WEST POINT, N.Y.--Ask any plebe--freshman, that is--about the date October 3 and the reply is guaranteed: "A butt day until Army defeats Harvard at Michie Stadium in football."

Part of the tortuous ritual known as freshman year at the United States Military Academy includes knowing the "days," the exact number of days until various important events, like the Army-Harvard and Army-Navy football games and Christmas. The last day before the event--no one seems to have any idea why--is always called a "butt" day.

That the cadets' encounter with the Crimson merits inclusion in the pantheon of "days" reveals how seriously this campus is taking today's sold-out football game. More than a confrontation between two football teams that seem headed for winning seasons after several dismal years, the game pits the nation's two best-known--and perhaps most different--academic institutions against one another for the first time since 1951.

"The cadets are so high for this game, It's unbelievable," Cow (the army term for junior) Brad Lewallen said yesterday, and the mood around this tranquil and beautiful campus bears him out. One company (dorm unit) has planned a "Joe Preppie" night for the evening meal, where the cadets will dress "as preppily as possible" in mock-deference to the visiting Crimson, according to yearling (sophomore) Michelle Matthews. Matthews may have an edge; her brother, Mark, is a Harvard sophomore.

"Everybody is kinda making a mockery," plebe Vince Alonso said. "Young know, going around saying, 'Beat Hahrvahd,' with this phony British accent."

First-year Army coach Ed Cavanaugh is skipping the accent, but if his rejuvenation program for the cadets is to proceed efficiently, beating Harvard rates as imperative. The Cadets bottomed out last year, losing their last seven games (including a 31-7 humiliation Navy) under much-disliked coach LouSaban. But Cavanaugh seems to have turned them around.

The Cadets opened this year with a 28-7 trouncing of Holy Cross (which Harvard squeezed by 14-13 last week) and followed with an upset 26-19 victory over highly-regarded Pac-10 power California. Last Saturday Army returned to earth with a 31-18 loss at Washington.

Even with a defeat, however, two cadets have turned in brilliant performances: quarterback Gerryl Bennett (42-82, .512, 566 yards and five touchdowns) and wide receiver Mike Fahnestock (18 catches for 311 yds, and three TDs). While this combo has a ways to go before it makes anyone forget the glorious wartime backfield of Doc Blanchard and Glen Davis, any Crimson hopes of victory must begin with the containment of this pair.

And, as coach Joe Restic knows, that will be a tall order indeed. He will have to count on his increasingly-feared front of Justin Whittington, Tim Palmer, Chuck Durst and Dave Otto for a strong pass rush all afternoon, because the Harvard secondary has proved suspect, especially in clutch situations. However well the defense plays, Restic knows Army will put points on the board.

So Harvard will have to put points up too. And this is where the Crimson's prospects look best. For the first time all year, the offense is entirely healthy and appears poised for an exciting afternoon. Quarterback Brian Buckley had a fine afternoon against Columbia in Harvard's 26-6 opening day victory and another good day, despite occasional lapses, against Holy Cross. With a gaudy 61 per cent completion rate. Buckley will no doubt attempt to victimize the Army secondary that has yielded as many yards as Bennett has collected.

Restic has been dropping hints all season that sophomore split end Ron Cuccia will see increased action on passes, runs and options. The Crusaders bottled up the Californian pretty well last week but that is unlikely to happen again. With fullback Jim Callinan coming off his best game ever and halfback Tom Beatrice playing the best ball of his career, Restic will have many options to Multiflex at the Cadets. Look for a lot of points.

The great intangible in today's contest may prove to be the artificial turf in Michie stadium, an unusual brand on which no Harvard player has ever set foot. The Crimson will be wearing shoes specifically designed for this carpet, but one day of practice may prove insufficient. With rain a possibility, the gridders can only try to avoid the ugly comparison with last year's 41-14 humiliation on the rainsoaked astroturf at Cornell.

So for the 33rd time (Harvard leads the series, 17-13-2), these two institutional heavyweights--and of late gridiron lightweights--go at each other today. The result may reveal little about the military-industrial complex but plenty about the futures of these two football teams. ARMY 28, HARVARD 24: The turf, the sell-out crowd and the Army offense should conspire to top the Crimson. But the Michie scoreboard should flicker plenty, and a couple of breaks could put this one Harvard's way.

COLUMBIA 13, PENN 6: Calling this game the Super Bowl is an exaggeration. Calling this a football game may be an exaggeration. Cheap shots aside, the Lions are a much better team.

RUTGERS 35, CORNELL 12: After clobbering Princeton last Saturday, the Scarlet Knights get to fatten up on the Ivy League again today. The Big Red is this week's victim.

DARTMOUTH 24, HOLY CROSS 10: The Big Green played badly in losing to UNH last Saturday, but Kemp & Company are still a cut above the likes of the Crusaders.

PRINCETON 17, BROWN9: The Bruins don't have it this year. Neither do the Tigers, really, but give it to the home team.

AIR FORCE 27, YALE 11: In other Ivy-Military battle, Yale seems out of its league