What Might Have Been

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the premiere screening of the Harvard football 1981 highlight film, entitled "That Championship Season". It is the story of desire, heart and courage, and ultimately the story of the 1981 Ivy title. Harvard's first since 1975. Our saga begins on a drizzly afternoon in September as the gridders outdistance Columbia, 23-6. Then, on to Cornell--and a big Ivy win. A loss to Dartmouth sets the squad back, but the turning point in the season comes the next week, when Jim Villanueva's last-second field goal caps a 17-point comeback to give the Crimson a 20-17 win. Let's...

Hold everything. Stop the film. Something's wrong. Villanueva missed that field goal. The game ended in a tie. Wait...

...take a look at that kick for a moment. Harvard takes over after stopping the Tigers in their own territory and drives inside the 20 yard line. Time is running out. Coach Joe Restic elects to go for the sure field goal. The snap is good, the kick is up...

But the snap wasn't good. It was low, skimming the ground. Ron Cuccia, the holder, had to make a nifty play just to get the ball off the grass. Villanueva's timing was messed up. He hesitated...

...and it splits the uprights. The team mobs Villanueva and lifts Restic up on their shoulders. The comeback is complete. The team is flying high, and just a game behind Yale. An Ivy title is still a possibility...

I'm telling you the kick wasn't good, it was wide. And nobody carried anyone on his shoulders. Players were crying in the locker room afterward. It was no win, it was a tie. Stop the film, you've got it all wrong...

...as Penn was no problem the next week, setting the stage for Yale. Sure, Yale was good, but Harvard was better, and with the Ivy title on the line the Crimson came through. The defense limited Rich Diana to just six yards while Jim Callinan rushed for a Harvard-record 250 yards on 40 carries. The previously-undefeated Bulldogs walk slowly off the field, while the jubilant gridders celebrate That Championship Season...

But that field goal didn't happen. It's all a mistake. Harvard didn't win the Ivies. Yale won the Ivy title. Don't you remember? That kick made the difference. That kick was wide...

* * *

Wouldn't you know it, I've fallen way behind in the Predix derby. In fact, I have to win 22 more games than Mark Doctoroff if I want to pass him and finish in first place. Lucky for me there are 22 games on this week's schedule.

HARVARD 24, PENN 10--Soldiers Field becomes Home, Sweet Home, again.

CORNELL 30, COLUMBIA 24--...and the leaves that are green turn to brown.

BROWN 21, DARTMOUTH 9--It's hockey season already in Hanover.

YALE 54, PRINCETON 53--Not enough, Bob Holly, not enough.

NOTRE DAME 88, AIR FORCE 4--Faust staves off the wolves.

TEXAS 94, TCU 6--Hook 'em, 'horns.

CLEMSON 42, MARYLAND 9--The Tigers remain unbeaten.

GEORGIA 22, AUBURN 14--The War Eagles stop Belue, but not Herschel.

EAGLES 31, COLTS--Jaworski throws four more at Baltimore.

HARVARD BASKETBALL 67, IRISH NATIONALS 62--"Oh, Ferry/shows no Mercy..."

CRIMSON 23, DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN 2--They're not even showing up, so this one should be easy.

Also REAGAN over CARTER, the DODGERS over the YANKS, and BUFFALO over the spread. Plus, THE SPACE SHUTTLE conquers THE ELEMENTS, RUSSIA turns back NAPOLEON and the METS win the '69 series. And, WAYNE MEISEL, PAUL-ALEXANDER, RICH YU and MARIO TEIXEIRA will win Harvard class marshal elections.

And finally, BATMAN and ROBIN outwit the RIDDLER and the CAT-WOMAN this morning at 7. But then, you've probably already missed that.

Last week: 4-2. Season: 26-16. Wait 'til next week.