Saying “I dont understand” feels like a cop-out.
Sometimes this task requires you to act like you have all the responses. All the time. Immediately.
Therefore, for “Fridays First Call,” lets a minimum of take a look at some of the concerns that need to be raised and how the college football world may browse through them throughout the covid-19 pandemic.
However when it pertains to asking what the football causal sequence will be from Thursdays choice by the Big Ten to play specifically conference video games in 2020, Ill be the very first to state, “I dont have an idea!”
If you dont, even.
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Possibly those schools can comprise that lost income by playing versus Big 12 and SEC colleges in requirement of lost opponents if they do try to play nonconference games.
What will the rest of the conferences do?: The anticipation is that at least the pac-12 and the acc will fall in line and play only conference video games.
For example, Iowa State simply lost Iowa from its schedule. Maybe Bowling Green or somebody else of that ilk can fill that space for the Cyclones. Penn State dropped Kent State, another MAC school. Maybe a group such as Kent State becomes cannon fodder for Georgia if the Bulldogs lose Georgia Tech.
For independents, staying FBS conferences and FCS opponents, this is a big monetary and scheduling hit. U.S.A. Today reports MAC schools will lose $10.5 million in scheduling costs from losing Big Ten opponents alone. Bowling Green, as one example, is losing 2 Big Ten games.
When asked if the Big 12 prepared to announce quickly the likelihood of a conference-football-games-only strategy, commissioner Bob Bowlsby reacted to me one word: No.
— Randy Peterson (@RandyPete) July 9, 2020
SEC coaches satisfied today. Individual involved in the call tells @ 247Sports they had no concept Big Ten decision was coming and that message from SEC admin this early morning is SEC will wait as long as they can before making ANY decisions on football season.
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) July 9, 2020
Neither does the SEC.
The Big 12 does not seem to be going in that direction.
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But if the 10-team Big 12 tries to get to 10 total video games, they are going to need some aid from the non-Power 5 schools, and they d still only stroll away with nine conference games. What does that mean for their standing versus the other significant conferences when it comes to playoff perception?
It was wondered in that ESPN piece whether the conference might front-load the schedule with division games. But it stays uncertain how much– if at all– the conference play will go up.
Some have actually wondered whether it would be wise to get the season going as quickly as possible to lessen the loss of video games since of the anticipated mid-autumn “second wave” of coronavirus. Others have stated it would be better to wait until this current spike subsides. Under that first plan, it might be smart to bake in a couple of bye weeks, for private rescheduling functions if specific teams have mass break outs.
Or delay.
: Multiple reports state the Big Ten is going to make an effort at setting up a 10-game schedule. The 12-team Pac-12 might be able to squeeze in 10 games, too.
Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith told ESPN a great deal of those concerns would be responded to next week. He also said to anticipate no clearness about crowning a conference champ in between once in a while.
Those smaller sized schools would likely jump at the chance (and the check). However what about the travel, which seems a major issue for the bigger schools?
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Perhaps the ACC opts for a nine-game conference season however a 10-game full-season slate. With those three or four open dates, Notre Dame might help the likes of ACC schools such as Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Boston College and Miami meet their one nonconference game. Those 4 teams have actually lost Big Ten opponents since Thursday. Others will have similar concerns.
Thatll also chill out scheduling choices for the other schools to get to 10 games.
In 2020, Notre Dame is currently losing a Big Ten challenger (Wisconsin) and possibly 2 Pac-12 opponents (Stanford, USC). Possibly Arkansas depending on what the SEC chooses.
What will take place in the ACC? An entire lot of Notre Dame.
The 2 sides could assist each other out.
Ha! We all stated college football would disappear prior to Notre Dame signed up with a conference.
Another opportunity that may work is to go to a 10-game conference season. Notre Dames 6 existing challengers could count their outcome versus the Irish towards the ACC win-loss record for this year. And perhaps those other 4 groups get to use Notre Dame as one of their 10 conference video games also.
Or, possibly, Notre Dame can be absorbed into the ACC as a conference challenger for one seas …
The Fighting Irish have a full-time ACC affiliation for 11 mens sports however not football. Although they do have an agreement with the ACC through 2037. It states that the Irish will balance five ACC opponents per season. This year, its six. Pitt is among them. Clemson, Duke, Wake Forest, Louisville and Georgia Tech are the others.
Now then, house and away? How does the ACC Network money versus the Notre Dame NBC money get divided? Who knows?
Perhaps Notre Dame will simply work out a side handle the AFC South this year.
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Particularly when there are extremely few– if any– out-of-conference games to help evaluate the relative strength of the conferences.
What about conference champions and playoffs?: Up in the air. Thats where some structure has to come into play. Im simply spitballing, but how is (in theory) a 9-0 Big 12 school measured against a possibly 11-1 Notre Dame team or a 10-2 squad from the SEC?
And, if you are an excellent school out of the Power 5, forget it! You didnt have much of a possibility to start with. However the Central Floridas and Boise States of the world are totally out of the picture now. Those teams alone have 3 ACC opponents they may lose as an outcome of these modifications.
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Does any of this matter?: Probably not. Ill be stunned if they can play college football at all this year.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can call Tim at [email protected] or through Twitter. All tweets could be reposted. All e-mails go through publication unless specified otherwise.
Thats an answer I in fact feel as if I can offer. I just want I had a different one.
Pro sports will be hard enough to get off the ground. With all of these moving parts, thick coronavirus numbers and unsettled college kids acting as covid-19 guinea pigs, color me downhearted.
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Ha! We all stated college football would vanish before Notre Dame signed up with a conference.
For independents, staying FBS conferences and FCS challengers, this is a substantial monetary and scheduling hit. Perhaps the ACC goes with a nine-game conference season but a 10-game full-season slate. And maybe those other four teams get to use Notre Dame as one of their 10 conference video games.
Or, possibly, Notre Dame can be absorbed into the ACC as a conference challenger for one seas …
