@MarkKnudson41
The best way to look at the 2020 college football season? Watch these games in the same way you’d watch a typical NFL pre-season: You can be eager to see your team play, even if the outcomes don’t matter in the same as they would in a real regular season. You’re watching for the future as much as the present, right?
That’s the college game in the season of the virus.
This ceased to be a “real” college football season when they cancelled all the Power Five non-conference games, top flight players decided to opt out, some leagues scheduled more games that others, and every team was declared bowl-eligible before a game was played. Doesn’t mean these games can’t be useful for our local FBS programs as they look toward what we all hope will be a “normal” 2021.
Strike One: After a mass exodus, this was going to be a “down” season for the Air Force Falcons.
Hold the phone. If there was ever a year to expect the unexpected, 2020 is it, right? These Falcons might be down in numbers, but they certainly are not out.
Regardless of what the NCAA does in terms of granting an additional year of eligibility to football players due to the coronavirus disruption, cadets can’t get a typical “redshirt” season due to AFA rules. But they do have the option to take a “turnback” year, which allows any cadet to essentially suspend their time at the Academy and leave for a semester while retaining all remaining eligibility. When it appeared there would be no 2020 season – or perhaps they’d play next spring – it was reported that as many as 40 Falcon football players – roughly one-third of the roster – ran this route, depleting the roster for 2020 but bolstering it for 2021.
Looked like a smart move at the time.
Then the Mountain West decided to play football this fall, after all. Game on, with or without those 40 players. Now that smart move wasn’t looking so smart. According to published reports, the AFA defense would be missing at least seven key defensive players when they opened the abbreviated season against Navy on October 3rd. Add in the absence of talented quarterback Donald Hammond III for disciplinary reasons, and the depleted Falcons were looking like “W” on the schedules of most of their opponents.
As the man says, not so fast my friend. This is Air Force, after all.
As they readied themselves to face Navy in the first Commander & Chief’s Trophy game to open their season, Head Coach Troy Calhoun still had talented running backs Kade Remsberg and Timothy Jackson, plus a stout offensive line. The “next man up” under center was Sophomore QB Haaziq Daniels. Calhoun used his depth on the offensive line to turn senior George Silvanic into a defensive lineman, and Silvanic responded with a sack and a half against the Midshipmen. The depleted defense was even ready when cornerback Davide Eure got tossed for targeting on the second play of the game. Navy mustered just 90 yards rushing, and the Falcons had three sacks and forced a pair of turnovers.
Air Force 40, Navy 7. Yikes.
The offense was – and appears to be – typical Air Force, which is not good news for those remaining seven opponents who had already put that “W” next to AFA on their schedules.
Strike Two: No head coach got a worse deal from COVID-19 than new Colorado Buffaloes head coach Karl Dorrell. We’ve mentioned this before. Dorrell was forced to wait almost eight months between his introductory press conference and the day he could have his first actual practice session with his team.
And no coach needed a virus-delayed start to his practice schedule less than did, Dorrell, either.
An outbreak on the CU campus forced the City of Boulder shut things down for a couple of weeks, delaying the start of official practice at CU as the prepare for the seven-game Pac-12 slate that starts in November. Just another hurdle for the former Buffs assistant who fans hope can bring with him some of the success he had as the head coach at UCLA, where he led the Bruins to a bowl game in each of his five seasons and had a winning record in Pac 12 play.
Not much is expected in terms of wins and losses from these Buffaloes, who Las Vegas says won’t win two of their seven games. But the value of what can be accomplished in this abbreviated season is less about the scoreboard and more about finding a quarterback – Tyler Lytle or perhaps Sam Noyer may be the guy to start with, but incoming freshman Brendan Lewis looks like the future.
The 2020 season will be much like a spring practice would be for Dorrell’s team. Building depth and acclimating young players into the program will be key objectives. Many of his youngsters were “swimming” at their first practice according to the coach, which is to be expected. But he was enthused about what he saw from veteran linebacker Nate Landman, who is 100% after dealing with a bout of coronavirus, and defensive tackle Mustafa Johnson, who also figures to be a standout.
The Buffs have a total of 24 practices to get ready to play – who else – UCLA in their first game. Chip Kelly’s team looks to be improved and may have to be if the former Oregon coach wants to keep his gig in Westwood. They aren’t among the favorites to win the conference title, but the Bruins should probably win more games than they lose this season.
For Dorrell, his much delayed honeymoon season will allow time for growth and a glimpse of what CU football can be in the near future, provided there aren’t too many more disruptions.
Strike Three: New CSU coach Steve Addazio has one big thing going for him that Dorrell doesn’t in 2020 – he’s got a well-traveled, experienced quarterback available to hand the keys to his offense. During these uncomfortable times, that has to be a comforting thought, even if it’s only for this abbreviated season.
Patrick O’Brien, who transferred to Colorado State from Nebraska when the Huskers changed coaches/offensive schemes two years ago, gained valuable playing time and experience last season after stepping in early in the year for injured Collin Hill – who has since transferred to South Carolina. He completed 62% of his passes and ended up throwing for almost 3,000 yards with 13 touchdowns. Not bad. His decision making was spotty at times and he held on to the ball too long behind a struggling offensive line. It’s fair to expect big improvement in that area from a guy with an NFL arm and professional aspirations.
He will have weapons to throw to. CSU didn’t lose standout wide receiver Warren Jackson to last spring’s NFL Draft as several of us thought they might, but they did lose him anyway, when he opted out of his senior season due to COVID-19 and began preparing for this year’s draft instead. Dante Wright does return after being named a freshman All-American last season, and junior Trey McBride is back at tight end.
But how often O’Brien drops back to pass to either of them remains a mystery.
Last season when he was the head coach at Boston College, Addazio’s team threw the ball only 305 times the entire 13-game season. Only triple option team Georgia Tech threw fewer passes in the 14 team Atlantic Coast Conference. By contrast, Hill and O’Brien put it in the air 446 times between them in 2019 in 12 games. BC completed 161 passes good for 176 yards per game. CSU averaged more than 305 yards per game in the air.
Addazio is known for his “ground and pound” approach and his conservative game calling. How does that fit in with CSU’s offensive personnel?
This could definitely be a square peg round hole situation. Former Coach Mike Bobo recruited players that fit his pass oriented offensive system. Addazio is pretty much the exact opposite. So, what should CSU fans expect to see – Addazio adapting his system to the existing CSU personnel, or him trying to fit the Rams offensive skill guys into his old school approach? And how much will 2020 be about trying to get his returning players – all recruited to play under Bobo – to buy into his more conservative play calling? These transition seasons can go either direction, depending on the buy in from the players. CSU fans will be eager to see which way this tilts.