Michigan Thursday: Not A Good Day For Football In The Fall

As Big Ten officials meet to try to figure out a way to have some type of adjusted season, other factors around College Football are trending the wrong way: 

• The Ivy League cancelled all fall sports 
• OSU had to shut down workouts due to COVID spread
• North Carolina had to do the same 
• Stanford shutdown 11 sports (not football) 

This news caused me to think a couple thoughts:  How are rich kids going to get into Stanford now that their parents can't bribe the rowing coach?  The Ivy League is really not risking anything by shutting down those sports, as their sports programs lose money.   On the other hand, I don't think we can ignore some of the highest academic institutions and feeling its not safe.   Personally, I think we should listen to the smartest people in the US, not the most powerful or political.  

Now to a bit of good news:  Tom Deinhart from Rivals is reporting that the Big Ten is considering a 10 game season probably played over 13-14 weeks.

This makes sense to me but I would at least like one non-conference MAC game for the first game of the season, so Michigan can iron out any mistakes before opening the Big Ten season.   With that said, "beggars can't be choosers" when it comes to football this fall. 

Some folks talk about a spring football season.   I don't know if this is viable or not, as NFL ready kids are not going to want to risk injury so close to the NFL draft.   Another issue is do they play in the Spring and then in the Fall in 2021?  That is a lot of football in one calendar year.  

I think the Big Ten will try to do football in the fall because financially its so important to many programs but it seems a bit like a Hail Mary at this point.   Can you imagine trying to keep COVID away from 100 college kids in a contact sport?  I hope I'm wrong and the virus starts trending the other way.  

• Jimmy had a zoom presser yesterday and social media blew up for a minute on statement that was taken out of context on football and COVID.   The real news was that Jimmy was in contract extension talks prior to COVID and those talks are on hold until all the issues are cleared up.  

from The BIG HOUSE Blog http://mbighouse.blogspot.com/2020/07/michigan-thursday-not-good-day-for.html