DARTMOUTH AT COLUMBIA
There are some matchups so lopsided that you might as well pick an upset just to have the chance to be in the small minority of those who guessed correctly.
This is not one of those times.
No matter how much I want to go with Columbia here, I just can’t bring myself to do it. Sure, Dartmouth did lose to Yale recently and barelyw escaped with non-conference wins over New Hampshire and Towson, but Columbia is just not going to score enough points to win this game.
Columbia has scored only 61 total points this season, 37 fewer than Brown, which has the second-worst offense in the Ivy League.
Columbia’s defense has excelled in non-conference play, only surrendering a total of 43 points in those three games. However, Princeton tacked on 48 all by itself in a rout, and Penn put up 35 on the Lions last week. Look for Dartmouth to continue the trend of Ivy teams beating up on Columbia.
Prediction: Dartmouth 34, Columbia 17
CORNELL AT BROWN
Cornell has gone in the opposite direction of Penn since a 3-0 start. After a loss to Harvard, the Big Red followed with another defeat, this time at the hands of Sacred Heart.
Brown’s performance this year leaves much to be desired. The Bears have lost four straight games, and last week they only scored seven points at Princeton.
Cornell has been in a slump as of late, but it is still a very balanced team offensively and defensively, and that should be more than enough to handle Brown with ease.
Maybe Andy Bernard’s Cornell a cappella group, Here Comes Treble, could spice up those halftime performances.
Prediction: Cornell 28, Brown 10
HARVARD AT PRINCETON
Harvard is coming off a loss to Holy Cross, and I think everyone is still reeling a bit. This situation reminds me of the Golden State Warriors’ undefeated run at the beginning of the 2015-2016 season. Everyone expected the Warriors to lose a game at some point, but no one thought the Bucks would be the team to end their run.
Trivia question: Which is the only Ancient Eight team with a better point differential than Harvard through five games?
That’s right, Princeton, at plus 63. The Crimson’s defense will have to step up and shut down the Tigers’ potent offensive attack, led by senior quarterback Chad Kanoff, to leave New Jersey with a win on Saturday.
There is a good chance Princeton extends Harvard’s losing streak to two games. However, I feel like it would be considered blasphemy if I picked the Crimson to lose, so I’ll refrain from that.
Prediction: Harvard 35, Princeton 31
—Staff writer Jack Stockless can be reached at jack.stockless@thecrimson.com.