Less conferences. Less equipment. Less games No – Pac12AfterDark. (Or Pac12BeforeDark, for that matter). Parties canceled. Games canceled.
After a low season like no other, the Bowl Subdivision struggled in the normal season with unexpected combined results. However, in an unexpected twist, the game received a lukewarm response: the ratings number has declined compared to last season, in some cases dramatically, contradicting the theory that a return to school football would be a boon to ratings.
Among those at stake:
The 3 problems (variety, interest and strength of the stars) will be addressed with the arrival this weekend of the SEC, which promises the overall quality of the game in the FBS and revives the national interest in the normal season while refocusing attention on school football playoffs. .
In other words, it will be more like a business as usual. Here’s where things are now that the SEC enters the 2020 season:
SEC is the center of attention
The SEC has as many groups in this week’s most sensible six-coach survey, three, as the big 12 in the Top 25 as a whole. This is a smart way to measure the effect of the convention on figuring out how the convention will continue. regular season and playoffs.
In the midst of a slow start, the big 12 will get in the background, the No. Oklahoma’s 3 remains a contender to succeed in the national semifinals again. The CCA adds Number 7 Notre Dame to Clemson, the highest-ranked, so far still doesn’t fit the overall intensity of the SEC: two playoff contenders are one more than usual for the CCA.
This adds to a family situation in which Clemson leads the way for the CCA, the big 12 place their hopes in Oklahoma, and the SEC absorbs all the oxygen from the room (that would be repositioned when, or if, several Power Five meetings are held again). October. )
With at least one team ranked in all seven league games in Week 4, the SEC also promises to bring everything missing at the start of the season: most importantly.
BOWL PROJECTIONS: Ohio state college football playoff with a big comeback of the ten
RE-CLASSIFICATION: Central Florida tops the latest NCAA ranking 1-90
Lawrence leads the Heisman
Heisman will pass through Clemson Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has four touchdowns versus seven full in two games with an average of 14 yards consistent with the pass attempt. The start of the SEC will replace Lawrence’s advantage.
In fact, for a convention that is expected to dominate the normal season, the SEC has few primary contenders for heisman. One may be Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, who played well as a replacement for the injured Tua Tagovailoa last season. offensive part Najee Harris, is an All-America pre-season selection.
The SEC has a third challenger in Florida Quarterback Kyle Trask, one of the league’s stars in 2019. Other players can get off the radar of groups lately in the Top 25, such as Texas Quarterback A
Lawrence’s existing credit for the Heisman is representative of a broader question: The SEC is not lacking in firepower, does the convention have a team capable of beating Clemson? Although not opposed to the most productive festival: Wake Forest and The Citadel, Clemson’s start line. did not reveal any defects after two weeks.
Impact of delay on quality
Few groups have been immune to the type of forgetfulness resulting from a chaotic off-season. Always a problem, even in optimal circumstances, time and team spirit have resented due to the inability to regain the performance of a general spring and summer.
Even the ability to start several weeks after the CCA and Big 12 won’t help the SEC to the same pitfalls. This is a potential fear for Tennessee’s No. 21, which is a favorite in South Carolina but has had significant disruptions this month when comparing some publications, such as the wide receiver, while treating COVID-19 instances and resulting quarantine periods.
Surprises and disappointments
With victories over Alabama-Birmingham and Louisville, No. 14 Miami, Florida has an explanation as to why they are the third ACC-ranked team ahead of No. 12 North Carolina.
Few were as dominant as the Army, which beat the state of Middle Tennessee and Louisiana-Monroe with a combined score of 79-7.
The No. 25 Louisiana-Lafayette broke into the coaches’ ballot for the first time in the show’s history after beating the state of Iowa 31-14 to open the season. In the wake of this monumental victory, the Ragin ‘Cajuns almost defeated the state of Georgia. before winning in overtime.
Overall, the inability of the Big 12 to take advantage of the SEC’s absence represents a missed opportunity. view of Texas’ rebuilt offense in a simple win over Texas-El Paso. Oklahoma state’s struggles against Tulsa helped.
Group of Five Status
Between No. 15 in Central Florida, No. 16 in Cincinnati, no. 20 in Memphis and 2-0 SMU, the American will struggle to withdraw from the most sensible of the Group of Five conferences.
While Mountain West is still looking for tactics to play this season, the biggest risk to Americans will come from the Sun Belt. However, the Sun Belt stumbled in Week 3, while convention favorite Appalachian State fell Saturday to Marshall in a season-forward-influenced loss to the league’s overall reputation.
Marshall leads the way in the U. S. Conference, which in a different way has fought out of the conference. The league has an 8-9 record in those intersectional games, with all two wins opposed to the Championship Subdivision.
Next step: the big ten (and more)
The Big Ten plans to begin on October 24 with nine games crowded in just under two months, leading to fears that one or two postponements due to COVID-19 could create a domino effect throughout the league’s normal season schedule.
If that’s the case, it would have a massive effect on the Big Ten’s hopes of putting a team – Ohio State, specific – in the playoffs. Behind the curve while other Power Five groups play up to 11 games, the Big Ten champion has little margin for error in presenting a case to the variety committee.
The overthrow of the Big Ten after being out of season puts into action 4 of the Power Five leagues. It may be the total organization until the end of October, as the Pac-12 continues to evaluate its features to sign up for the 2020 season and could possibly begin as soon as Halloween.