PENN (4-2, 3-0 Ivy) AT BROWN (4-2, 1-2 Ivy)
Despite an unbeaten league record, Penn’s playing like the dark horse that they were last season before swooping in to snatch the title in the penultimate game against none other than Harvard. Ivy record aside, their stats are wholly middling, but make no mistake—Penn may not have the flashy plays of Princeton or the (usually) explosive Harvard defensive, but obviously something about the grind-it-out mentality works.
QB Billy Ragone may be hurt for the Quakers, but out goes one veteran, in steps another 5th-year play-caller in Ryan Becker (seriously, where do they keep finding these guys?). If both are back, look for some exploitation of Brown’s secondary, which is 5th in the league in pass defense.
Penn will likely be looking at this as a stepping stone to the showdown of the Killer P’s—the following week’s matchup with Princeton—but don’t count out Brown to put up a fight.
Prediction: Penn 24, Brown 17
—Staff writer Samantha Lin can be reached at samantha.Lin@thecrimson.com. Follow her on twitter @linsamnity