This week's Ivy League slate includes three games that feature several compelling storylines.
One of the two league powers of the decade meets a program looking for its first title in over a decade.
A starting quarterback returns from a five-game suspension to find himself in the backup spot.
Unbeatens are meeting this late in a season for the first time in five years.
An offense that's in the top 10 nationally faces a defense that allows fewer than 12 points per game.
Actually, take that back, there's one game that features all those compelling storylines.
No. 15 Harvard (5-0, 2-0 Ivy) at
No. 22 Princeton (5-0, 2-0)
Not a bad way to begin the second half of the year.
The homestanding Tigers continue their drive for their first title since 1995 as they host the Crimson in what is the league's game of the year so far.
In fact, the last time the schedule featured a meeting of overall unbeatens this late in the season was between 8-0 Penn and 8-0 Harvard back in 2001.
For Harvard, it's a game that's been circled on the calendar since opening the season. Week 6 means the end of quarterback Liam O'Hagan's suspension, which was incurred before the season for a violation of team rules.
But O'Hagan, last year's starter, is still listed second on the depth chart. Tomorrow's starter will be Chris Pizzotti, who has averaged 214.5 yards passing in four games.
The winner of tomorrow's showdown will tie for first in the Ivies with the winner of the Penn-Yale game and set the stage for a bigger showdown later in the season.
If Dawson and the league's top scoring offense can keep rolling through the top scoring defense, it will be business as usual as far as the standings go.
But if Princeton QB Jeff Terrell can continue his hot streak against a pass defense that's been suspect, the Tigers could keep the Harvard offense off the field. After all, Princeton is fifth in the nation in time of possession.
Then we could see a new team at the top getting ready for a visit from Penn on Nov. 4.
Dartmouth (0-5, 0-2) at Columbia (3-2, 0-2)
One of two battles to stay out of the Ivy basement may well come down to who's more ticked off.
On one side is Columbia, led by coach Norries Wilson, who lashed out in a six-minute press conference monologue expressing his feeling that his team is disrespected by the rest of the Ivies.
On the other hand is Dartmouth, which incited a brawl with Holy Cross when the Crusaders celebrated their overtime win on the "D" logo at midfield last week.
Between the lines, it's a battle of two young teams that don't have much going for them on offense and are at least a year or two away from serious contention. But a pair of strong defenses will be on display and this one should be competitive - especially with how much pride is at stake.
Cornell (2-3, 0-2) at Brown (1-4, 0-2)
Speaking of a year away, Cornell has some youth, especially at the skill positions, and could make some noise with Nathan Ford and Luke Siwula in 2007.
Brown, meanwhile, is a year away in the wrong direction. The Bears are on the way back to earth after an Ivy title and the graduation of all-everything back Nick Hartigan.
Given the way things have gone in Providence, R.I., over the last half-century, Brown could be two decades away.
