It may not count in the standings, but that doesn't mean that the Quakers plan to take it lightly.
Today, the Penn football team will get its first opportunity to test its might during a scrimmage at Franklin Field against Widener University.
This game marks the first competition Penn has seen since walking away with an Ivy League championship at Cornell last November.
"We're treating it almost as a real game," senior co-captain Steve Lhotak said. "It's pretty much a warmup for the rest of the season."
The Quakers enter this season as the team to beat in the Ivy League as they return 15 starters and were picked to finish first in the Ancient Eight by the 2003 Ivy Media Poll.
"We're looking for consistency on offense," senior co-captain Mike Mitchell said. "Throughout our preseason camp, it's been up and down -- we have a good practice, we have a bad practice. What we're looking for is crisp plays."
After a week back on the practice field, junior running back Mike Recchiuti will get the opportunity to test his hamstring, which he has been rehabilitating since the summer. Recchiuti rushed for 339 yards last year, good for second on the team.
"He's just starting to hit full stride now," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. "For him, it's just a matter of staying healthy because he's been pretty snakebitten."
With the starting lineup not yet etched in stone, today's scrimmage will provide players the opportunity to prove their abilities.
"We're trying to see where we're at in terms of personnel," Lhotak said. "Some people have roles solidified, but some people are still kind of feeling their way in."
While upperclassmen are vying for starting spots, it will be the underclassmen that receive most of the playing time in the scrimmage.
"The older kids won't play much -- maybe a quarter," Bagnoli said. "This is the first opportunity in a game situation to see some of our young kids and how they produce under pressure.
"We'll be trying to get some questions answered about the sophomores and juniors."
Although few freshmen will play today, Bagnoli is pleased with their overall performance thus far.
"They're a good group," Bagnoli said. "There's a big learning curve.... But I think there's a bright future for them."
Mitchell mirrored Bagnoli's sentiment, singling out frosh wide receivers Matt Carre, Dan McDonald and Billy May.
"The freshman class is crazy," Mitchell said. "The whole freshman core of receivers is really good."
On defense, Lhotak noted that the underclassmen have also been "stepping up."
In addition to seeing the non-seniors play, Bagnoli will use the scrimmage to ensure that various components of the team are on track.
"We're looking for an overall level of execution," Bagnoli said.
Before beginning today's three-quarter game, the teams will scrimmage in short-yardage, goal line and field goal segments.
