"I actually like to be in the underdog position," Co-Captain Paul Faust said. "That way a team may tend to look past us and play down a little."
The Big Red has faced Harvard 64 times, and leads the series 46-18.
Cornell is coached by Richie Moran, in his 24th season as the head coach.
Moran has led Cornell to three national championships and 15 Ivy titles, but his team has sputtered as of late, tying for last place in the Ivy League for the past two years.
Moran's offensive philosophy is to "create a positive offensive attitude" so that "each player will maintain complete confidence" in his abilities.
Because Cornell rides its emotions, Harvard Coach Scott Anderson wants to take its out of its game by scoring early.
"Scottie told us that if we can take an early advantage, they'll fall apart," Rice said.