After two weeks of intermittent college football play, we find ourselves at the first in-season reflection point of 2020. Albeit without Our Beloved Ducks on the field, it’s a point that us fans are all seeing in different perspectives. Without Pac-12 football and the Ducks playing this Fall, what are your takeaways from the games you’ve seen thus far? Any premature predictions posited on preliminary play? Or, prescient prognostication of pigskin probability?
Here are some of my takeaways after two weeks of college football games and news:
1. Army’s play has been a surprise: With two big wins to start the season, will the Black Knights of the Hudson shake off the 2019 Napoleon-like invasion of Russia and make the Final Four? Unfortunately, due to COVID concerns, after sinking Navy, BYU is not in shape to play Army.
2. Bob Bowlsby? Let’s call the whole thing off? Holy Sunbelt! Bowlsby has rumored the cancellation of games pending COVID tests and the lacking health precautions being taken.
The Usual Longhorn and Sooners suspects kicked inferior booty (maybe Bobby Petrino’s cycle needs a side-car?) off radar. These two played on the only network that makes Larry look good, the LHN (Longhorn Network), and PPV(Pay-Per-View) for the 13 or so fans who bought in. But, here are some scores to consider from around the Sunbelt and Big-12 conferences:
Louisiana 31 – Iowa State 14
Arkansas State 35 – Kansas State 31
Coastal Carolina 38 – Kansas 23
And Houston Baptist came that close to dunking Texas Tech.
Texas Tech runningback Sarodorick Thompson celebrates his second TD in week 2.
3. Jayhawk Football: Didn’t you used to be Les Miles? Back-to-back Coasting against Carolina? Jayhawk players don’t look to have “bought-in” to coach Miles’ system in 2020, and their struggles from game one look far from resolved.
4. Trevor Lawrence: But for an NFL ‘restraining order’ why son, are you not playing on Sunday? After the golf course whipped me again and I watched some tapes of the,”You Do Get Paid To Play League,” I observed at least four teams you should be starting for. As for the Tigers, seven starters missing and they still rolled.
5. With the manner in which the Sun Belt in particular showed up on game day, should college football have a 16 team playoff; a playoff like that the NCAA puts on for all other sports? 10 conference champs and six at large? Or, would it be too large?
6. Final Four: who would be in? Clemson (of course), Oklahoma/Texas and two of either: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, or LSU. Given the circumstances of COVID and the low stadium attendances, it’s curious to think about what a playoff matchup would even look like in 2020.
7. Finally, all the best to Penei Sewell, Deommodore Lenoir and Thomas Graham. Thanks for giving your all to the Ducks and Ducks fans. Although we all wanted to see them play this season, you have to (at least) respect their decisions to move on to the NFL. (THIS is not pondering; it’s a fact, Jack! ..and Charles.)
Those are my takeaways thus far. In your own viewing, which games have caught your eye in the past two weeks? What key differences do you predict will come along the way? Although these games may not be what we as Ducks fans expected of 2020, the fact of the matter for me is: football is back, and I’m fired up.
But y’all stay out of the fire’s way.
Jon Joseph
Aiken, South Carolina
Top Photo: Via Twitter
Chris Brouilette, the FishDuck.com Volunteer editor for this article, is a current student at the University of Oregon from Sterling, Illinois.
Jon Joseph grew up in Boston, Massachusetts but has been blessed to have lived long enough in the west to have exorcised all east coast bias. He played football in college and has passionately followed the game for seven decades. A retired corporate attorney Jon has lectured across the country and published numerous articles on banking and gaming law. Now a resident of Aiken South Carolina, Jon follows college football across the nation with a focus on the Conference of Champions and the Ducks.