently he displayed a cunning usually seen only at Dartmouth when he used a trick play to destroy Brown 25 seconds before the end of the game.

But. Wood, wonderous as he is, can not hide his pass receiver in the crowd all the time. Throughout most of the game he is going to have to put all his men in full view of the Dartmouth line, and that will probably bring bad news to Ithaca.

The Green men have shown human frailty now and then, but past disgrace may have put new strength into them. Tomorrow they should handle Wood with difficulty and provide just enough protection for their own wonder boy, Dana Kelly, to build a one or two point win.

Princeton, which suffered a traumatic shock at Cambridge last week that could take a while to wear off, entertains Yale tomorrow in what is the Big Weekend of the Year for the Princetonians. Yale, of course, does not take the game so seriously, but it is hard to say what this will mean.

Princeton by One TD

Had Princeton beaten Harvard, Yale would probably be a two- or three-touchdown underdog. Since Harvard did win, reduce that margin by one TD for safety.

In what will probably be the dullest game of the day, Columbia will slaughter Penn. Although the Lions may still be recovering from a severe attack by Dartmouth, Penn was ineffectual against Yale and has shown a pronounced weakness in its pass defense system. The only reason Harvard did not win was the Crimson's inability to hold its own passes. Penn really did not interfere very much with this part of the Harvard game.

It is tempting to pick an upset here, but Archie Roberts is quite tricky and Penn has already had its big day of the year. Columbia will finish its Ivy schedule with a three touchdown triumph.

Brown V. Harvard

Upset relishers would be wiser to go to Brown, where the completely unpredictable Bruins have the rare privilege of hosting Harvard. Judging by past tendencies, the Crimson doesn't have a chance in this one. Harvard rarely does well against Brown under any circumstances, and it has not returned from Providence happy since 1945. Furthermore, Harvard seems to do poorly against poor teams, especially if the game comes after a big win. The Princeton win in some ways was more glorious than the Dartmouth upset, so the fall tomorrow may be even more ignoble than the Philadelphia tragedy.

Dean Ford has observed, though, that Harvard football teams do their best when it is least expected. Going on this theory, and it is a sound one, the Crimson should battle everyone and walleg Brown. It will

Advertisement