The Columbia Lions are quick to tell you that they don't believe in "moral victories." In football, you either win or lose; there's no gray, in-between area. But it's not so simple in real life.

Take the story of senior defensive lineman Chad Washington. In the spring of 2013, he was arrested and charged with a hate crime. Overnight, he became the poster child for what was wrong with football at Columbia. The charges were later dropped and since then, Washington's been working rebuild his reputation. But turnarounds can take a long time.

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Game statisticians watch the action unfold from their perch in the Columbia press box.(Ilya Marrtiz) Harry Enten, right, a lifelong Lions fan and journalist for the website Five Thirty Eight, cheers during Saturday's game against Harvard.(Matt Collette)