This is a direct quote from last week: “If I’m at all decent at this, maybe they’ll let me do it every week.”

Four wins and four losses later, I’m back. Sheepishly. Apparently, this is going to be a regular gig. So I’m following up incorrect with unpopular.

Now, there’s no grace period, because although it’s still September, this is likely the most important weekend of the Ivy slate, ripe with evenly-matched rivalry games. The reigning league champion (Brown) and the squad it unseated (Harvard) meet in their annual early-autumn thriller. And the other member of the Ivies’ triumvirate, Penn, clashes with local rival Villanova in a crucial test of just how much it has recovered from last year’s .500 season.

If you check out today’s football supplement, on the back page, you will see The Crimson’s three esteemed football beat writers all selected the home team to reclaim the Ivy title.

The one dissenting voice? Yours truly. There is too much uncertainty—in the middle of the defense, on the offensive line, and behind center—for me to forecast less than two losses in good conscience.

HARVARD (1-0) AT BROWN (1-0)

If you listen to coach Phil Estes, the Bears have a chip on their shoulders from the dis they received in the preseason Ivy media poll, relegated to third place despite a championship in 2005. Harvard has a blue chip in its backfield—Clifton Dawson—who should run rampant over a depleted Brown D.

In another intriguing matchup, the Bears start the league’s most experienced signal-caller in Joe DiGiacomo while the Crimson, after the suspension of Liam O’Hagan and the injury to Week One starter Chris Pizzotti, trot out the most inexperienced, Jeff Witt, with all of a baker’s dozen career passing attempts to his name. Brown’s secondary is suspect at best, and it will be up to Witt to exploit it.

The game could come down to special teams. Brown sports the Ancient Eight’s best kicker in Steve Morgan. Lady Luck suits up for the Bears this time and Harvard falls by a late field goal.

Prediction: Brown 26, Harvard 24

CORNELL (0-1) VS. YALE (0-1)

Cornell was my dark horse pick entering this season, but shook my confidence with a 20-5 stinker of a loss versus mediocre Bucknell last weekend. The Big Red committed four turnovers, two of them picks by novice thrower Nathan Ford. Luke Siwula got only 13 carries and still managed to top 100 yards, while Ford tossed a whopping 36 passes. I trust Jim Knowles to recognize the silliness of this distribution and entrust the ball to his All-Ivy running back.

Siwula should get little resistance from a Yale defense that was minced by San Diego in last week’s blowout to the tune of 43 points.

Prediction: Cornell 24, Yale 14

PENN (1-0) VS. VILLANOVA (0-3)

This crosstown clash features two members of Philadelphia’s famed Big Five. It might be more exciting as a basketball game between the Ivy’s best ballers and the Big East powerhouse, but it’s not shabby with a pigskin either. Nova, despite its winless record, is a solid squad out of the Atlantic-10 that gave Lehigh and UMass a run for their money.

Senior ball carrier Joe Sandberg exploded for 166 yards and two touchdowns that propelled the Quakers to a season-opening win, but the Wildcats counter with bullying fullback DeQuese May. My gut tells me Penn won’t let the Brown-Harvard winner get comfortable.

Prediction: Penn 30, Villanova 17

DARTMOUTH (0-1) VS. NO. 1 NEW HAMPSHIRE (2-0)

This is close to as big of an offensive mismatch as you could possibly find in a game with an Ivy participant. Dartmouth is miserable woeful inept hapless at moving the chains, with only 11 first downs, 170 yards of offense, and zero poised quarterbacks (apologies, Mr. Tom Bennewitz) in the opener.

New Hampshire, on the other hand, is the top-ranked team in 1-AA, on the strength of the seventh-best offense in the nation. And that is deceptive, because the Wildcats tend to pull their starters when the game is in hand, which last week meant the second quarter. The week before that, they upended 1-A Northwestern. QB Ricky Santos and WR David Ball (within three of tying Jerry Rice’s 1-AA record for career touchdown catches at 50) are legitimate Payton Award contenders.

UNH is a 28-point favorite, but should cover anyway.

Prediction: New Hampshire 41, Dartmouth 11

COLUMBIA (1-0) VS. GEORGETOWN (1-2)

Columbia romped against Fordham in the Big Apple last weekend in large part because its swarming 3-4 defense forced five turnovers, including four fumbles. In the process, junior quarterback Craig Hormann proved he was at least competent. Which is more than G-Town can say for any of its QBs.

Norries Wilson has the highest winning percentage of any Ivy coach ever. It stays that way as the big guy cruises to 2-0 (but doesn’t cover the surprisingly large spread).

Prediction: Columbia 20, Georgetown 10

PRINCETON (1-0) VS. LAFAYETTE (2-1)

The surprise victors of last Saturday with a come-from-behind toppling of Lehigh, Princeton has recent history in its favor. The Tigers edged Lafayette on the road last year and the Leopards haven’t bested an Ivy team in many months.

The most impressive aspect of Princeton’s second-half comeback was its defense, which despite the loss of several fringe NFL talents from 2005, shut out the Mountain Hawks for the last 47 minutes plus. The least impressive: Quarterback Jeff Terrell’s three picks. This time, the turnovers are Princeton’s undoing.

Prediction: Lafayette 20, Princeton 13



Record to Date: 4-4

Against the Spread: 4-4



—Staff writer Jonathan Lehman can be reached at jlehman@fas.harvard.edu.