3. December 2020
- David M. Hale
Shut up.
ESPN personnel
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- Journalist for the CCA.
- Member of ESPN since 2012.
- A graduate of the University of Delaware.
- Harry Liles, Jr.
It’s only been 11 months since Clemson led the LSU 42-25 in the National University Football Championship, ending what was perhaps the best season in the history of the sport. And it looks old.
On Saturday the LSU will cross the finish line of 2020 with an overtaking race against Alabama, which is a perfect reflection of everything that hasn’t worked so well for the Tigers over the last 11 months.
This week coach Ed Orgeron mourned the loss of the star player, who had last refused to participate in the program because a large Terrace Marshall reception ended his stay in the program. Orgeron spoke brilliantly about his former footballers, the stars of 2019, who are now making spectacular NFL debuts. He did his best to bring back the optimism in the lost season by promising that one day Tigres would be champion again with a 3-4 scoreline.
But when Orgeron was asked if his team was better prepared for the match in Alabama today than it was three weeks ago, when the match was originally scheduled, he eloquently answered the question of how much 2020 has delivered the defense champions.
Yes, says Orgeron, because now we have enough players to play the game.
Fault! The file name is not specified. After winning the GVB championship last season, 2020 was a much tougher year for Ed Orgeron and 3-4 LSU. AP Photo/Mark Humphrey
The USL is one of the clearest examples of the catastrophe of 2020.
But Orgeron’s suffering is nothing compared to what happened in Penn State. Last week the Nittani Lions won their first game of the season, but that’s not enough to forget their inability to see their unprecedented 5-0 start to the season. Penn State is going to Rutgers this weekend, and other potential temptations are waiting around every corner.
The team that beat Penn State last weekend could be in worse shape. Michigan have just canceled their game against Maryland this weekend, with COVID-19’s invasion of the Wolverines’ locker room being the final problem for defeated coach Jim Harbau.
It’s not hard to find programs that ended at a high level in 2019 – Louisville, Baylor, Utah, Tennessee – who may now be wondering if it’s worth playing all those problems this season. And it’s not even Nebraska. No team has ever argued so strongly for the right to a 4-1 draw or so loudly.
2 Related
Orgeron, for example, refused to blame KOVID-19 for the failures, but it is fair to ask that it would have been much more interesting than anything that happened on the field in 2020 … Well, much less interesting.
Nobody wants to go through a season like this, but I think we are shaping the character and atmosphere that will help us in the future, said Orgeron. You should always represent the LSU with pride, and that standard is very high. We’ve never seen this before. I won’t apologize for COVID. We just need to get the job done. We have some good young players. They’re just not here yet.
What should I see?
Can Virginia Tech work with Clemson? For most years, Clemson’s trip to Virginia Tech on Saturday will be circled on the calendar as a huge traffic sill for the Tigers and a possible victory under the Hokies tent. A month ago, when Hawkeye was in the top 20, this could have been a story. But Virginia Tech has now lost four out of five times, Justin Fuente is at the bottom and the team accepts the Tigers as losers by 22 points. According to ESPN Stats & Information, it is the most visited team at Lane Stadium since 1988. Looks like we can bet on the status quo. But don’t be surprised if the Hawks aren’t ready to return.
The Carolina Coast is to the BUU: This game is a surprise, because originally the coastal town of Carolina had to face freedom, which had to be cancelled for fire due to problems with the coronavirus. But the Chanticleers have found a game for the Cougars, who are looking for a better position in the playoffs. According to the FPI, the BYU dropped from 98th to 52nd place after Coastal Carolina’s recording. It will also be the first game where two teams with a 9-0 or better result will meet in the regular season (excluding conference championship games) since 2006, when Ohio State defended the No. 1 (11-0). Number 2 Michigan (11-0) 42-39.
Aggies do a test on the road: Texas A&M needs a victory to stay in the playoffs, but the work may not be as easy as the records show. Auburn has won 12 of the last 13 home games, and the Jordan Hare Bo Knicks have won a completely different QB (63% of the games played, 7.3 yards in dropback, 22 TD and three spins) than on the road (55%, 5.22, 15, 13). Auburn’s involvement would certainly make the life of the selection committee easier.
Will Jareth Patterson Buffalo stay up? Patterson was emphasized in the last two Bulls games. The 17th. In November, he raced Bowling Green to set a school record of 301 yards and four touchdowns. And against Kent State, he made a 409-yard, eight touchdown last week. He would probably have had a record of nine touchdowns on FBS if head coach Lance Layfield had known where he was and hadn’t taken him out of the game. Whatever happens, Patterson will follow this week as Buffalo go to Ohio to play for the Redcats.
Fault! The file name is not specified. – set
1:58
Jareth Patterson scored 8 touchdowns and 409 yards in Buffalo and won 70:41 against Kent State.
Is Jeremy Pruitt in trouble? Given that Pruitt has worked well for the team and that Tennessee had to play for the last time the music of Benny Hills, who was constantly in the background, it would be a bit awkward for the Wolves to change coaching staff. But after a good finish last season, Pruitt’s team lost five laps in a row and the attack didn’t finish until six of the last 53 laps. Life wouldn’t be any easier if Florida and Texas left A&M, but Pruitt was able to dispel many doubts if his team played well against the Alligators on Saturday.
Gift game of the week
Lyles: Texas versus the state of Kansas.
My interest in this game is more in the consequences if Texas loses. Last week the Longhorns lost the state of Iowa, and Tom Herman’s progress was (rightly) a big topic of conversation. The level will be higher if it drops by 4 to 5 people in the state of Kansas, which loses to the state of Arkansas.
Hale: Bowling Green versus Acron
It’s the pillow fight of the year, and we can’t be more excited. Imagine the movie so bad that you can’t help watching it – like Cats, or Googly, or Titanic (right, I told you). Of the 127 teams playing this year, ESPN REIT ranks 125th in Akron and 126th in Bowling Green. (UMass, the 127th, must automatically play the loser of the bowling game).
In the past three years, two teams have played against FBS rivals 7-46 and two of them have won against each other. At the same time, their loss averaged 28 points. So if you put them on the same field in a year when something can go wrong, it’s a perfect farewell to 2020, when the remake of Godfather III comes out and Mr. Shyamalan is hired at night to write an enthusiasm for the film. None of this was good for the beginning, it was worse, and yet, who says no?
Reader to view
Lyles: Indiana-QB Jack Tuttle
The Hoosiers were one of the most pleasant surprises of the season, but their story took a bad turn last Saturday when QB Michael Penix Jr. brought down the ACL against Maryland. Pennyx is gone for the season, and the Hussiers season is now with Tuttle. The sophomore redhead finished 5 out of 5, ran 31 meters in a limited time against mounds and will be tested against Wisconsin this weekend.
Hale: Clemson RB Travis Etienne
Choose the winner of 10 school soccer games per week. Play directly or with confidence. Make your choice
It was a strange year for Etienne who, against all odds, returned to the old season and found no place to save himself, which he had done last year.
Post-contact sites are not far from his career average, but Etienne sees only about half of the average pre-contact sites he is used to. He more than compensated for the production constraints during the rapid attack by becoming one of Clemson’s most reliable setters, a performance that, according to Dabo Piggy, only improved Etienne’s traction stock. But the fact remains: If the Tigers want to win another national championship, they need more product on the field. It starts of course with the jogging block, which has been improved according to offensive coordinator Tony Elliott, but can go as far as Etienne, who just does more with less. It starts against the Virginia Tech defense, which has missed almost 1,000 yards and 11 TDs in the last five games.
Weekly offence
Lyles: Rutgers in the state of Pennsylvania
You probably think Penn State 1-5 has a worse record. That wouldn’t be alarming. To what I would say: (A) Vegas says Penn must win with comfort, and (B) Penn is still Penn and Rutgers is still Rutgers. Penn State’s victory over Michigan last weekend doesn’t mean as much as normal. In addition, Rutgers has remained competitive in the power game he has played this season. I chose the Scarlet Knights because I don’t know when I can choose Rutgers wisely to make someone angry again.
Hale: West Virginia via Iowa.
Hurricanes break out after an emotional victory over Texas. Your road to the Big 12 title game seems pretty clear. Iowa has won four TDs or less in the past, which is generally not sustainable. And West Virginia’s defense is legally sound. All this contributes to the real trap scenario in which West Virginia is dragged into disarray.
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