Week of 8/17

/

8/21:

  • Two quarterbacks will be sidelined this year due to COVID-19 and testing for the virus. Georgia State QB Mike Colasurdo, has been diagnosed with a heart condition as a result of getting the coronavirus. Though the specific condition has not been revealed, it could well be myocarditis - as it has been found in at least five Big Ten athletes, as well as other athletes in other conferences. The second quarterback sidelined, is TCU’s Max Duggan. Coach Patterson revealed that it’s a condition that Duggas has had all his life, but it’s only recently been discovered because of coronavirus testing.

  • Can’t help but be impressed with the scheduling success of some teams. In the FBS, both Liberty and Army have taken shattered schedules and rebuilt them, so that they can play ten games each. While two FCS teams, Western Kentucky and Central Arkansas have taken their non-conference scheduling seriously. The two schools will play 8 games - including a home-and-home series against each other.

  • The MEAC is the second FCS conference to come up with a plan to play in the spring - if all goes well. Their scheduling model will split the schools into two divisions for a six-game regular season that will not include any cross-divisional play. This will eliminate air travel and reduce travel expenses. The regular season would be from Feb. 27th to April 24th, with a championship game being played on May 1st.

8/20:

  • Dr. Jason Johnson, associate chief of pediatric cardiology (and director of the cardiac MRI) at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, TN says, “In my opinion, the concern of myocarditis, or possible myocarditis from COVID-19, is not a reason to cancel sports.”

  • South Carolina got some good news on the recruiting trail, as quarterback Gunner Stockton, out of Georgia, selected the Gamecocks over the home state Bulldogs. This might help the earlier blow South Carolina got when they lost highly-touted running back MarShawn Lloyd to an ACL tear.

  • It’s looking more and more like SEC schools will be playing in front of 20k-25k fans.

8/19:

  • Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren is probably not enjoying his first year at the helm very much. After receiving backlash from all groups that love college football, Warren elaborated on the decision to postpone the Big Ten season. Wasn’t very good that Ohio State AD Gene Smith came out at about the same time saying that he was confident that his school have the safety protocols and safeguards in place to have athletes return to competition immediately.

  • ESPN came out with a story about Alabama being favored in its last 67 games, and 139 of its last 140. When they were 1-point underdogs to Georgia in 2015, the Bulldogs had ended a string of 72 straight games that the Crimson Tide were favored. To put things in perspective, Florida State was favored for 54 consecutive games from 1997-2001 and Utah currently has the second-longest active streak at 15.

  • Something that I need to mention is the loss of former Houston head coach, Bill Yeoman, who passed away last week at the age of 92. He was the first Cougar inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and in 1964, he signed running back Warren McVea as the school’s first black player. The game I will never forget with Coach Yeoman on the sidelines was the 1979 Cotton Bowl between the Cougars and Notre Dame - with Joe Montana.

8/18:

  • When the Mountain West postponed their fall football schedule, the first thing I thought about was, “What about the Air Force-Army and Air Force-Navy games?” Well, I was just on Air Force’s football website, and both those games are still on their schedule! So at this time, the Commander-In-Chief’s trophy can still be presented this fall…

  • Last night the SEC released their full schedule after teasing us with one week of games earlier in the day. Rivalry games were not front-loaded as expected, which might mean that they are very serious about getting their season played this fall. I also got excited with the Big Ten’s schedule release, and look what happened with them…

  • Another read I enjoyed yesterday, was the SWAC releasing their Spring 2021 football schedule. Gives hope for another three or four months of college football in the spring!

8/17:

  • Returning from vacation (no internet), the saddest story I read that impacts me personally is the news that Maine Maritime, up in my wife’s hometown of Castine, is suspending its football program indefinitely. Unfortunately the Mariners had not tasted victory in more than two years.

  • In another concerning story, North Carolina announced that they are moving to all online classes this fall, as they have had a cluster of COVID on campus. At this time, it won’t affect their athletic programs, but this doesn’t make me confident regarding their football season

  • Continuing with discouraging news, MAC football programs have struggled both on and off the field (money) - are now facing significant financial issues that could lead to deep cuts to their sports teams. Will we see some teams falling back to the FCS level like Idaho did?

  • Ending today on a positive note, Bluefield State, a division II school in West Virginia, announced that they are bringing back football, as well as 11 other sports. Bluefield State hasn’t fielded a football team since 1980!