15 College Football Games Halted in Week 11 Sending Playoff Scenarios into Chaos
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
The surreal with the 2020 college football season took a turn to adverse in Week 11 with 15 college football games across the country either cancelled or postponed. The announced games halted includes five ranked teams including an SEC West rivalry game that typically brings the country to the TV set.
What was unfortunate a week ago with 10 scheduled contests ended has exploded into a troubling scene. Some programs have made the best of a bad situation seeing Boise State on Thursday night, with nine players out due to positive COVID tests and five more held out because of possible contact, bounce back from a 51-17 loss to BYU beating Colorado State 52-21. The Arkansas Razorbacks are taking on No. 6 Florida Gators in Gainesville on Saturday without head coach Sam Pittman after testing positive for the virus.
Other programs have not been so lucky. LSU will miss a second scheduled game this season after the Oct. 17 showdown against Florida in the Swamp was pushed to Dec. 12 because of COVID protocols and now may miss playing Alabama this season. On Thursday, SEC presidents and chancellors met approving expanding a potential game date on Dec. 19 to meet the planned 70-game schedule. That open option could prove meaningful if a team like Florida or Alabama needs another win the column to show the College Football Playoff Committee they are worthy of an invite. The committee announces their selection on Dec. 20.
The cancelled games can carry big problems on the national stage for fans looking to the playoff. Seeing Ohio State’s road game against Maryland completely taken off the board presents troubles for the College Football Playoff Committee. Due to a late start to the 2020 season, the Big Ten was set to play just eight games, less than their counterparts in the SEC and ACC. The Buckeyes losing the showdown against the Terps narrows their season long schedule to seven games. What happens now if Ohio State wins out?
Arguments will be made for a 7-2 team with the same number of wins as Ohio State being worthy of inclusion because they played two extra games achieving the same win total; take Florida for example or a one- or two-loss Big 12 team. Another Big Ten team, Wisconsin, ranked No. 14 in the preseason, has played one game this year topping Illinois 45-7. The Badges had to forgo back-to-back games against Nebraska and Purdue because of the virus not to be made up. If Wisconsin wins out going 6-0, are they playoff worthy?
Wait until the Pac-12 finishes their season and if teams like BYU, Marshall, and Cincinnati remain unbeaten… the chaos ensues.
There is one other “Fighting Tiger” waiting in the bushes for Big Ten teams seeking a chance to play for the national championship – Clemson and Notre Dame. The Tigers went on the road with several players out due to COVID test results, including Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Trevor Lawrence, losing 47-40 to Notre Dame in overtime. Does a loss to the No. 4 team in the country on the road without a starting quarterback win out over a seven-win Ohio State especially if Clemson can get that win back on the board in the ACC Championship Game. What then becomes of a potential one-loss Fighting Irish team that played a 12-game schedule if they lose to Clemson in the title game? Would two losses to a top-5 team in Notre Dame, especially another overtime game, put Clemson in the playoff over the Buckeyes?
One silver lining in the scramble of postponed games this week, instead of playing Arizona State, California will now play UCLA as the Bruins lost their meeting with the Utah Utes.
The rest, we’ll just have to see how it all plays out.
Ranked Postponed Games
No. 1 Alabama vs. LSU
No. 3 Ohio State vs. Maryland (cancelled)
No. 5 Texas A&M vs. Tennessee
No. 12 Georgia vs. Missouri
No. 15 Coastal Carolina vs. Troy
No. 24 Auburn vs. Mississippi State
Unranked Postponed Games
California vs. Arizona State – California will play UCLA
Utah vs. UCLA – UCLA will play Utah
Pitt vs. Georgia Tech
Louisiana-Monroe vs. Arkansas State
Rive vs. Louisiana Tech
Memphis vs. Navy
Air Force vs. Wyoming (cancelled)
North Texas vs. Alabama-Birmingham
Gardner-Webb vs. Charlotte