Cornell
November is resume-building time for at-large hopefuls, and the only opportunity for low-majors to make a statement. One team off to a fast start is the Cornell Big Red, which has won road games at Alabama and at UMass. Although it is borderline unthinkable that an Ivy League team gets an at-large look, Cornell’s early performance and challenging schedule could very well impress the Selection Committee. Cornell has four more chances for nice out of conference wins with games vs. Seton Hall, at Syracuse, at Drexel and at Kansas. Wins against Seton Hall and Drexel combined with a win against either Kansas or Syracuse would put the Big Red squarely in any at-large discussion, as their schedule strength would surely justify a top-75 RPI at the end of the year. This is all assuming the Big Red don’t run away with the Ivy League title, as many have predicted this year. Hypothetically, if they lose the auto bid to someone like Yale, Harvard or Princeton (their most likely challengers in conference) but have a 12-2 or 11-3 Ivy League record, Cornell would still be right in the NCAA mix.