There has been a great deal of talk in the local press and even in some reasonably good newspapers about today being some sort of Challenge Day for the Ivy League. "Just how good is the Ivy League Anyway?" headlines have been asking, implying that a factual, non-controversial answer will be prepared by 4:48 p.m.

The question of just how proficient Ivy athletes have become is interesting enough, but it certainly isn't relevant to today's activities. Sports writers have come to think this because all but two of the Ivy schools are engaged in "outside" encounters. Supposedly, by leaving their Ivy-encrusted Ivory Towers the Ivy teams are going to prove something about themselves and the real world.

They won't of course. For everyone in the League today's conflicts will be the initial games; for some of the "barbarian opponents they will be the second. Furthermore, most of the non-Ivy-teams have been preparing for these games since last April, while the Ivy schools themselves did not get serious about things until the first of this month.

For the outsiders these are crucial prestige contests; for the Ivy fraternity they are interesting training diversions played to prepare the teams for the more earnest business of the Ivy League Trophy Dash.

While six Ivy schools divert themselves with non-League foes, Brown and Columbia face each other today. The game for some time was expected to be a rather important meeting between Archie Roberts of the Lions and Brown's Jim Dunda. Since Dunda was injured in pre-season drills and will only see partial action today, the game will probably be boring. Columbia will win it, by at least two touchdowns.

Bucknell travels to Dartmouth, and it is hard to discover exactly why the poor Bisons are making the trip. It almost seems like an attempt to fulfill the death-wish.

The slaughter is apt to be so total that the Bisons will probably learn little during the stampede. Only a decision by Bob Blackman to grant mercy and use his JV squad after the first quarter can prevent considerable blood from staining the fields of Hanover today.

Rutgers makes its traditional visit to Princeton to inquire as to the health of the Tiger. The Scarlet Knights, who found a relatively healthy animal at large last season, will come across a much tamer tabby cat today. All but one of Princeton's starting backs graduated, and the line is heavier and faster, but untried.

Crimson followers will be particularly interested in the game because the Knights enter the jousts next week in Cambridge. Should Rutgers win, this interest could change to real concern. Probably it won't, though, as Princeton will squeak by with a one or two point victory.

Colgate's Red Raiders are scheduled to attempt maneuvers at Ithaca, but chances are these will be abortive. Cornell, which was startled and beaten last year, is much improved, and the Raiders really are short on good football players.

Quarterback Gary Wood will undoubtedly dominate the game and get a head start in his race to pile up the nation's most impressive statistical record. Chances are he will score two or three times himself, and many of his teammates may also wish to try touchdown plays. Cornell in this one, by three touchdowns.

Pennsylvania attempts to prove today to its few remaining fans that it is indeed a changed and better ball club. The victim at Franklin Field will be Lafayette, which was a stubbern 13-11 sacrifice last year.

John Stiegman has almost more lettermen than uniforms this Fall and John Owens seems to have mastered many of the intricacies of the tailback job. Penn by two touchdowns and maybe more.

A new era of football begins at Yale today with coach John Pont making his debut in that hollowed-out mole hill they call the Bowl. Perhaps in contrast to the rest of the season, the afternoon will be a pleasant one for Bulldog-types: Connecticut never has beaten Yale and there is absolutely no reason why it should start doing so now. Other teams, no doubt, will be less reticent.