Penn football picked to finish second in Ivy League

PRESEASON MEDIA polls are nothing more than hopefully educated projections and a place to start.

A year ago, coming off a 2-8 season and with a new coach in longtime assistant Ray Priore, Penn's football team was picked to finish sixth in the Ivy League, the lowest it had been voted in more than two decades. So the Quakers proceeded to win their last six games - which meant going on the road in November and handing defending champion Harvard its lone loss - to get their first title since 2012.

So what now?

Well, the Quakers have been picked to finish second behind Harvard, even though they received the most first-place votes (nine of 17). The last time they were picked to come in second was 2012.

Penn accumulated 119 points, seven fewer than Harvard. The teams will meet here on Nov. 12.

Dartmouth was third with 83 points, followed by Yale (81) and Princeton (79).

Brown, which was next with 61, was the only other team to get a first-place vote. Columbia, in its second year under former Penn coach Al Bagnoli, was seventh with 43.

Harvard is 28-2 the last three seasons.

The poll was completed by two media representatives from each school, as well as one national media member.

Penn returns 16 starters, including two first-team All-Ivy selections in quarterback Alek Torgersen and wide receiver Justin Watson.

The Quakers open on Sept. 17 against Lehigh at Franklin Field. They begin their Ivy season by hosting Columbia on Oct. 15.