The correlation between Harvard-Yale football and the presidential election has a tenure since 1940.

That year, Harvard crushed Yale 28 to 0 and Democrat Franklin Roosevelt, with equal ease, triumphed over Republican Alfred Landon.

Sixteen years later, Yale captured the first official Ivy League championship with a 42-14 victory over Harvard and Republican Dwight Eisenhower was re-elected president.

In 1992, Harvard slaughtered Yale 14-0, and Democrat incumbent Bill Clinton was elected.

Indeed, since Ronald Reagan won the presidency in 1980, The Game and the presidency have matched every time.

"Even though the football game itself is a big deal, that wasn't the only form of competition this weekend," says Kathie Koo '04. "This weekend, there were competitions between a cappella groups and bands, for example. That's why politics would be an issue. Everyone is trying to think of ways to prove Harvard is better, so we can be redeemed even if we lost the game."

But even if Yale seems to be closing in on the presidency this year, with Bush ahead in the Florida recount and the Elis triumphing on the gridiron, Harvard has some claim to presidential pride as well.

While Bush attended Yale as an undergraduate, he received his M.B.A. from the Business School in 1975.