Tom Columns

It's Saturday, pigskin day, and it's time to get mean. Real mean. Cornell's football team is in town.

No fooling around this weekend. Harvard-Cornell football games have a tradition. A history of being crunching, grueling battles. And they always seem to be important.

Last year, an upstart Harvard team traveled to Ithaca, N.Y., to face one of the favorites in the Ivy League. The Big Red, led by quarterback Mark Allen, were tabbed by many as the team to beat in the Ivies.

At the time, it was hard to see that Cornell would wind up the season with just three wins in nine games. They were 2-0-1, and Harvard was undefeated. The game seemed destined to catapult one team toward a championship and dash the hopes of the other.

Allen pumped the ball into the air 52 times, completing only 22, and the Big Red's fate was sealed. Crippled by injuries to running backs Malone and Fanelli, Cornell succumbed to Harvard 21-15, and made no more pretensions to the Ivy League title.

Early as the game comes in the season, it always has a decisive atmosphere surrounding it. And this year's encounter is no different.

For Harvard, one of the preseason favorites, it offers a chance to fortify any claims to the championship. For Cornell, the same is an opportunity to establish itself as a contender.

Last year's roles seem further reversed as Harvard enters the game plagued with injuries to its top players. Running backs Neal Miller and Ed Cronin will see action as might end Pete Curtin, but will not be at 100 per cent.

And so the legacy continues. A simple fumble could decide today's contest, and along with it may go an entire season. But that's the way all crucial games go. Down to the wire.

Through the haze of my crystal ball, I shall now divine the winners of this week's encounters.

PENNSYLVANIA-LAFAYETTE -- There is very little to say about this one. A relatively easy non-Ivy test for the Red and Blue. Penn 31, Lafayette 13.

DARTMOUTH-BROWN -- Dartmouth hasn't got enough to win the Ivy crown again this year. But the Green may have enough to pull themselves out of this defensive war. A real tight one. Dartmouth 14, Brown 13.

COLGATE-PRINCETON -- The undefeated Tigers (2-0-1, if you can believe that) may run into some letdown problems after a fairly dramatic win over Dartmouth last Saturday. Colgate 17, Princeton 16.

COLUMBIA-YALE -- Would you believe that when Columbia has inter-squad games in practice, both sides lose? Yale 40, Columbia 6.

CORNELL-HARVARD -- Cornell has a good football team, with Don Fanelli. Harvard has a good football team, but no Fanelli. This will be a great game, but the outcome may be a bit painful. I hope not. Cornell 27, Harvard 24.

CRIMSON-BOX JOX -- An unfortunate encounter altogether. Through the biting cold of the early morn, the forces of goodness will march on to victory. Crimson 23, B.J.'s 2.

Last week--Two right, one wrong, one tie. Overall, 12 for 16,.750.