Ivy papers predict this weekend's games

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Each week, sports writers and editors from each Ivy paper are submitting their picks for the weekend's Ivy matchups. This weekend there are just two, but that didn't stop us from nearly unanimously picking a Cornell win over Yale and a Harvard win over Brown.

Friday's paper has the abridged version, but the full reasoning behind the choices are listed after the jump.

Harvard's Bobby Samuels: 

Yale doesn't have an answer for the Jeff Mathews-led Cornell offense .

 

Harvard has the offensive weapons to overcome a tough Brown squad and a hostile Brown environment.

Cornell's Jeff Mathews got beat up pretty badly by Fordham last week. He'll be ready to bounce back against a familiar Ivy foe.

 

The defending champs will want to come out with a bang and will probably beat up Brown.

I'm a little concerned about Cornell's loss to Fordham last week, but Jeff Mathews threw for 489 yards. 489 yards! That's gotta be a recipe for an Ivy win.

 

Gotta go with the defending champs here.

Cornell wins a game that could be closer than people think. The Big Red offense was one-dimensional last week and its defense gave up a lot of yards. If Yale can get pressure on QB Jeff Matthews, the Bulldogs could make it interesting.

 

Treavor Scales and Co. will prove to be too much for Brown. Harvard is ranked no. 24 in the FCS Coaches Poll for a reason, and the Crimson will demonstrate that en route to a victory in its Ancient Eight opener.

The Cornell offense will not leave points off the board for the second week in a row, and the Red defense will be fired up by the Homecoming crowd just enough to hold its ground and vault the home team to victory.

Yale's defense kept their team in the game last week, despite five turnovers from the offense. Once again, the Bulldog D will rise to the task, this time against a talented Cornell offense.

 

The pre-season top-ranked team should have no problem instilling their physical approach on both sides of the ball.

It will go down to the final possession, but Jeff Mathews, with home-court advantage, puts Big Red over the top.

 

After the academic scandal, Harvard will be mercilessly taunted -- but do Brown students even take classes?

Despite losing to Fordham last week, Jeff Mathews' game was on point and I can't imagine Yale's defense being able to stop Big Red's aerial attacks.

 

Harvard's Treavor Scales and quarterback Colton Chapple look ready to push through the Bears' still-developing defense, and will help the team to a narrow victory.