Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Kevin: "The" Game
"The" Game will last 60 minutes. The memories will last a lifetime. Bragging rights and so much more are stake for these future leaders of America.
Never has that been more true than this Saturday when the Ivy League title is decided in "The" Game at Yale Bowl between Harvard and Yale. For only the fourth time in league history, two league unbeatens meet in the final week to decide the championship. Yale is 9-0 overall, 6-0 in the Ivy, Harvard is 7-2, 6-0 in the Ivy. And were it not for two fluke plays against Holy Cross and Lehigh, the Crimson would be undefeated too.
Yale is looking for their first perfect season since 1960. As you may know, they were unbeaten in 1968, but had the one tie against Harvard when they blew a two touchdown lead in the final two minutes. It was such a miraculous comeback that the Harvard paper's headline read "Harvard Beats Yale 29-29.
No ties this time, not with overtime now a part of college football. Two years ago, the Crimson came from behind to beat the Eli's in double overtime. Last season Yale won "The" Game ending Harvard's five year winning streak.
If you have never been to the Bowl for one of these, it is really a treat. I was there in 1999, when future NFL'er Eric Johnson snared his 21st catch of the game off a tipped pass with less than a minute to go. It gave the Eli's the win and a share of the Ivy League title. For me, it's a top 10 moment in my almost 20 years of covering sports.
There will be no sharing Saturday. This is for the outright championship--something Yale has not won since 1981. I have a feeling Yale will get it done. Junior running back Mike Mcleod is ripping apart the Yale record book. Despite a broken toe, he will figure out a way to run through the Harvard defense---one of the nation's best.
Final score: Yale wins 20-13 in a game that will be talked about for years.
I only wish I could be two places at once. I'll be covering UConn/Syracuse, which if the Huskies win, will have Big East title implications the following week. But in college football there is only one rivalry so old, so storied and so important it's simply as "The" Game. Enjoy.
Never has that been more true than this Saturday when the Ivy League title is decided in "The" Game at Yale Bowl between Harvard and Yale. For only the fourth time in league history, two league unbeatens meet in the final week to decide the championship. Yale is 9-0 overall, 6-0 in the Ivy, Harvard is 7-2, 6-0 in the Ivy. And were it not for two fluke plays against Holy Cross and Lehigh, the Crimson would be undefeated too.
Yale is looking for their first perfect season since 1960. As you may know, they were unbeaten in 1968, but had the one tie against Harvard when they blew a two touchdown lead in the final two minutes. It was such a miraculous comeback that the Harvard paper's headline read "Harvard Beats Yale 29-29.
No ties this time, not with overtime now a part of college football. Two years ago, the Crimson came from behind to beat the Eli's in double overtime. Last season Yale won "The" Game ending Harvard's five year winning streak.
If you have never been to the Bowl for one of these, it is really a treat. I was there in 1999, when future NFL'er Eric Johnson snared his 21st catch of the game off a tipped pass with less than a minute to go. It gave the Eli's the win and a share of the Ivy League title. For me, it's a top 10 moment in my almost 20 years of covering sports.
There will be no sharing Saturday. This is for the outright championship--something Yale has not won since 1981. I have a feeling Yale will get it done. Junior running back Mike Mcleod is ripping apart the Yale record book. Despite a broken toe, he will figure out a way to run through the Harvard defense---one of the nation's best.
Final score: Yale wins 20-13 in a game that will be talked about for years.
I only wish I could be two places at once. I'll be covering UConn/Syracuse, which if the Huskies win, will have Big East title implications the following week. But in college football there is only one rivalry so old, so storied and so important it's simply as "The" Game. Enjoy.
Posted at 4:13 PM by kevin
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