No one in the Ivy League returns more starters than Princeton, and no one returns a better quarterback than pass-happy Doug Butler.

So even if they don't win a game--they will, however, because they play Yale and Columbia--the Tigers should generate the most wide-open, exciting football to hit the league in years.

Granted, Ivy football and excitment are an unlikely duo, but Butler is a unlikely find in this league.

There's little question of his ability. The 6-ft., 1-in., 179-lb. sensation last year set an NCAA record for most passes attempted without an interception (55) and set six Princeton records, including most yards passing in a season (3,175), most yards passing per game per season (317.5), most completions in a season (224), most TD passes in a game (5) and most TD passes in a season (25).

For his efforts, he earned ECAC Rookie of the Year honors and Ivy League Sophomore of the Year laurels.

Butler's in the John Witkowski mold, only better. But unlike Columbia's graduated signal-caller, Butler plays for a team that wins occasionally.

And with a year's experience now behind their leading man, the Tigers should win even more often.

So if there's a darkhorse in the race for the Ivy laurels, it might very well be Princeton.

"I think Princeton's real close to cracking into the top three this year," says Dartmouth Coach Joe Yukica, who puts Penn. Harvard and the Big Green in his top three.

With Butler comes arguably the finest receiver in the Ivy League. Senior Derek Graham, who snagged 84 balls last year for a Princeton record 1,321 yards--while grabbing 11 touchdown passes--completes the finest quarterback-receiver combination playing in the Ivies.

Elsewhere in the Tiger offense, senior Dan Pellegrino and juniors Dave Ackerman and Chris Ratliff will fight it out for tailback, while returning starter Mike Coveny will be pushed for his fullback spot by junior John Mathias.

The Tigers must cement an offensive line to protect Butler, but with Chal Taylor and Jack DeWalt back to take their tackle spots, they've got a good start.

On defense, senior Mark Berggren, the squad's co-captain, and classmate Mark von Kreuter, Princeton's sack leader a year ago, will be the starting tackles.

The two inside linebacking positions are wide open, and that could create some problems for the young Tiger squad.

Meanwhile, six returnees will battle for the four open spots in the defensive backfield, while in the kicking game, senior Mike Miskovsky is around to handle the points after touchdown and kickoffs while Kyle Heffley, who doubles as a defensive back, is still around to do the punting.

THE CUBE PREDICTS: Fourth