This weekend would go a long way toward proving Columbia means to be taken seriously. For the first time in a long time, the Lions are dealing with “expectations,” a word that had to be explained carefully to members of the Columbia athletic department. I say keep it up, you Lions!

Pick: Columbia

PRINCETON V. HARVARD

Ivy League play is not messing around, giving us one of the biggest matchups of the season on the first Friday of the conference season. If the Tigers can’t pull off the upset, the title race is close to over. That sounds strange to say after less than 25 percent of the conference season, but it’s realistic with such a gap between the top two and the rest of the league. A two-game deficit may be too much for Princeton to overcome, even if it returns the favor to the Crimson at Jadwin Gymnasium. The @ivybball Twitter account, which posts projections of the Ivy season, gives the Tigers 14 percent odds of earning a share of the title going into Friday, but those odds fall below seven percent if both Penn and Princeton fall to Harvard this weekend.

You have to hand it to Princeton—no one plays the villain better. I’m almost glad Bray stepped in so smoothly to fill the role of menacing aggressor vacated by Ian Hummer (who just signed a contract to play in Germany, which is perfect). But Bray seems a little too friendly to totally pull it off. Seriously, check him out. I want to ask that guy about his Lego collection, not boo him off a basketball court.

Pick: Harvard

PENN V. DARTMOUTH

It can’t be easy to already be mired in what I term “the Slog”—the monotony of playing out one’s conference schedule knowing one hasn’t a prayer of making it to the postseason. I’m not putting Penn in Slog territory, but I’m afraid, in your weakened condition, you’re already there, Dartmouth. Get your rain boots on, Big Green. It’s going to be a long six weeks of Sloggin’.

Pick: Penn

COLUMBIA V. BROWN

Brown senior guard Sean McGonagill, the Ivy League’s current leading scorer, tallied his career high against Columbia his freshman year with 39 points on 15-of-19 shooting from the field. This came two days after a collision in practice earned him 20 stitches and knocked three of his teeth out. Presumably, his disfigured mug made the Lions’ defenders a little hesitant to get too close, allowing him consistently open looks.

Last year’s matchup in Providence was a wild affair featuring three lead changes in the final 68 seconds. Brown managed to pull out a three-point victory despite McGonagill scoring only four points. No word yet on whether McGonagill will mash in his face with a waffle iron to rekindle the magic.

Pick: Brown

CORNELL V. YALE

To be honest, I’m pretty bummed out thinking about Cornell again. If the conference was a group of cars, this year’s Cornell team would be the white unmarked van: nothing good can come from looking too closely, and it’s all-too-present in Ithaca.