With 2020 coming to an end very soon, I wanted to take a look back at the crazy roller coaster we’ve all been on this year. As you all know, 2020 has been one wild year, especially for sports. From the COVID-19 pandemic to losing multiple legends to a plethora of injuries, 2020 has been a year we will all remember. The CFB season had a fair share of adversity and disappointment this year, including multiple games canceled and full seasons threatened. However, even though 2020 has thrown us plenty of curveballs, we still have a lot to be thankful for.
When the pandemic started back in March, I began to worry if there was going to be a CFB season. With all the cancellations that happened within the NBA, MLB, MLS, and NHL, I was thinking, would college football be next? The thought of not having college football this year made me sad. However, as the season drew closer, there was some life in the college football world. Schedules started forming and teams were starting to hit the gridiron. With college football returning to the gridiron this season, my heart was full once again.
To ensure a successful college football season, safety and health were on everyone’s mind. With all players and team personnel having to get COVID- tested multiple times throughout the week and having to stay away from family, it definitely put a damper on things. However, it was a sacrifice that needed to be made to play the game of football; a game that every single player and coach out on that field love.
Even though I am not an athlete, I can see the overwhelming amount of commitment and dedication every single athlete put into this troublesome season. Every single person out on that gridiron had to make some tough sacrifices to play the game that they love. These players gave up a lot to play this season and it was a season we will all remember.
As the season was drawing near, some breaking news came out of the college football world in August. BIG TEN AND PAC-12 FOOTBALL SEASONS WERE CANCELED. When I got that alert on my phone, my heart sank. For those of you who don’t know me, I am a huge USC fan. Hearing that I won’t get to watch my team compete this season, made me so sad. One thing that I look forward to every year is the CFB season, but specifically USC football. It’s like Christmas in September for me. There’s just something about watching the Trojans running out of the tunnel and seeing the beautiful Coliseum that captured my heart from a young age.
With hearing the unfortunate news that Big Ten and Pac-12 football were not being played this season, other conferences were getting ready to hit the gridiron. Even though my team was not playing this season, I was still excited that college football was back.
With the ACC, Big 12, SEC, and other conferences returning to the gridiron this year, a new era of college football was coming. Each conference did start on different dates due to health guidelines, however, college football was back in 2020, and that sure put the biggest smile on my face. With each conference announcing their 2020 schedule, some modifications had to take place to ensure a safe season. No more in-person attendance (or very limited attendance for some states) and more in-conference play. With modifications in place for the 2020 season, the CFB season was ready to kickoff.
With some conferences in play mid to late September, some great news shocked the college football community. The Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences were hitting the gridiron in 2020. You could just imagine the excitement that was rushing throughout my body when I heard the news. With more precautions taken and studying how other conferences were playing safely, the Big Ten and Pac-12 decided to make a return to the gridiron this season. The Big Ten hit the gridiron the weekend of October 23 while the Pac-12 returned to play the weekend of November 6th. With shorter seasons for the Big Ten and the Pac-12, there was no room for mistakes.
With all the Power Five Conferences returning to the gridiron, my heart was full once again. Even though this season was a lot different than we all anticipated just seeing CFB being played was a miracle in itself. With college football up and running, cancellations and postponements started taking place. Of course, we all saw this coming. With playing in a global pandemic, cancellations and postponements were a given. However, one team that got hit hard was the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Canceling multiple games and having head coach Ryan Day contracting the virus, Ohio State sure faced a lot of adversity this season. The Buckeyes of course we’re not the only team to face adversity, every single team did. Each team got their fair share of adversity this season, but in true college football fashion, they all got through it one week at a time.
This CFB season was one crazy roller coaster. We all got to experience a season that we probably never thought we would in our lifetime. I want to give notice of how incredible each student-athlete and each member of the team personnel is. They sacrificed a lot to play football this year. Every single player and coach on that gridiron this year deserves to be recognized for the efforts to make college football possible. It was a blessing to watch football this year and I can’t wait for the 2021 season!!
ONE LAST THING. Congratulations to the four teams that are playoff bound. Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and Notre Dame are in the 2020-2021 playoffs. I couldn’t be more excited to watch college football’s four top teams battle it out. The Alabama Crimson Tide and Notre Dame Fighting Irish are set to play in the Rose Bowl this year while the Clemson Tigers and Ohio State Buckeyes battle it out at the Sugar Bowl. Good luck to all four teams.
Don’t forget to tune into the National Championship game on January 11th! My guess is that we will see an Alabama and Clemson rematch once again.
I hope you all have a very Happy New Year, and may you all stay safe out there. Cheers to 2021!!
