One team came into the season with a veteran offense and the make-up of a dark horse Ivy League contender. The other came in with a title to defend and an untested quarterback. It was anyone’s guess who would still be undefeated at this point.

Despite how the season has played out, Harvard (5-2, 4-0 Ivy) cannot take Columbia (2-5, 1-3 Ivy) for granted this weekend. While the Lions’ record may not show it, the team is not short on talent on either side of the ball.

“They have a level of skill, athleticism, toughness…that you just can’t believe that it’s turned out the way it has so far for this team,” Harvard coach Tim Murphy said. “They were off to such a good start, so they’re a good football team.”

Coming into the season, Columbia looked like it would a title contender. At the start of the season, senior quarterback M.A. Olawale is a 6’1” and 224 lbs. looked poised to do damage throughout the Ancient Eight.

“He’s kind of a force of nature,” Murphy said. “He’s one of those guys you have to account for on every play.”

Harvard, on the other hand, looked to the less physically-imposing field general Collier Winters in his first year starting behind center.

Entering the eighth week of play, there seems to have been a role reversal.

Winters has emerged as a dependable play caller, and Olawale can no longer depend on a starting spot this Saturday.

That is, after freshman Sean Brackett passed for 180 yards and three touchdowns against Yale last weekend, Olawale’s significance to the team is questionable.

“[Brackett] played lights-out,” Murphy said.

What the Crimson has to take away from this is not that the Lions have been inconsistent, but that they have two different quarterbacks capable of explosive performances.

Either quarterback will have at its disposal a dangerous receiver in senior Austin Knowlin, who was selected last year as Second Team All-Ivy.

“It’s a tough offense,” captain Carl Ehrlich said. “If you make mistakes, they’ll capitalize.”

The same could be said of the Lions’ defense, particularly of brothers Evan and Lou Miller. Lou, the elder sibling, is arguably one of the best defensive players in the league according to Murphy.

“He leads the team in both tackles for loss and in sacks,” Murphy said. “We call him the Tasmanian Devil because he has what we call in coaching such an unbelievable motor, he goes at an incredibly high speed and level of tenacity you can’t believe play after play after play.”