Penn fighting for fourth and final Ivy League playoff spot with two games left

Every game in the balanced Ivy League has felt almost like a playoff contest for Penn, and more of the same will occur when the Quakers wrap up their regular season this weekend. Penn hopes it won’t be the end of its season, too.

Three teams are technically in the running for the fourth and final Ivy playoff spot: Brown (6-6), Penn (5-7) and Cornell (5-7). (Previously we had indicated Columbia, which is 4-8, had a slight chance, but that isn’t the case.)

It very well could come down to the final game of the season, when Penn hosts Brown on Saturday at the Palestra.

Penn must beat Brown to have a chance. If that happens and the Quakers end up tied with Brown, Penn would earn the berth based on a 2-0 record against the Bears.

Head to head is the first tiebreaker, whether there are two or more teams tied. Because Brown, and Cornell are 1-1 against each other and Penn is 1-1 vs Cornell, the Quakers would break the tie not only with Brown, but if all three teams are tied. If that happens, Penn would be 3-1 against the tied teams.

The second tiebreaker is record against the highest-seeded team outside of the tied teams. Say, for example, Penn and Cornell each finish 7-7. Yale and Harvard are the highest-seeded teams with 9-3 records, so it would depend on this weekend’s action to determine that tiebreaker. Penn hasn’t beaten any of the top three teams but will host Yale (9-3) on Friday. Cornell will host Harvard (9-3) on Friday and has already beaten the Crimson.

Brown will play Princeton at 4 p.m. Friday, so Penn will know that result before playing Yale at 7. If Brown wins, then Penn and Cornell would have to go 2-0 to stay in the running.

One other thing to note: If Harvard and Yale end up tied for first, Harvard will win the tiebreaker because of a 2-0 record against the Bulldogs.

Here are the standings:

x-Yale 9-3

x-Harvard 9-3

x-Princeton 8-4

Brown 6-6

Penn 5-7

Cornell 5-7

Columbia 4-8

Dartmouth 2-10

x – clinched playoff berth

Here are the contenders for the final spot.

Brown (6-6): Record vs. Cornell (1-1), vs. Penn (0-1). Remaining games: at Princeton (8-4), at Penn (5-7). Best win: vs. Harvard (9-3).

Penn: (5-7): Record vs. Brown (1-0), vs. Cornell (1-1). Remaining games: vs Yale (9-3) and vs. Brown (6-6). Best win: at Brown (6-6).

Cornell (5-7) Record vs. Brown (1-1), vs. Penn (1-1. Remaining games: vs. Harvard (9-3), vs. Dartmouth (2-10). Best win: at Harvard (9-3).