Yale Should Defeat Penn; Indians, Big Red to Coast

Perhaps because they're stupid, perhaps because it's only fifty days before Christmas, the nation's bookies have made one of their rare catastrophic errors on today's Ivy point spreads. Yale has been installed a 13-point favorite over Penn, which is patently ridiculous. Our Ivy prognostications this season have been 76 per cent correct, and we will stake our life savings that Yale doesn't win by more than one touchdown.

Here are today's predictions:

Yale 21 Penn 17

This is the only interesting game of the day in Ivy circles. Penn and Yale are two surprise teams of the League; Penn was compiled a 3-2-1 season record, while the rapidly improving Elis have a 2-4 mark.

Crimson fans don't have to be reminded that Penn is no pushover, after last Saturday's 10-10 tie with the Quakers. Even though Bruce Molloy is put for the season, sophomore Pete Wisziewski gives the Philadelphians an adequate offense to go with a good defense.

Yale lost three of its first four games his season, but the development of quarterback Watts Humphrey into a full-edged star has brightened the Elis' season. Two weeks ago Yale stunned Cornell, 24 to 14, and last Saturday narrowly lost to unbeaten Dartmouth, 20 to 27.

This game is a tossup. Yale, looking ahead to Princeton and Harvard, may be down for the game. But if they are not, they should be able to squeak past the Molloy-less Quakers.

Cornell 21 Brown 7

Although they have won only once this season, Brown is a team capable of pulling an upset any day. Quarterback Bob Hall, who is rewriting the Bruin record books with his phenomenal passing, paced Brown to tour touchdowns against Princeton's tough defense last week.

Still, his throwing won't he enough to defeat the Big Red. Cornell has a big, touch offensive line, and should be putting heat on Hall all afternoon. Now that quarterback Marty Sponaugle is healthy again, Cornell should have enough offensive thrust to score a two-touchdown victory.

Dartmouth 24 Columbia 7

Dartmouth has been having unexpected difficulties this season with its "pushover opponents." The Indians defeated Penn by only five points and Yale by three. However, it seems inconceivable that the unbeaten Green could lose to Columbia, a mediocre team in every respect. After their experience at New Haven last Saturday. Coach Bob Blackman's charges will probably be guarding against a letdown and should score an effortless triumph.

LAST WEEK'S ECORD: Three right, none wrong, one tie.