What I think, know and believe about the college football world, the Wisconsin situation, and Ohio State’s toughest opponent, all in the latest College Football Cavalcade.
Sorry if this column sucks, it’s not my fault …
It has no shot of winning Pennsylvania.
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
– Check out all the past Cavalcades
– Ohio State’s Toughest Opponent
– I Think, I Know, I Believe
– 5 Footballey Opinions
– Sure-Thing Picks of the Century
“You’ve got to stick to your principles.”
I went to the University of Wisconsin.
Having lived around colleges and in that world for most of my life, I’ll put the Madison campus, the atmosphere, and the entire scene up against any other college experience you could possibly name.
I was there during the Don Morton regime and his veer offense.
I was there at the very beginning of the Barry Alvarez era from the moment he came to campus.
I know all the stories first-hand, and I know everything about how this football program and athletic department were built up to be the model to emulate for any school trying to become consistently amazing on the field, in the classroom, and in the bank account.
I’m totally objective when it comes to analyzing Wisconsin among Big Ten programs and in the national landscape, but of course I want my guys to do well.
That’s my school.
So I say this having paid a whole lot of money while earning my stripes with that place, and knowing that this year’s team – if healthy – is probably a stone-cold lock to win the Big Ten West, play for the Big Ten Championship, and have the puck on its stick with a shot at the College Football Playoff.
Unless the Big Ten can figure out some way to get these two teams to play, Wisconsin should totally be tagged with a forfeit for not being able to field a team to play Nebraska.
I’m not going to blame any program that can’t go because of an outbreak of COVID-19 – everyone can do everything right and still have a problem. However, football-wise, there’s a harsh reality here.
Nebraska could’ve played last weekend and Wisconsin couldn’t, so why should the Huskers be punished?
I’ve been a Big Ten sympathizer from the start of the coronavirus issues, as the conference was trying to spin a hundred plates at once, but on this, the conference totally blew it with an eight game in eight week schedule without any fail-safes built in.
My idea all along was a two-strike rule. You budget one week into the schedule for make-up games – like at the very end right before the Big Ten Championship – and if a game needs to be rescheduled, fine. If you need a second game to be changed, then that’s a forfeit for the team that can’t make it.
Now, what happens if and when Wisconsin comes back and – for sake of the theoretical argument, and assuming there’s no way it can host Purdue this weekend – rolls through the rest of its schedule and goes 6-0?
Is that fair to Nebraska, who didn’t get a key home game that could’ve put it in the driver’s seat in the Big Ten West with a win?
Is that fair to, say, 2-0 Northwestern, who has to get through the grind of an eight-week schedule healthy?
Is that fair to all the other Big Ten teams that played last weekend?
How happy would Michigan be right now if it simply got a CANCELLED against Michigan State rather than the loss by playing the game?
What if, say, Maryland couldn’t go? No one would’ve given a second’s worth of thought that Minnesota was going to win that game after the Terps’ performance in a 43-3 clunker against Northwestern to start to season.
On the flip side, it’s totally not fair to the other teams in the West if Wisconsin really is that good and Nebraska missed the division’s powerhouse.
We’re all just trying to get through the day, this week, and life in general right now, and no one in college football has a good way to do anything but keep everything going.
But the Big Ten has to think of something quick when it comes to the Big Ten conference race, or this will be a mess.
So …
Because the Big Ten can’t have nice things …
Here’s my solution, and you’re not going to like it.
Wisconsin at Michigan, Penn State at Nebraska. Both games are on November 14th. You cancel them both, Wisconsin goes to Nebraska on that day, and the West is ultimately decided by who has the most wins in division play.
– Ohio State’s Toughest Opponent
– I Think, I Know, I Believe
– 5 Footballey Opinions
– Sure-Thing Picks of the Century
NEXT: Ohio State’s toughest opponent
Nothing gross about throwing a deadly pandemic into a football discussion or anything, but …
Please forgive how cheeky this line is considering the topic, but it really is true.
It’s Ohio State vs. COVID-19 for the Big Ten championship.
Would you be shocked if Clemson lost to Notre Dame this weekend? Would you be totally floored if Virginia Tech came up with something magical at home in the regular season finale against the Tigers?
Would you fall out of your chair if LSU all of a sudden rose up at home in two weeks and went off on Alabama? How about if Auburn pulled off the upset in Tuscaloosa, and/or the Georgia/Florida winner won the SEC Championship?
Now that the Penn State game is out of the way, in a short eight-game season, what’s left for the Buckeyes?
Rutgers? No. At Maryland? No. Indiana? Stop it. At Illinois or at Michigan State? Of course not, and nah.
The Michigan game closes things out – don’t just assume the Wolverines are losing again before this, by the way – but we all know how this movie ends.
Considering Wisconsin is such a mess, and there’s nothing else to worry about in the West – including Northwestern – Ohio State has the easiest remaining path of any true contender to get to the College Football Playoff.
Unless …
One of two things could ruin this sure-thing fun-run for the Buckeyes.
Justin Fields can’t get hurt. CJ Stroud was a great get from the latest recruiting class and will be terrific, and Gunnar Hoak is a veteran presence, but Ohio State doesn’t have a DJ Uiagalelei or Bryce Young ready to be next-level special right away if needed.
The rest of the team is good enough to have you at quarterback and be fine for the next several games, but this year, unless you have a future NFL starting quarterback, you’re not …
(COUGH … Georgia … COUGGGGGGGHHHH)
Sorry about that. You’re not getting through that four-team tournament with a trophy.
The other concern is the virus. It can be a simple case of bad luck that ruins this whole thing for the Buckeyes.
Would the CFP blow off a two-game shutdown if Ohio State had to deal with that? What happens in the East if it’s a three-game shutdown and Michigan has six wins and the Buckeyes have five?
It’s not like these teams aren’t trying to keep everyone as safe as possible, but a virus doesn’t care if you’re supposed to win the national title.
– Big Ten’s Wisconsin Problem
– I Think, I Know, I Believe
– 5 Footballey Opinions
– Sure-Thing Picks of the Century
NEXT: I Think, I Know, I Believe …
America’s newest family-friendly fun-time … Think, Know, Believe
I know Florida vs. Georgia will be for the SEC East, but the winner will get trucked by Alabama in the SEC Championship.
I believe BYU at Boise State might end up being the game with the biggest big bowl implications this weekend.
I think there’s never been more of a need for some hot MACtion than the six games on Wednesday night.
I know Ball State vs. Miami University will matter. Really.
I believe the MAC will be the weirdest, wildest, and most unpredictable conference race of 2020.
I think Michigan State beat Michigan
I know Michigan State lost to Rutgers
I believe Rutgers should be ranked ahead of Michigan State, who should be ranked ahead of Michigan (ranked 23rd in AP and 25th in Coaches)
I think the Arkansas State vs. Louisiana winner this weekend should be ranked ahead of Iowa State and Kansas State for the rest of the year, no matter what.
I know Cincinnati really isn’t the sixth-best team in college football, but okay.
I believe the first team to 1 in the Vanderbilt at Mississippi State game wins.
I think I believe everything will be okay.
I know I think everything will be okay.
I believe I know everything will be okay.
– Big Ten’s Wisconsin Problem
– Ohio State’s Toughest Opponent
– 5 Footballey Opinions
– Sure-Thing Picks of the Century
NEXT: The College Football Cavalcade footballey opinions on footballey stuff
Five College Football Cavalcade footballey opinions and, like, other stuff
I’m a tad bit distracted this week, so I’m trying something different for this part by doing it in podcast/audio form.
Enjoy responsibly.
5 items I had thoughts on this week, starting with No. 5 …
– Big Ten’s Wisconsin Problem
– Ohio State’s Toughest Opponent
– I Think, I Know, I Believe
– Sure-Thing Picks of the Century
NEXT: The sure-thing picks of the century for this week
This week’s reason I should be the next Commissioner of the Big Ten …
If I was the Commissioner of the Big Ten, no way, no how, no chance on my watch do I allow an 8-game in 8-week schedule to get off my desk without it being ripped up and thrown into a tasteful wastepaper basket.
The sure-thing, 100%, rock-solid lock, sell the house, sell the kids, no doubt about it picks of the century for this week
PICK SO FAR: 22-20 SU, 17-30 ATS
Over the two decades of doing this, sometimes I’m flaming hot and it doesn’t stop, or I’m brutally cold with no thaw in sight – until it does, and then we all have a good time.
If you’re who I think you are, you should know EXACTLY what to do here.
But as horrible as these picks have been so far in 2020 – picking two games last week that didn’t end up happening and colossally whiffing on everything else …
Fortunately, all these picks are correct.
– NC State +10 over Miami (but Miami straight up)
– Temple +17.5 over SMU (but SMU straight up)
– Virginia Tech -14.5 over Liberty
– Rutgers +38 over Ohio State (but Ohio State straight up)
– Kansas State +12.5 over Oklahoma State (but OSU straight up)
– Northwestern -3.5 over Nebraska
– Vanderbilt +18.5 over Mississippi State (but MSU straight up, HOWEVER, Vandy at +850 on the money line is out there)
Bet on any of all these games at BetMGM. Please.
C.O.W. shameless gimmick item …
The weekly five Overrated/Underrated aspects of the world
5. Overrated: Tua Tagovailoa’s 93-yard, one TD pass day in the win over the LA Rams
Underrated: Taulia Tagovailoa: 26-of-35, 394 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 59 rushing yards, 2 TDs in the 45-44 win over Minnesota
4. Overrated: Messing with something trivial, like a presidential election
Underrated: Messing with a college football game, because that’s just un-American …
(this is just so f-ing wrong)
Oklahoma State tried to get Texas to miss the field goal by putting up yellow lines on the video board pic.twitter.com/Ac7wSVg56J
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 31, 2020
3. Overrated: Liberty ranked 25th in the AP poll
Underrated: Unranked Virginia Tech -14.5 vs. Liberty
2. Overrated: A Power Five team that finishes with one loss
Underrated: A Pac-12 team that finishes unbeaten
1. Overrated: This …
Florida and Missouri break out in a fight at midfield as we’ve hit halftime. pic.twitter.com/gcv6YdCCLN
— Zach Goodall (@zach_goodall) November 1, 2020
Underrated: Batley Townswomen’s Guild Presents the Battle of Pearl Harbour
Sorry if this column sucked, it wasn’t my fault …
The column was going to lose anyway, so it didn’t really matter unless you’re a part of a certain crowd, but it came oh-so-close to being historically amazing.
#Rutgers Football just converted a nine lateral touchdown. pic.twitter.com/8zm1ujuTUI
— Rutgers Scarlet Knights | TheKnightReport.Net (@RutgersRivals) October 31, 2020
Stay safe, everyone. It’ll all be okay.
– Big Ten’s Wisconsin Problem
– Ohio State’s Toughest Opponent
– I Think, I Know, I Believe
– 5 Footballey Opinions
