A Grip on Sports: When the upcoming college football season is finished, there is no way a true national champion can be determined
A GRIP ON SPORTS • When it comes to college football these days, what is normal? We’ll probably have to redefine that word this year, won’t we?
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• Let’s engage in a bit of “what if” as it pertains to the upcoming college football season.
What if the Pac-12 announces it feels its health parameters have been met and it can begin playing games in early November? What if the Big Ten, boosted by a new agreement with a testing company, follows suit?
And my favorite, what if Ohio State and Oregon are undefeated in late December, dominating their competition and looking as powerful as Alabama and Clemson? Would there be any legitimacy to a college football playoff format? No, there wouldn’t be. But that hasn’t stopped the powers that be in the sport before, so why should it slow them down an iota as weird old 2020 bleeds into 2021?
It won’t.
We play this game today because the games for 60 percent of the FBS continue its slow rollout this weekend and the next. The SEC, ACC and Big 12, along with three conferences from the Group of 5, will try to play out the season as if it were a normal one, at least as it relates to the postseason.
The playoff committee has made it clear it is moving forward. It will pick four participants for the semifinals, scheduled for the Rose Bowl – how ironic is that? – and the Sugar Bowl.
Damn the virus’ torpedoes, we are full speed ahead. Who cares if some games get swamped and sink to the bottom? As long as there are enough games to determine Alabama has won the SEC again and Clemson is the ACC’s best, we’re good. Oklahoma can play often enough to be fodder for one of those schools in a semifinal and some other SEC team will assert itself to beat up on Clemson in the other, so we’re good.
But a lot that has to go right for schools to play anywhere from eight-to-10 games by mid-December. And the start hasn’t been comforting they will.
Oklahoma State was scheduled to begin its season this Saturday by hosting Tulsa. That game was postponed a week after the Golden Hurricanes had their prep time interrupted by virus issues. It’s not the only game moved around. Baylor vs. Louisiana Tech, North Carolina State vs. Virginia Tech, East Carolina vs. Marshall and TCU vs. SMU have also been sidelined. Whether those games will ever be played seems to be up in the air.
And we haven’t even begun to enter what’s expected to be a fall with rising COVID-19 numbers around the nation.
Maybe the Big Ten and Pac-12 won’t start in the fall. Maybe they will. If they do, they will be behind the other Power 5 conference, though it may not be by as many games as we expected when September started. Would the CFP be willing to push its games back to accommodate those two conference’s champions?
If it doesn’t, is the playoff legitimate? If it does, how many games pass before Oregon and Ohio State each stumble and lose to an unranked opponent and fall out of contention?
In a season that could end up being filled with “what ifs,” that’s one I’m sure would happen.
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WSU: Kamie Etheridge has apologized for the other night, when a gathering at her house was cited for violating Pullman’s social distancing guidelines. Theo Lawson has the story. In unrelated news, there will be a get-together tonight in my driveway. I will not be hosting. Happens all the time. … The Bob Robertson tributes continue. … Around the Pac-12 and college sports, a recent study shows football and basketball, whose athletes are mainly Black, help pay for all other sports, whose athletes are mainly white. That doesn’t seem groundbreaking. … Not everyone wants to talk about their schools’ coronavirus testing. I appreciate the Get Smart reference in this headline. … I’m not sure how this will work, but Colorado has entered into an agreement with a sports betting firm. … Oregon State’s Jermar Jefferson is all in this year. … Arizona hasn’t turned out a lot of NFL players recently. … USC’s football team has been cleared to begin workouts again. … In basketball news, what was Lute Olson’s best coaching performance? … Utah is banking on playing nonconference games this season. … Finally, that loud noise you heard this morning? It was Joe Lunardi’s head exploding.
Gonzaga: We passed along the news recently that former GU player Keani Albanez has been hired as an assistant coach with the Santa Barbara City College men’s basketball team. Jim Meehan, of course, delves deeper into it, talking with Albanez and others about her new job.
Preps: Former Shadle Park High runner Nick Hauger is waiting confirmation his recent 10-mile run time of 48 minutes, 55 seconds is a world record. Ryan Collingwood talked with Hauger, who attended the University of Portland, and has this story.
Chiefs: The latest Press Box podcast features Larry Weir talking with Mike Boyle about the Chiefs and Boyle’s former partner on Indians’ broadcasts, Bob Robertson.
Mariners: The bullpen has been better. But needed due to an injury last night, it folded as San Francisco rallied for a 6-5 win. … This exercise, projecting the M’s opening day lineup in 2022, is fun. … Gene Budig, the last president of the American League, died Tuesday. He was 81. … Dee Strange-Gordon is the M’s Roberto Clemente Award nominee.
Seahawks: The Hawks open the season Sunday in Atlanta. … Is Quinton Dunbar still in trouble over his alleged role in the Florida armed robbery? A new report says he is. … The pass rush may not have star quality, but it could have quality. … Seattle shuffled its roster, as a couple of wide receivers change roles.
Sounders: The Timbers lost their best player in the game at Seattle. Sebastian Blanco has a torn ACL and is out for the season.
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• If everyone makes the NCAA basketball tournament in 2021, does that mean no coaches can be fired? “But we made the tournament” always seems to be the refrain from coaches on the hot seat. Until later …