YALE AT PRINCETON

Both the Bulldogs and Tigers enter with 2-3 conference records and have been eliminated from title contention. In seasons past, this penultimate contest typically carries more weight. Nevertheless, more important showdowns loom in week 10 for both squads. Princeton will have a chance to prove itself against Dartmouth, one of the league’s best and a program the Tigers haven’t defeated since 2009. For Yale, week 10 means The Game. The significance of that one I don’t need to explain

Prediction: Yale 35, Princeton 24

PENN AT HARVARD

For the second straight season, the showdown with Penn represents a championship game for Harvard. Win on Saturday, and the worst the Crimson can do in 2015 is a co-championship. As this year’s senior class knows as well as any, though, the Quakers have a good deal of fight in them. In 2012, Penn outlasted Harvard in a dogfight. The next year, Penn scored 30 points in the second half but ultimately fell, 38-30. Last season was yet another battle, with the undefeated Crimson finding itself trailing in the fourth quarter before pulling out a 10-point win.

This year will likely be more of the same. Penn has won four straight, making it one of the hottest teams in the Ivy League. The problem is, its opponent is the hottest Ivy team. Harvard will enter this game hungry and ride a balanced performance to victory, but it may be a tighter contest than many expect.

Prediction: Harvard 28, Penn 17