Ivy Predictions

Harvard seems to be the clear favorite considering the depth that they return (Larry Allen Jr. among others) and the stellar track record of their coaching staff. Harvard had more talent on their roster than Penn last year, but simply underestimated an opponent and was punched in the mouth. That loss for Harvard still stings and will motivate them moving into next season.

Penn, on the other hand, is an overachieving team. Yes, they return their QB Torgersen and 1st Team All-Ivy WR Justin Watson, but Penn will have to grind out wins to take the title next year. Ray Priore is a fantastic motivator, so it takes strategic discipline to beat a team as fired up as Penn. The Penn-Yale contest from last year would have been very different without the painful redzone interceptions thrown by Morgan Roberts. Penn will be a tough foe next season, yet they will not have the consistency to go undefeated.

Yale’s fate seems to rest on 3 main pillars:

1. Can Tre Moore become an effective dual threat QB? If Moore can pose a threat as a passer, this will open up wide lanes for our skilled RBs. Teams will stack the box with 8 men next season to force Moore to pass and we have the WRs to torch opposing secondaries.

2. Can the O Line continue improving? With the box stacked against the run, it will take a tremendous effort from the O Line to both open running lanes and pass protect. We have the ingredients returning to have a solid offensive line, but we need to put together a cohesive unit that communicates effectively.

3. Can the defense limit the big plays and 3rd down conversions? Too many times last year we stuffed opposing offenses on 1st and 2nd downs only to give up a huge play on 3rd down. All-Ivy players return at all three defensive levels, so there is no excuse for receivers streaking down the field uncovered with no pressure on the QB.

Columbia is the wild card pick of 2016. Bagnoli has player morale at an all-time high and appears to be stacking talented athletes on the roster. They are still a few years away from being a legitimate threat to the Ivy crown, but can knock off anyone including Harvard and Penn.

Dartmouth lost too much talent to even be in the conversation for the championship next season. Buddy Teevens and his merry little band of former Yale coaches are in for a rude awakening without Dalyn Williams, Victor Williams, and several star defenders. Dartmouth fans insist that the cabinet is full, but for now, this is merely speculation.

Brown, Princeton and Cornell seem to be interchangeable in the last three spots. We give the edge to Brown because their coaching staff is top notch and every time it appears that Brown will have a down season, they string together a series of impressive victories to stay relevant.