Yes, you can officially put an asterisk on the 2020 college football season. We will never see another one like it. Thank goodness. From the uncertainty looming over much of the off season, to the waffling of leadership, to the ill-conceived participation rules, to the opt outs... there is nothing that screams "yeah, this counts just like any other". It was a nice diversion, decent entertainment value, but in the end made about as much sense as a screen door on a submarine.
Outside of the "same old, same old" CFP teams it was the year of anomalies. Some programs cashed in with experienced teams. Others were unable to pull young talent together. And with under-motivated players, across the board, checking out of games early and often. Some teams opted out of games with only a few positive cases, others played on.
Where did Purdue fit into this? Well, certainly not with experience on its side. Or coaching continuity on defense. A dangerous combination in an off season where new players are learning a new system from a new coach over a computer. Was that this team's only problem or even the primary one? Absolutely not. But who knows what anything would have looked like in 2020 under normal circumstances.
Time to file this season into the flaming 2020 dumpster and move on. I think we will see a lot of things return to "normal" in 2021, including in the Big Ten standings. Outside of OSU, talent will find its level in the East, and the West will be a dog fight well into November. Where Purdue will fit in 2021 no one knows, but the asterisk is coming off, so make it count.
Outside of the "same old, same old" CFP teams it was the year of anomalies. Some programs cashed in with experienced teams. Others were unable to pull young talent together. And with under-motivated players, across the board, checking out of games early and often. Some teams opted out of games with only a few positive cases, others played on.
Where did Purdue fit into this? Well, certainly not with experience on its side. Or coaching continuity on defense. A dangerous combination in an off season where new players are learning a new system from a new coach over a computer. Was that this team's only problem or even the primary one? Absolutely not. But who knows what anything would have looked like in 2020 under normal circumstances.
Time to file this season into the flaming 2020 dumpster and move on. I think we will see a lot of things return to "normal" in 2021, including in the Big Ten standings. Outside of OSU, talent will find its level in the East, and the West will be a dog fight well into November. Where Purdue will fit in 2021 no one knows, but the asterisk is coming off, so make it count.
