I've got a High IQ: What the heck is happening in the Ivy League?

We interrupt this regularly scheduled XII Days of Conference tourneys to bring you this report about smarts kids playing hoops.

Once upon a time, in Cambridge, Mass, there was a basketball team who was far better than anyone gave them credit for. Wins at Holy Cross & Loyola Marymount, were me're harbingers for a very successful trip to the Bahamas, that saw them win a preseason tournament featuring Connecticut, Florida St, and UCF. And suddenly everyone was taking notice. The Ivy league season began to predictable results. 7 wins in 7 tries. Then those dreaded P schools, you know, the ones that usually play the better hoops, took their shots, and suddenly a forgone conclusion became a story of intrigue.

So here goes, the standings look like this:

Harvard 10-2

Pennslyvania 9-2

Yale 9-3

Princeton 9-4

Princeton is hanging on for dear life, Penn has three games remaining - one of which is versus Yale - and the Ellis & Crimson finish up this weekend.

Princeton: H v. Yale & Brown

Yale: R @ Princeton & Penn

Pennsylvania: H v. Brown & Yale

Harvard: R @ Columbia & Cornell.

Chances are, by virtue of the scheduling, Harvard staying down in New York while the 2nd-4th places bludgeon each other in Philly & Jersey, will pay off in an automatic bid. BUT:

If Harvard & Penn win out this weekend - then Penn v Princeton on March 6 becomes a de facto semi-final for Penn: lose and Harvard's the Ivy champ or win, and we've got ourselves an Ivy two-team playoff.

Ifffff

Harvard goes 2-0

Penn goes 1-1

Harvard wins the Ivy League

Iffffffff:

Harvard goes 0-2

Penn goes 2-0

Pennsylvania will win the automatic bid, regardless of next Tuesday's outcome.

Iffffffffffff:

Harvard goes 1-1.

Penn goes 1-1 (beating Brown, losing to Yale)

Yale goes 2-0

Princeton goes 1-1 (losing to Yale, beating Brown)

then, after the weekend, Princeton will be eliminated, Harvard and Yale will finish in a tie, and Penn will play Princeton in yet another semi-final like game, where they either join the two teams (with a win) in a 3-team playoff like its 2003 or watch Harvard & Yale battle it out for the Ivy league bid.

Iffffffffff:

Harvard goes 1-1

Penn goes 2-0

Yale goes 0-2 or 1-1 (obviously losing to Penn in this scenario, at a minimum)

Princeton goes 1-1, 0-2, 2-0 - doesn't matter because neither Penn nor Harvard will end up with four losses

Then Penn v Princeton becomes a quasi championship game with a safety net. Penn wins - they're in, and Harvard sweats out selection Sunday and forces a lot of other teams to get their acts right next week and cause some upsets, because likely an extra bid just went adios. If Penn loses, they still will have forced a 1-game Ivy League tiebreaker.

Ifffffff:

Harvard goes 0-2

Penn goes 1-1 (beats Brown, loses Yale)

Yale goes 1-1 (beats Penn, loses Princeton)
Princeton goes 2-0

then... we've got a shot at a 4 way. If, Princeton then beats Penn. Harvard is 10-4. Penn is 10-4, Yale is 10-4 and Princeton is 10-4. And that would be awesome.

If Princeton loses, Penn gets the autobid, with only 3 Ivy losses to everyone else's four.

NOW,

Ifffff:

Harvard goes 0-2

Penn goes 0-2

Yale goes 2-0

Princeton doesn't matter

Yale wins the automatic bid.

Ifffff:

Harvard goes 0-2

Penn goes 1-1

Yale goes 2-0

Princeton doesn't matter

Penn v. Princeton is the semi-final, with no safety net. Penn wins, they force a 1-game playoff. Penn loses, Yale wins the automatic bid.

Ifffff:

Harvard goes 0-2

Penn goes 2-0

Yale goes 2-0

Princeton doesn't matter

Penn v. Princeton is the semi-final, with a safety net. Penn wins, they are the Ivy League champ, they lose, they force a 1-game playoff with Yale..

Ifffffff:

Harvard goes 0-2

Penn goes 0-2

Yale goes 1-1 (beat Penn, loses Princeton)

Princeton goes 2-0

Then a Penn v Princeton becomes a semi-final to see which team joins Harvard & Yale in a standard 3way. Or a ho-hum Saturday night for Buffet readers Brian Tucci & Nathan Richards.

And true or false: the Buffet may or may not have written this entire post with all of those convoluted scenario just to get to that punch line. (Answers will be taken in the comment section).

There is no scenario where Penn v. Princeton is winner take all.