HANOVER – Last week’s column started this way: "OK, the Fearful Forecast ought to shut it down after a week to remember."
Now that, my friends, was a good prediction.
Yup, the Forecast should have shut it down after a perfect week because this last one was anything but. Seriously, did anyone outside of Ithaca pick Cornell to blow out Penn? Did you really think a New Hampshire team with its playoff hopes hanging by floss was going to trample No. 6/7 Monmouth on the road?
Granted, it was a gamble picking Fordham to upset Bucknell but consider that a lesson learned. The Rams have two games left that even they could win but the Forecast is not going to fall for them again.
With that out of the way, here's a look at the penultimate week of the season:
Penn 5-3, 3-2 at Harvard 8-0, 5-0
There are four other schools rooting hard for Harvard to lose this week. Of course, there are seven schools that root hard for the Crimson to lose every week, and how is that working? Harvard 24-10.
Yale 6–2, 4-1 at Princeton 3-5, 2-3
How much do you think the last-second field goal that beat them at Dartmouth game sticks in the Bulldog’s craw as they try to chase down Harvard? It will stick even more because that kick eliminated the margin for this kind of error. Princeton 21-20.
Brown 3-5, 0-5, at Columbia 1-7, 0-5
The Bears cost themselves the chance at the Ivy League’s No. 1 draft pick. What’s that? Good point. If there was such a thing this would be an exciting game. Brown 28-21.
New Hampshire 6-4, 4-2 at Bryant 3-7, 1-5
Quick, how many of you can name Bryant football team nickname? I didn’t think so. Spoiler alert: You didn't hear it here, but you will be learning it in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, take the Wildcats over the . . . wait for it . . . Bulldogs. New Hampshire 42-21.
Central Connecticut 7-3, 5-0 at Duquesne 5-5, 3-2
For fun I sometimes pronounce Duquesne as doo-kes-ney. That’s more fun than the home team will have this week. Central Connecticut 28-21.
Fordham 1-9, 1-5 at Georgetown 5-5, 2-3
Georgetown is having a surprisingly good year. Fordham is having a surprisingly bad. Make that a surprisingly terrible year. Georgetown 21-17.
LAST WEEK
This BGA Guy Is A Genius
Predicted: Harvard 38, Columbia 10
Actual: Harvard 31, Columbia 14
Comment: A surprise? Hardly.
Predicted: Yale 24, Brown 21
Actual: Yale 34, Brown 22
Comment: Brown and swoon should rhyme.
Predicted: Central Connecticut 31, Stonehill 21
Actual: Central Connecticut 40, Stonehill 10
Comment: Didn’t Stonehill have Penn on the ropes?
This BGA Guy is a Dolt
Predicted: Penn 28, Cornell 14
Actual: Cornell 39, Penn 17
Comment: Time to find out if the Big Red is for real.
Predicted: Monmouth 24, New Hampshire 17
Actual: New Hampshire 34, Monmouth 13
Comment: New Hampshire is picking up steam.
Predicted: Fordham 17, Bucknell 14
Actual: Bucknell 37, Fordham 19
Comment: Sorry Fordham, Bucknell is Ram tough.
Last Week: 3-3
Season to Date: 39-15 (.722)