Wisconsin is canceling its game with Nebraska due to a COVID outbreak involving players and their coach, and more may be coming. The news report stated:
Quarterback Graham Mertz had tested positive twice – which would require him to sit out at least 21 days under Big Ten protocols – and that backup quarterback Chase Wolf had tested positive at least once.
I would imagine that may effect Wisconsin’s number 9 ranking in the polls. I also suspect that there will be more teams having similar challenges as this crazy season progresses. Thoughts?
And then there is Clemson, BYU and many other colleges managing this very well. And this is involving two teams that weren’t even going to play because they thought they were being so safe.
With due concern for the UW players (one of my adult daughters had the virus and although not life threatening, was like having a really bad flu for 2 1/2 weeks instead of the few days one would normally have a “normal” flu, so I know that it can be painful for even young people), these cancellations will continue and will hopefully create an opportunity for BYU to fill a game for a quality program in early December. ie BYU is available on date X. Teams Y and Z are scheduled to play that day but team Y cancels due to COVID. BYU offers to play team Z, and team Z accepts.
I feel bad for Wisconsin or any other team that gets hit by the outbreak. Nobody is immune and it could be BYU next with a bigger outbreak than before. We just have to keep playing and living life smart, trying to avoid outbreaks of Covid. Everyone is in this together and I pray for the best results for all
100 million died from the hands of two people who were authoritarian dictators pushing for a socialist utopia. We may have bigger fish to fry in the near future more deadly. They’ve already knocked off 60 million unborn babies.
This covid thing is both a blessing and a curse. BYU would not be where it is if everyone was playing. I feel bad for Wisc…and loth the idea that BYU could raise in the rankings on someone else’s misfortune but as Tom pointed out, If BYU got a Big 10 game or any other P5, That would be a blessing. I think BYU could give anyone a game and should be considered a NY’s team
Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe we still would have won all our games because we are that good. I do agree if we lose to a weak team like WK or NI we will drop like a rock because we are BYU.
I would think they would deserve to drop like a rock with any loss the rest of the way. Even a loss to Boise St. would drop them out of the top 10. A loss to WK or NA and they are not even worthy to be ranked in my opinion. San Diego St. has only played one game so I don’t know how good they are. They are probably good but no better than Houston would be my guess and it is a game BYU should win. They will be the last game and if BYU is undefeated at that point a loss to them wouldn’t drop them out of the top 25 but they can’t lose to anybody this year and call themselves a top 10 team.
I would just like to see BYU undefeated this year and maybe get a New Years 6 bowl game. I could care less about where they are ultimately ranked because if all that plays out I will be completely satisfied with the season under the circumstances. They have no shot at spot in the playoffs with the schedule they have thus far.
Right now Boise on the Smurf Turf looks like a toss-up but we will know more about Boise after they play Air Force this weekend and have a 2nd game under their belt.
aro, well thought out on all points. My personal goal for BYU football has always been for us to be a top 25 program year in and year out. I have no delusions about BYU being a top 10 program other than once in a blue moon–and maybe this year is that year. If that’s the case, credit Holmoe for getting BYU on the field against ANYONE while most other teams that otherwise would have been ranked higher were not playing at all. I do agree with Fish that this BYU team may be that good because we have NFL practice squad or better athleticism at every position group. So let’s enjoy it while we can. If we can beat BSU–and I think that is a GIANT “if”–I don’t see us letting up against SDSU. So if we beat BSU I think we will get VERY strong consideration for a NY6 game. I think the powers that be do admire Holmoe for what he did to scramble, and that they admire BYU for executing at a very high level this year regardless of who we are playing. PLUS, if they give a 10-0 BYU a NY6 game and BYU gets throttled, then they never need to think about the issue again.
Clemson is now facing a COVID challenge. This news just in: Trevor Lawrence, the Clemson standout who is the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy, tested positive for the coronavirus. Clemson, the No. 1 team in the nation, is set to take on Boston College in a key ACC matchup on Saturday. Trevor has tested positive for COVID-19 and is now in isolation, coach Swinney said in a statement. “He is doing well with mild symptoms but will not be available for this week’s game against Boston College.”
This could be just the tip of the iceberg.
Like I have said, if BYU goes undefeated AND they beat a P5 team, I think they get a NYD 6 invite. With no P5 team on the schedule I doubt they can get into a New Years Bowl. But if they get really lucky and a top 5th - 9th team gets an open date and BYU gets on the field and WINS they might get into the CFP. I also think that we must beat Boise and SDST by at least 10 points or more to meet the eyeball test.
Boy, it just seems like the stars are aligning for Wilson and BYU…Just be smart boys and say no to the girls, hahahaha, hold out for 2 more months boys. Not to mention, Wilson is sooooo smart, he went and got the covid out of the way in summer. Crazy!!!
Some thoughts…
Is there motivation on BYU to beat BSU? And did we not beat BSU last year and is BSU pissed?
Can you say, "Clash of the titans?
And Is BYU seething that we lost to SDSU last year? I predict a 3 TD win at least in that game.
One last thing. Cinn and the AAC is our biggest hurtle, Is Cinn wins out, they will be ranked ahead of BYU with more top 25 wins (4 if you count Memphis, who is one game from cracking the top 25) while Cinn has a great defense, they struggle to put points on the board. If they go undefeated, it would be great to pare a NYs game with BYU, would it not?
I see Covid taking out some premier games as we see Lawrence sitting for Clemson this week (and to say that Clemson has it’s biggest game of the year so far @ BC is a JOKE!) ND will be the big game and have the QB back for that one. With a win, Lawrence will cement the Heisman.