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One New York Times columnist is crowning UConn college football’s champion. Here’s why
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Next Monday night, No. 1 Alabama and No. 3 Ohio State will go head to head in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game to determine which team sits at the mountain top of the sport in 2020. The winner will be crowned champion.
Well, for most of us. But one New York Times columnist has already named his champion for the college football season. His winner? UConn.
New York Times columnist Kurt Streeter has anointed UConn the “real champion” of the college football season in 2020. The reason? The Huskies courageously opted out of playing football in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and didn’t back down when other leagues pushed forward with the season.
From Streeter’s story:
The University of Connecticut, which was the first Football Bowl Subdivision team to squarely face the coronavirus and decide against playing a single snap during a raging pandemic.
Given the pain and tumult of the last year, it can be hard to remember there was a time when the powers that rule major college sports were more concerned about the virus than aboutfattening their bank accounts.
Entire leagues in college football’s upper tier followed, a brief show of conscience. Then the money-grabbing backpedal began.
The worst wafflers were the Pac-12 and the Big Ten, which lacked the fortitude to stand by their decision when they saw the other major conferences suiting up. They couldn’t resist the hundreds of millions in television revenue and the chance to reach the national title game, where Ohio State will represent the Big Ten.
In the end, out of 130 F.B.S. teams, only three sat out the season: Old Dominion and New Mexico State joined Connecticut. “It was simply the right thing,” UConn Coach Randy Edsall said over the phone last week. “I never questioned the decision we made. Not once.”
The FBS was the only division of college football to move forward with a college football season, while a handful of FCS programs played a minimal number of games. Teams at the FCS, Division II and Division III levels are planning to host a football season this spring.
It should be noted that a large number of student-athletes, parents and coaches voiced their support for moving forward with a season. Players from throughout the B1G, ACC, SEC and other leagues proclaimed that they felt safe while on campus and wanted to be given the opportunity to play football during the fall.
By and large, it worked out.
But Street isn’t backing down from his stance, and has already named his national champion for the college football season. I guess Alabama and Ohio State are competing for second place next Monday.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB