Averaging close to 300 pounds per person, this wall of large men will aim to ensure that Brown finishes .500 or better for the tenth straight year.
Columbia, 43 points
Last season play-calling duties for Columbia alternated between Florida transfer Skyler Mornhinweg and then-sophomore Anders Hill. This two-faced monster will rear its head again in 2016, except Mornhinweg and Hill will be a year older.
While quarterbacks matter, perhaps the most important returning member of the Lions is the man who sits above Mornhinweg and Hill, namely coach Al Bagnoli. Prior to last season, the Penn legend made headlines by un-retiring to revive a hapless Columbia program.
One season and two wins later, the verdict is in: Not even Bagnoli can work immediate miracles. Yet the 2015 squad made obvious progress, posting the first conference win since 2012 and falling to Harvard and Dartmouth by a combined 12 points.
It will be up to Mornhinweg, Hill, and a slew of other veterans to further the process that Bagnoli has started. On defense seniors Keith Brady (linebacker), Gianmarco Rea (linebacker), and Christian Conway (defensive back) will play an especially instrumental role as the Lions continue their long march to relevance.
Cornell, 20 points
It’s possible to spin Cornell’s season outlook in two ways.
On one hand, the Big Red owns arguably the best player in the conference, a rising senior who has shattered Ivy League competition and earned preseason attention as a potential second-team All-American.
On the other hand, that player is a punter.
Yes, Chris Fraser has performed at a remarkable level for Cornell, but the team has not returned the favor. Last year, the Big Red won a single game (against Columbia), and barring a preseason turnaround, the team seems at risk of a similarly dismal showing.
Gone is Luke Hagy, the bruising running back who carried Cornell’s offense from time to time; at training camp, four or five players will compete to replace him.
The Big Red also sports competition at the quarterback position, although sophomore Dalton Banks has the upper hand heading into the season.
Hope springs more freely on defense, as senior linebackers Jackson Weber and Miles Norris provide a core of strength up the middle. Even so, given the depth of other teams, Cornell faces an uphill battle in Ancient Eight play.
–Staff writer Sam Danello can be reached at sam.danello@thecrimson.com.