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(STATS) -- Everybody else across the FCS had a head start, but the Ivy League teams hope a lot of home-field advantage will tighten the gap this weekend.Six of the eight Ivy teams will play at home when their 10-game season kicks off. All but one of the opponents have played two games.Harvard begins the season Friday night by hosting Rhode Island (0-2) before five other Ivy teams open at home Saturday -- Columbia against Saint Francis (0-2), Yale against No. 23 Colgate (0-1), Penn against Lehigh (0-2), Princeton against Lafayette (1-1) and Dartmouth against No. 22 New Hampshire (1-1).Also Saturday, Brown visits Bryant (1-1) and Cornell goes to Bucknell (1-1).The Ivies are coming off a season in which Dartmouth, Harvard and Penn forged a three-way share of first place -- the first time that happened in the Ancient Eight since 1982.All three teams lost a number of key seniors. Harvard, which has won three straight Ivy titles and four in the last five years, was installed as a slight preseason favorite over Penn, and Dartmouth was third in the league poll. But the next tier of teams -- Yale, Princeton and Brown -- have veteran teams capable of creating a wide-open league race.A lot more question marks, obviously, Harvard coach Tim Murphy said, and thats the obvious result of losing arguably the most successful senior class in Harvard football history. Its a bit unprecedented for us. Were used to being successful, were to setting the bar high.You just hope the kids develop and rise to the occasion, Penn coach Ray Priore said, are opportunistic when given the opportunity to make their imprint in the program.Harvard, an impressive 24-4-2 against teams currently in CAA Football, is replacing quarterback Scott Hosch, the 2015 Ivy offensive player of the year, with 6-foot-5 senior Joe Viviano. The new starter broke his foot in early September last year and missed the season, then broke the other foot late during winter workouts.Penns losses include linebacker Tyler Drake, the 2015 Ivy defensive player of the year. The Quakers fell 42-21 at Lehigh in Priores head coaching debut last season. Priore and Mountain Hawks coach Andy Coen worked together as Penn coordinators for six seasons (2000-05), winning three league titles.Dartmouth owns the most Ivy titles in league history with 19 -- last years was the Big Greens first since 1996. Their 7 p.m. ET kickoff Saturday against rival New Hampshire makes them the final Division I team to open the season.Yales nine-game winning streak in season openers is the leagues longest active streak, including a 29-28 triumph at Colgate last season.Princeton has defeated Lafayette eight straight times, including 40-7 last year.Brown and Bryant are separated by about 15 miles, although they never played each other until 2013. They have split the two prior meetings.Columbia and Cornell were mired in last place a year ago. Columbia lists 10 freshmen on its two-deep for the start of coach Al Bagnolis second season, while Cornell enters the campaign with more playing experience than any of coach David Archers previous three seasons. Shoes NZ Nike . Any real chance at payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said. Shoes NZ Sale . "It doesnt get any better than that," Giambi said. "Im speechless." The Indians are roaring toward October. Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. https://www.shoesnzonline.com/ . Pence singled in the winning run with no outs in the ninth inning to give the Giants a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. Wholesale Shoes NZ . The Dane followed up his first European Tour title last weekend with eight birdies and just a single dropped shot on Thursday for a one-stroke advantage over South Africas Allan Versfeld and Portugals Ricardo Santos. Shoes NZ Online . Haas said he "felt a lot of pain" in his right shoulder when he slammed his racket to the ground in frustration after losing his serve at 3-3 in the first set. Johnny Manziel has indicated to people privately that his best chance at a return to the NFL might be 2017, and now a four-game suspension to start 2016 makes it all but certain that he wont see an NFL field or sideline this year.The 2017 theme is not a new one, either. NFL observers and some close to him have understood that message for months, and everyone knows Manziel isnt close to being in game shape.For the NFL, the violation of the leagues substance abuse policy simply reinforces the reasons not to sign him. When I asked an NFL personnel executive recently about Manziels chances, he believes teams arent looking at Manziel through a football prism anymore. Its about getting his life on track, the exec said. Thats it.Even if Manziel got a tryout somewhere, he doesnt have an agent to set it up, and his parents have trouble reaching him, according to a close family friend. Who knows if he would show up to a meeting.A Manziel spokesperson would not comment on the suspension when reached Thursday.Perhaps the four games -- coupled with the threat of additional games under the cloud of the personal conduct policy -- will shake Manziel to his core. The misdemeanor assault charge for allegedly rupturing the eardrum of ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley isnt going away. Getting eligible for half of the 2016 season would be considered a victory.But heres the thing about Manziel telling TMZ that he plans to sober up in July: He has made promises before, and often they go unfulfilled.ddddddddddddPeople close to him hope this time is different, and if they are right, they figure months of rehab are the best -- if not the only -- way back. Such a commitment would greatly diminish his chance of preparing for a roster spot this year.Jim Darnell, Manziels attorney, has maintained to ESPN that Manziel is working through his issues and hopes its not too late for football.I know his resolve, Darnell said.The tenor from others in private circles can sound much different.Football? Many feel this is a crisis beyond sports.Manziel also has potential financial hurdles to clear.He faces a lawsuit for his alleged role in trashing an L.A. rental home, and Darnell said he has spoken to the attorney representing the car company that loaned a car to Manziel and friends. That car was totaled in an April accident. Celebrity nightclub appearance fees, if there are any, wont pay the bills. Endorsements that once could have reached about $8 million over multiple years are now gone.Even a sober, focused Manziel would be at the mercy of the NFLs backup quarterback currency.Thats if he really loves football, which many people in the league seriously doubt.He has the next six months to prove that notion wrong. ' ' '