Optimist-Pessimist Coming Out Of Harvard

BGA (Nov. 5) – It doesn’t happen often but on this day The Pessimist not only arrives ahead of The Optimist but also makes sure he has the first say before being interrupted.

The Pessimist: Well that certainly was fun . . .

The Optimist: Sorry for cutting you off but as you might imagine, I’ve got a lot on my mind today. I’m not sure I’m in the mood for joking.

The Pessimist: Not to worry. At least any more than you already are. Worried, I mean. Listen, I actually came away impressed Saturday and like your chances the rest of the way.

The Optimist: If this is a game of role reversal, I’m not ready to play.

The Pessimist: You mean, like your team on Saturday? 

The Optimist: OK, that’s more like it.

The Pessimist: I start our visit by saying something nice about your chances and you get defensive. Then I take a shot at you, and you praise me. Now that’s role reversal. If that’s how you want it, fine. The floor is yours.

The Optimist: I’ve told you before I’m not a fan of you talking in italics. But I digress. I'll agree it wasn't a great start for us. Falling behind by 10 points out of the gate was disappointing. But we rallied like champions, scoring the next 20 points.

The Pessimist: But it was Harvard that finished like champions. With no margin for error the Crimson drove 94 yards in 14 plays for a touchdown on their next-to-last possession, forced a critical three-and-out, and then drove 73 yards in 10 plays to win the game.

The Optimist: I have to give them credit. But you have to give us credit as well. I mean, after they scored we took over at our own 30 with 27 seconds left, made it to their 32 and had a chance to pull it out with a reasonably short Hail Mary on the final play of the game. That’s all you can ask for.

The Pessimist: Actually, you can ask for your prayer to be answered.

The Optimist: You got me there. But we had a chance and although I’m disappointed that an undefeated season is off the table I still think we have a good shot not only at winning the Ivy League title, but winning it outright.

The Pessimist: Pray tell.

The Optimist: It starts for us with Princeton this week and we’ve pretty much had our way with the Tigers over the past 13 years, even when they were good. Which they are most definitely not this year. They are 2-5 and have given up 94 points over their last two games. A program that prides itself on quarterback play has really, really struggled at that position this fall. They are completing just 50.3 percent of their throws with their starter tossing 12 interceptions to seven TD passes.

The Pessimist: Not good. No question this is a down year for Bob Surace’s guys, but that’s a proud bunch. You have to know a win over you would go a long way toward salvaging their season.

The Optimist: While we are beating Princeton, Harvard and Columbia will be going head-to-head with 3-1 Ivy League records on the line. One of them will come out of that game with a second loss, and given the rest of our schedule that will probably eliminate the loser from the race. We're not losing again.

The Pessimist: We’re getting a little ahead of ourselves, aren’t we? Even if you do get by Princeton, you’ve got another long road trip to Cornell the next week before finishing against Brown. Those teams have first- and third-most prolific passers in the Ivy League. The second-most? That would be the Harvard guy who gutted you Saturday.

The Optimist: I agree those QBs can spin the ball but trust me, their teams don't play defense the way Harvard does. Here’s something you may not know. Over the next three weeks we face the No. 8 Ivy League defense in terms of points allowed in Princeton, the No. 7 Ivy League defense at Cornell and the No. 6 defense Brown.

The Pessimist: Fine, but Cornell slapping 47 points on Yale and 49 on Princeton should get your attention as well. And while I’m at it, TV guys saying “spinning the ball” is annoying enough. I don’t need to hear it from you. It’s almost as grating as when basketball announcers talk about a player’s ability to “score the ball.” 

The Optimist: Point taken. Where were we? Oh yeah, after Princeton we can clinch at least a tie by winning at Cornell in Week Nine and having the winner of Harvard-Columbia lose the same afternoon. 

The Pessimist: I wouldn't count on the Crimson or Lions losing. They both play teams that enter this week at 3-4. Harvard is at struggling Penn and Columbia is at struggling Brown.

The Optimist: Regardless of what happens elsewhere, all we have to do after beating Princeton and Cornell is finish with a win over Brown back home and we claim at the very least a share of the championship, although I do expect more.

The Pessimist: To quote Frasier Crane, I’m listening.

The Optimist: I gave you an I Love Lucy reference last week and you go the sit-com route this week. Nice. OK, here’s how I see it playing out. I think Columbia is one of the best stories in the Ivy League this fall but they lost their starting QB and they’ve been ravaged by injuries. I just don’t see them winning at Harvard this week so they fall to 3-2 in the Ivies while the Crimson keeps pace with us at 4-1.

The Pessimist: Go on.

The Optimist: I think the Crimson could stumble the next week at Penn, which came to life behind a new quarterback last week, but I don’t necessarily expect that to happen. With us winning at Cornell and the Crimson holding serve at Penn, that sends both of us into the final Saturday of the season at 5-1.

The Pessimist: I know where this is going.

The Optimist: This has been a lost year for a Yale team picked to win it all. How do the Bulldogs salvage their season?

The Pessimist: They beat Harvard.

The Optimist: I agree.

The Pessimist: No, no, no. I mean that’s how they could, emphasis on the word could, salvage their season. I didn't say they would win at Harvard Stadium. Although your scenario would give you the undisputed title, I really don't see Harvard losing that game. Then again, I don’t see you losing again this fall, either.

The Optimist: Come again?

The Pessimist: Remember what I said when we first sat down? I quote: “I actually came away impressed Saturday and like your chances the rest of the way.”

The Optimist: I thought you were just kidding.

The Pessimist: Not today, my friend.