A Jersey Guy: Pac-12 Shouldn't Expect Too Much
The plan seemed optimistic to say the least.
Play six games in six weeks, crown a champion the following week and then wait for an invitation to the CFB Final Four Party.
Good luck with that Pac-12.
Already there are glitches in the system. California's season-opener against Washington on Saturday night is already in jeopardy because, according to Cal coach Justin Wilcox, "a significant' number of players need contact tracing.
Welcome to the COVID-19 world of college football.
The Pac-12, for an assortment of reasons, is the last Power 5 conference to begin its season.
At best, Pac-12 teams will play a maximum of 7 games—and that's without any COVID-19 issues cropping up.
Yet, there is some chatter from the Pac-12 world that should a conference team—most likely USC or Oregon right now—come through unbeaten, they should be given consideration for a CFB Final Four berth in the Rose Bowl or Sugar Bowl.
Sorry.
Not this year.
First of all, the context of any unbeaten Pac-12 season is against opponents without Top 25 credentials.
And then, there is this.
How does a team which plays three or four fewer games than teams from the ACC, Big 12 or SEC merit consideration?
The Big Ten is facing similar issues. Wisconsin, which looked like a major contender along with Ohio State, is in a hold pattern in even playing games. One more postponement and the Badgers will be in a six-game season mode.
Having said that, there is no reason why the Pac-12 can't play as many games as possible, crown a champion and then place its champion in a New Year's Six Bowl slot—almost certainly the Fiesta Bowl.
They will then be paired against an at-large team or the highest ranked Group of 5 member—possibly an unbeaten BYU or an unbeaten Cincinnati.
There is nothing wrong with that.
Be grateful that the Pac-12 season could even start.
Take joy in watching football players who went through the blood, sweat and tears of summer training camp, halted constantly even starting a season.
Take what you are given and make the most of it.
No matter what anyone says, this is an asterisk season of college football.
The Pac-12 is doing what it can to get in the spotlight dance segment—going so far as making a pair of its teams (Arizona State at USC) kick off at 9 a.m. local time so it could fit into a Fox-Sports national television time slot (noon, Eastern).
In the grand scheme of things, the Pac 12 is not a major player in the script of the 2020 college football season.
Truth be told, with COVID-19 cases spiking, the entire season across the country (with the possible exception of the SEC, where things are just different) might be suspended in the next few weeks.
No one really knows.
California QB Chase Garbers who has waited almost two full months for an opening to his season had perhaps the best attitude.
"We practiced today,'' said Garbers earlier this week. "The team morale right when we came to practice was high. The game plan's still intact. If we can play on Saturday, we'll be ready, and we're looking forward to it.''