Among the changes wrought by this most peculiar of years, 2020 robbed me of one of my most cherished summertime traditions: collecting every morsel of information about Big 10 football possible and trying to piece together what it means for the Hawkeyes.
It’s not that my fondness for football has dimmed. On the contrary, it is because of that deep love that it was too painful for me to follow the beat reporters, analysts and pigskin pundits who spent most of the sunny season sharing nothing but doom and gloom.
Unlike many, I did not let my hopes rise and fall as the prospect of Big 10 games was dangled, dashed and then resurrected. I applied an “all news is bad news” attitude to the subject, and just assumed the worst. My glass wasn’t half-full; it was smashed on the ground in 1,000 tiny shards. You know, like the rest of the things we all like to do were smashed this pandemic-plagued year.
Yet here we are, with college football (kind of, sort of) back on the airwaves each weekend and perhaps the weirdest-ever Big 10 football season slated to kick off in a little less than four weeks.
Typically, a few weeks ahead of the Hawkeye season, I pen a prediction column. I may still do so, but not until I’ve had a chance to do more homework! Because of my self-imposed football news ban, I have never known less about the Iowa team heading into a campaign than I do in 2020. Which probably means my predictions will be spot on.
I know even less about the Hawkeye opponents, other than Ohio State looks to be its usual Death Star like self and Nebraska is still comically, perpetually aggrieved and delusional. Can Lovie Smith’s Illini shock and surprise and make a bowl again? Is Wisconsin finally going to have to rebuild instead of reloading? Does a post-Dantonio future hold any promise in East Lansing? Can Pat Fitzgerald re-discover offense? Is winning football actually going to be a “thing” in West Lafayette? Is Rutgers still participating in intercollegiate sports?
Hell if I know!
And weirdly, this is kind of fun.
I almost feel like a kid again in my approach to appreciating college football. My attitude now is simply to cheer hard for my team, without the burden of expectations. I know the Hawks will be counting on a new quarterback to take the reins, but that has worked out well in the past. The defense lost its most explosive playmaker, but appears to have brought in a couple of MAC-dominating beasts who at worst, should be able to shore things up. I was worried about the offensive line, but then Iowa brought in a former Indiana starter who should be a plug-and-play replacement. And the skill positions appear to be an abundance of riches seldom seen in these parts, especially the receiver group.
Another odd aspect to the late start, shortened season and (at least for now) lack of bowls is that no matter what happens, 2020 results are likely to have an asterisk. This is good and bad, depending on how your season turns out. If Iowa struggles with a new quarterback, lack of prep time and stumbles to a mediocre-or-worst record, who cares? This wasn’t a “real” season anyway.
However, if Iowa finally gets the Badger monkey off its back, continues its dominance over other West Division foes and earns a return trip to the conference championship game, will anyone give us credit? Not likely. Being 2020 champ is going to come with a lot of “yeah, buts” in perpetuity. Much as some dismiss Iowa’s (undefeated in conference!) 2002 title due to not playing Ohio State, should the Hawks dominate in 2020, we will likely have to listen to that achievement be denigrated due to circumstances beyond our control. Oh well, that would be a nice problem to have.
This does add to my general laissez-faire attitude heading into the season, though. If the Hawkeyes lay an egg, who cares? It’s a “lost” season anyway. And if they win? Well, of COURSE it counts, and my team managed to do it under the most difficult, adverse circumstances ever, so they are awesome! It really is a no-lose, only-win situation.
The biggest heartbreak, of course, is being forced to only watch on television. This will be the first year since 1997 that I will not watch the Hawkeyes in person, at Kinnick. But while that is a kick in the teeth (if a boon to my liver) it is still better than no football at all.
Follow me on Twitter @ToryBrecht and @12Saaturdays
