Ivy League, Big 10 titles down to the wire

It's a long time since either team held the nation's attention, but Harvard and Yale will likely sell out the Yale Bowl tomorrow. For the first time since 1968, both Crimson and Bulldogs enter The Game 6-0 in the Ivy League, with the title on the line.

In 1968, Brian Dowling (you probably know his alter ego B.D.) was Yale's quarterback. He took them to a 29-13 lead at Harvard with just 42 seconds left, but the Crimson came back to force an improbable tie, leading to the immortal headline Harvard Defeats Yale, 29-29.

This time, I'm backing Yale. The team that's walked away from 132 Silver Ball matches as holder has looked mightily impressive in racking up a 9-0 start, twice scoring 50 points, while Harvard did lose non-Ivy games to Holy Cross and Lehigh. But you never know in these rivalry games. Brian Dowling and 61,000 others will be there. A future president may well be cheerleading. And there won't be a tie.

Of course, I'll be elsewhere hosting the annual Michigan-Ohio State TV Party. Go Blue! I am sure we are all hoping Lloyd Carr's last Big 10 game is a success. Last year we drank Jones holiday soda after each score, every flavor from brussels sprouts to herb stuffing to salmon mousse. Only the cranberry sauce was even half way decent. A word of advice to anyone else considering such an idea: DON'T.