(Photo by NBC)
Do you watch the 2021 National Championship Game? I sure did. Did you enjoy it? Is this what you wanted? This was the endgame for a season that was topsy-turvy.....and it ended with a thud. Alabama dominates Ohio State for Nick Saban's record-breaking seventh National Championship and concluding a campaign that many analysts stated "It was a season that we will never forget".
I would like to forget it, due to the fact that the NCAA did everything they could do finish a season full of cancelled games, players opting out and personnel affected by COVID-19. Personally, they botched it at every turn. And I know you are reading this and saying "But A.J., the NCAA did everything they could with what they had. Why don't you give them a break?" No, no I won't. This is the same NCAA who at the early stages of the pandemic shut down their spring cash cow, the NCAA tournament or March Madness, for precautionary reasons and having a sporting event without fans would be eerie. In February, everyone thought that. Yet the NCAA who did that precaution, pushed to get a college football campaign going at any costs. Even high-ranking politicians wanted to push the Big Ten conference to play.
While several conferences decided to shut down for the year, the Pac-12 was put in a dilemma of hot potato on whether to postpone the season and open at a later date. They chose the latter, and got bit in the butt for it. A rash of positive tests ran rampant through the Pac-12, which cost them games in a season that started in November. Arizona State played three games. Three. And had three games cancelled. They were allowed to have a conference championship game in which the winner, Oregon, went to a New Year's Eve bowl and lost to Iowa State. The Big Ten also started late and actually had two feel-good stories in Northwestern and Indiana. Ohio State was scrutinized by experts for being able to play the conference's championship games after administrators changed their mind about a rule that prevented them from entering the title game. Good on them.
Conferences such as the MAC and the Mountain West said no-no to a season this year, while North Dakota State of the Missouri Valley Football Conference also closed football competition. Here's the problem. North Dakota State has a first-round prospect on the squad in quarterback Trey Lance. They wanted to "showcase" his talent in an (ahem) one game showcase. Everyone scoffed at the idea, including ESPN analyst Ryan Clark. He went and called the idea "the stupidest thing I ever heard of". The Bison ended up nixing the plan.
Yep, that's a look of a man that heard something stupid.
I was skeptical about the Heisman Trophy being awarded in 2020. Especially when one of the candidates, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, missed time due to a positive test for COVID-19. No disrespect to the winner, Alabama wide receiver Devonta Smith earned the award. The issue is that in an abbreviated season, can you really award a trophy to the best college football in 2020 when several players can not participate in football activities. The same goes with the postseason. Could you actually rank who the top teams are if some have played a 12 game schedule as opposed to a team who played a six game slate? Also, shouldn't head coaches be exempt from losing their jobs since the season was abbreviated? Former coaches as Tom Herman (more on him at a later date) and Kevin Sumlin (read the blog about him on our website and the Wix app) could have a hopeful full season in 2021 to prove if they were the right man to lead their respective teams in the future.
Then, came the postseason and more specifically, the College Football Playoff. Many of the lower-tier bowls postponed their contests, as the higher-tier decided to play on. The Rose Bowl had to be moved to Arlington, Texas due to the lockdown restrictions in California. Many wanted the committee to expand the playoff to eight or more teams with the season being what is was. It didn't happen. Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson and Ohio State (yep, that Ohio State) were the participants for this year's "playoff". And NONE of the games were competitive. You could have added new blood into this "playoff" and at least, you would have seen some competition. But, nope. Remember the viral video of the Notre Dame fan who was terrified of the Irish facing Alabama? She saw that this wasn't going to be pretty. Of course, it wasn't. Clemson/Ohio State could been a classic like last year. It was so uninspiring that I fell asleep towards the middle of the game. Maybe Dabo Swinney shouldn't of given the Buckeyes bulletin board material. Then the championship game was hyped up with ESPN having the broadcast on many different platforms and camera angles. The game was a dud. Ever since Tua threw the walkoff touchdown to (what do you know) Devonta Smith in 2018, the National Championship game hasn't been close. This was a scenario where you receive a gold watch after a long tenure of service, but it turns out the gold was spray paint.
As much as been bitching in this blog about this asterisk of a 2020 season, it was something that the NCAA can learn from going into the 2021 campaign. Hopefully, they worked out the kinks and it will be smoother this time.
"It was a season that we will not forget". I'm already trying to forget it.
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