” If were going to ask these student-athletes to play this excellent and fantastic and challenging video game, there requires to be a function,” he stated. Theres no assurance every team that finishes this season will desire to– or be allowed by the pandemic to– play in a bowl game. One service being thought about to assist fill the bowls is tossing the concept of bowl eligibility “out the window,” said Nick Carparelli, executive director of the Football Bowl Association.
AP Photo/Gerald Herbert” Theres such complexities to this year,” he stated, “particularly with the conference-only schedules, and an unequal amount of games. Now the conferences that are playing in the fall actually desire that bowl experience at the end, and the bowl games want to stage their games.
” We might have a better opportunity, but I wish we didnt in that sense,” he said. Its all about hoping we can play a season. We wish the Big Ten and Pac-12 were playing.
What about the Heisman Trophy?
The official Heisman Trophy website has a countdown clock ticking until college footballs most prestigious prize is granted to the very best player in the sport.
The Dec. 12 statement event is the current date noted, however it does not account for the truth that some of the nations finest gamers may not have actually taken a breeze by then.
” Decisions will be made by the Heisman trustees,” a representative told ESPN. “At this point in time, no choices have been made.”
College football is no stranger to controversy when it concerns crowning a nationwide champion, however this season might be unlike any other.
In an extraordinary year, with the Big Ten and Pac-12 postponing their seasons, coaches from those leagues question whether there can really be a real champ.
” If everyones not involved,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham stated, “how is there a true champ?”
” At the very least for me, there must be an asterisk,” Stanford coach David Shaw said.
College Football Playoff leadership appears to disagree.
From the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the CFP has actually preserved its plan to acknowledge a winner on Jan. 11 at the national champion video game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has actually announced the dates of its six rankings, which start on Nov. 17 and end on Dec. 20, Selection Day. It has announced the yearly recusals for the 13 committee members who are charged with ranking the leading four teams in the nation and slotting the distinguished New Years Six bowls. It has actually prepared for the committee to fulfill personally to determine its weekly top-25 rankings and has actually performed virtual training this summertime for the new committee members.
2 RelatedUnless COVID-19 further thwarts the SEC, ACC and Big 12 from playing in the fall (which is still possible), this appears to be it.
” There has been no discussion about CFP in the spring,” executive director Bill Hancock told ESPN, “but, personally, I cant visualize 2 CFP championships.”
Neither can Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, whose conference is one of the three Power 5 leagues, together with the SEC and ACC, still intending to start their seasons later this month.
” I guess anythings possible,” Bowlsby stated, “however the idea of running 2 different nationwide championship series seems a little odd to me.”
Huge Ten commissioner Kevin Warren and Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott decreased to comment about their position on this seasons championship game.
Shaw isnt asking for an entirely separate playoff, however he would like the selection committee to think about a Pac-12 or Big Ten group as a possible co-champion or “winter champion,” he said.
” It has to be factored in that these two conferences in particular are major conferences and constantly are worthy of a chance to win a championship game when they play,” Shaw stated. “Weve all bought into the CFP. If by the end of the winter season, if theres someone who has benefit, they deserve recognition.”
” If were going to ask these student-athletes to play this terrific and terrific and tough game, there needs to be a function,” he stated. “All of our young people, they want championships. They desire to bet conference champions and a shot at a nationwide champion. If were going to play, these young guys deserve to be rewarded if they play well.”
When the Pac-12 will able to play once again than who wins the national title this season and how, Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsUSC coach Clay Helton is more worried with.
” The truth of the situation is we dont know what the future holds, for not just the conferences that are playing, but the conferences that arent playing,” he said. “Weve got our fingers crossed we can do something come winter season or spring, but things are going to need to trend in the best direction for that to take place. For us, Im simply anticipating having the next opportunity to compete, and permit the kids to get on the field, whether thats winter or spring or fall of 21– thats my primary issue. Ill let the powers that be choose how we wind up deciding a national champion.”
Ohio State coach Ryan Day told reporters on Aug. 12 he wasnt offering up on the possibility of playing for a nationwide title. Day said he would much rather have a playoff than “divided a title.”
” Playing for the Big Ten champion would be the very first objective, and then based on how whatever shakes out with the other conferences– if they press forward, they push forward– if they choose at some point to push it back to the spring, that would make it amazing, to be able to have a CFP,” he stated. “I still believe we can do that. Im definitely not giving up hope on that.”
Hancock isnt eliminating the possibility that strategies alter since of the pandemic, but he has actually remained away from dealing with theoretical scenarios throughout it.
” You know, regardless of the unpredictability we are dealing with, the CFP is progressing and planning our three video games simply as we constantly would,” Hancock stated. “If things change, we will deal with it, but up until then our task is to put on the semis and the championship game whichs what we will do.”
The credibility of this seasons winner is perhaps the biggest postseason question dealing with the sport as its opportunity of putting together a season ends up being more genuine this weekend, with 6 televised games Saturday and BYU at Navy on Monday.
What does this mean for the Rose Bowl?
The Rose Bowl, which becomes part of the New Years Six bowls, is in an unique circumstance this season since it is hosting a CFP semifinal game on Jan. 1, however its 2 legal partners– the Big Ten and Pac-12– wont be possibilities.
” We know that were going to be very patient as we move through the fall season in hoping that it is completed as planned with the 3 Power 5 conferences that are planning to play,” stated David Eads, the Tournament of Roses executive director. “That is really our focus and where all of our efforts are right now, in putting that video game together.”
Eads warned that its prematurely to hypothesize about a second Rose Bowl game that would aim to host its standard champs from the Big Ten and Pac-12 at a later date and said there havent been any discussions about it yet, but didnt rule it out.
” We have actually been a dual host in that past, during the BCS model, so its something we have done and something we have experience in,” he said, referencing when it hosted the Rose Bowl and the BCS National Championship in 2010 and 2014, “but at this point in time its really premature to even speculate on a Rose Bowl game in the spring.”
Could we see the Rose Bowl host a second video game in the spring? Sean M. Haffey/Getty ImagesIf the Rose Bowl were to host a 2nd game in the spring, the decision would need to be made by each taking part conference, in conjunction with the NCAA, according to a Rose Bowl spokesperson.
For that to take place, the Big Ten and Pac-12 schedules would need to be comparable, whichs not a guarantee. The Big Ten coaches and athletic directors wish to play as soon as possible, consisting of late November, however that may not be possible for the Pac-12. Whittingham said he believes “its not likely” his league winds up dipping into the same time.
” Its such a fluid circumstance, and things alter everyday practically,” he said. “Weve had a lot of different changes as far what we can do, what we cant do– in the weight spaces, the conference spaces– a continuous flux is what were in right now.”
In mid-July, the 2021 Rose Parade was canceled since of the pandemic, marking the very first time there will be no parade considering that World War II. Eads stated that hosting a football game is more logistically feasible than the parade.
” We have about a million people who line up to see our parade every year,” he said. The game is a little bit different. All of the strategies were putting forward for a semifinal game keep those teams and their coaches and personnels in that bubble.
Eads stated whether there can be fans in the stands will be a choice made at that time by the state of California, however he still believes they will be able to host the semifinal game.
” Whatever we do, we will follow the standards that remain in location for the state of California, through public health and through Los Angeles County as well as the city of Pasadena,” he said. “Well be compliant with all of the public security ordinances.”
Speaking of championship game …
The math does not build up.
There are 82 bowl berths and 76 teams completing– not enough to fill the 41 championship game. Theres no guarantee every team that completes this season will desire to– or be enabled by the pandemic to– play in a bowl video game. One option being considered to help fill the bowls is tossing the principle of bowl eligibility “out the window,” stated Nick Carparelli, executive director of the Football Bowl Association.
Carparelli said the idea is to “make this year more of a celebration of the sport and a reward for everyone just getting through these hard times.”
Nick Carparelli, executive director of the Football Bowl Association, stated that bowl video games this season might be “more of an event of the sport and a reward for everybody just getting through these hard times.” AP Photo/Gerald Herbert” Theres such intricacies to this year,” he stated, “particularly with the conference-only schedules, and an unequal quantity of games. Today the conferences that are playing in the fall really want that bowl experience at the end, and the bowl games desire to stage their video games. That seems to be a solution that were pressing today.”
The FBA is also thinking about beginning the bowl season prior to conference champion games. Normally, the bowl video games begin after conferences determine their winners, however the huge majority of groups wouldnt be playing in conference title games and would be available for an earlier bowl game.
” Making it an extension of the regular season and playing video games the following week appears to make a lot of sense,” he said. “Were all challenged to throw standard thinking out the window a bit.”
Carparelli stated a spring bowl season for the other FBS leagues is “really possible,” however also said its difficult to predict.
” I believe there are a great deal of obstacles to spring football,” he said. “I dont understand if theyre going to have the ability to pull that off or not, or whether it will be a genuine season, or just an abbreviated set of video games. Were following the lead of the College Football Playoff, and theyve stated just recently their intent to move on with standard time frames, so were going to try to follow that lead.”
Does this mean a Group of 5 team could lastly make the playoff?
The American Athletic Conference, Conference USA and Sun Belt are also progressing with fall football, but the AAC has actually positioned itself as the top Group of 5 contender in the playoff age. Without the Pac-12 and Big Ten contending, it would mathematically seem the AACs chances of placing a team in a semifinal for the very first time would increase, but it does not work that method.
One of the leagues top contenders– presently No. 20 Cincinnati and No. 21 UCF– would probably still need to go undefeated and win with design, while hoping the other leagues cannibalize themselves with their conference-heavy schedules. And naturally, every league will need to conquer interruptions from the virus to even more make complex uneven résumés.
Without the Pac-12 and Big Ten contending, could a group like Cincinnati lastly make the playoff? Marvin Gentry/USA TODAY Sports” Let the season begin and as we always do,” Hancock stated, “the committee will rank the teams based upon the play on the field.”
The AAC will still have a couple of nonconference video games that might impress the selection committee members– if its teams have the opportunity to play them. It starts on Monday with Navy hosting BYU, but the most significant may be South Florida against Notre Dame. UCF is also at Georgia Tech, Tulsa at Oklahoma State, and SMU plays TCU.
AAC commissioner Mike Aresco said the bigger photo is that “no one desired this pandemic.”
