After a preseason filled with the greatest of expectations, the Harvard football team finally gets a chance to prove itself when it opens its season against Columbia tomorrow afternoon at Harvard Stadium.

The Lions seem the perfect test for a Crimson team that, in its crucial fourth year under Coach Tim Murphy, finally appears ready to compete for an Ivy League championship. Columbia shocked the Ancient Eight last season when its 5-2 league record (8-2 overall) was good enough for second in the league behind undefeated Dartmouth.

"This game should give some indication of how we'll do this season," said sophomore quarterback Rich Linden, who is now the unquestioned leader of Harvard's offense. "Columbia's definitely a good team."

Last year it was largely the Lions' defense that led it to eight wins and earned Coach Ray Tellier Division II Coach of the Year honors. But the defensive line will have to cope with the graduation of several of its key components, particularly defensive end Marcellus Wiley.

The 6'5, 270-pound First Team All-Ivy lineman-who moonlit as a running back and managed to lead the team in touchdowns-was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of last season's NFL draft.

Columbia also loses two other All-Ivy defensive players in outside linebacker Rory Wilfork, a First Teamer, and defensive end Mike Jennings, a Second Teamer. The entire defensive line returns just one starter, senior Matt Kuhn.

Columbia's inexperience up front should enable Harvard tailbacks sophomore Chris Menick and junior Troy Jones-saddled with the responsibility of following Eion Hu '97-to hit the right holes and give Linden some real estate to work with.

The problem is that the Lions return a talented secondary, led by senior All-Ivy cornerback Roy Hanks. Hanks victimized the Crimson last season when he picked off senior Jay Snowden's pass in overtime to seal the Lions' 20-13 victory.

The other corner spot is filled ably by senior Michele Bellanca, who intercepted six passes of his own last season.

"Columbia claims to have the best defensive backfield in the Ivy League," Menick said.

"Columbia lost some good football players on defense, but they've returned some good players too," Linden said. "They have a great secondary and a very good offense."

That offense will feel the repercussions of Wiley's loss almost as much as the defense. He was a crucial component of Columbia's red zone offense; although Wiley carried the ball just 32 times, he ended up in the end zone on five of those carries.

Tellier will still rely heavily on the running game and will depend on junior tailback Jason Bivens as his go-to. Bivens averaged just 2.7 yards per game last season, but at 5'7 and 175 pounds, he is able to dart through opposing lines and will benefit from another year of experience under his belt.

"Columbia has a potent offense, like they did last year," said senior defensive end Chris Smith. "We'll have our hands full containing Bivens."

The Lions' passing game is somewhat of a question mark. Columbia has an able quarterback in senior Bobby Thomason, but with the graduation of wideout David Ramirez-who led the team in receiving yards last season with 573-as well as the numbers one and two tight ends, the receiving corps is largely untested.