Week two of University Challenge 2007 and last night it was the turn of SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London) to take on Magdalen College, Oxford. Magdalen was aiming for a record fourth victory (no university has ever won more than 3 titles), with their second title-winning team from 1998 (pic left) even out-smarting the show’s first ever winning side, that of Leicester University in 1963, in a cross-generation special a few years back. With such an intimidating record, I felt a slight leaning towards SOAS. In my previous life in academic publishing, I had attended many functions/ book launches at SOAS and so was quietly rooting for the underdog. That was until it began and things became very weird.

By weird I don’t mean crop circle weird. Just that, like last week, the competition became unpredictable and tense, in a way that looked unlikely early on. That’s one of the many good things about UC – you just don’t know which team is going to pull through when it counts.

Let’s look at the line-ups:

SOAS
White – studying Development Economics. Didn’t really do much in fairness, and was pretty much there to make up the numbers.
Goodall – studying History. The sole female on the show (never good news), she kept her eyes cast down throughout. Either a) shy and nervous, b) afflicted with some gunky eye condition or c) sexually drawn to Jeremy Paxman and scared that if she were to look into his eyes, would be lost in a sea of love forever. I’m going with c – sounds the most likely.
Perry (captain) – studying Linguistics (and something else but he spoke very quickly – obviously keen to get on with the action.) Dressed in a smart blazer with hair that looked familiar with a brush – his mother obviously raised him well.
Saville – studying History. With waistcoat and long hair, he looked every bit the wannabe intellectual.

Magdalen
Partridge – studying Psychology and Philosophy (surely the most confusing combination of subjects ever. You would try to diagnose a psychological condition, only to then debate whether it really exists. ‘I feel depressed, but what is depression?’) A very bright orange shirt, maybe to deflect attention away from his less than impressive contribution.
Sinnott – studying Economics and Social History.
Wright (captain) – studying History. Had obviously checked out Saville’s intellectual appearance and wanted to out-do him. Spectacles? Check. Nerdy side-parting in hair? Check. Icky paisley shirt? Check. Wright wasn’t appointed captain by accident.
Dilaimi – studying Classics. Very calm and serene looking.

Magdalen raced into an early lead, with 80 points secured before SOAS got their first. They could have pulled away further had they been a fraction quicker with their answers, but frequently conferred for lengthy spells. This indecisiveness began to impair their game (and get on Paxman’s nerves) and SOAS began to take advantage.

Perry stole some points for SOAS, and initially Paxman seemed all amazement. He had clearly written them off early on, but with Perry’s calm composure, SOAS continued to rack up some points. By the half way stage, the scores were 25 to 115 in Magdalen’s favour, but SOAS soon chanced upon a good streak, putting a very different complexion on matters.

With 10 minutes to go, Magdalen still held a lead of 140 to SOAS’s 75, but the London team was gaining in confidence. Perry, as the captain, shone the brightest and soon the deficit was looking manageable. With mere minutes until the end, SOAS were within 15 points of Magdalen and only needed for the final starter for ten to go their way. It did. By scoring on their last chance, SOAS assumed the lead for the first and last time in the contest, earning a victory of 160 to 165. The gong sounded and the TV studio audience seemed dazed by the last minute turn around in fortunes.

And so SOAS will return to fight it out in the next round, though Paxman did warn them that another poor start could disable any chances of progression. Magdalen failed in their bid for a record 4th victory, though I’m sure will make it back next year for some more geek Olympics.

Week 1: Lancaster lost to Nottingham