But against the Ivy League? With this team?

Looking at the parity of the Ancient Eight, it shouldn’t come as much surprise.

Of Harvard’s 14 conference wins last year, only 6 were by more than 12 points. Four were by fewer than five.

And while the Crimson fielded the same team this year as last—literally, how much better can Peljto, Cserny or any of the other starters on this team get, given how good they already are?—everyone else was getting better. Freshmen and sophomores spoken of only in reference to potential last year are now a force to be reckoned with in the present. So while Harvard got a little better, everyone else caught up.

And suddenly those games decided by a handful of points were going into overtime.

“We went into a little bit of shock,” junior Rochelle Bell said after the loss at Cornell. “We were busy thinking we can’t lose, we can’t lose.”

Not exactly the most positive outlook.

The young upstarts buzzing around them weren’t thinking about losing.

They were thinking about winning, about beating the unbeatable Harvard squad that came within striking distance of moving on in the NCAA tournament, just 10 points from beating Kansas St. last year.

The Harvard squad that had won 23 straight league matchups going into this season.

The Harvard squad unanimously chosen to repeat as Ivy champs.

And then Dartmouth won, against the Crimson, at Lavietes. Then Cornell, though on the road. Then Penn. At Lavietes. Again. Suddenly everyone else had confidence and the Crimson had none.

You can’t coach it. You can’t practice it. And you certainly can’t win without it.

Confidence. The reason Harvard will be watching while Penn goes dancing in three weeks.

—Staff writer Timothy J. McGinn can be reached at mcginn@fas.harvard.edu.