They believed 2020 was their year. In Happy Valley, Penn State football players thought they had a chance to steal Ohio State’s B1G title, earn a trip to the College Football Playoff and win a national title.

Who could blame them? Last season, the Nittany Lions were expected to be entering a “rebuilding” year and finished 11-2 with the two losses coming to Minnesota (11-2) and Ohio State (13-1), both on the road. Returning was quarterback Sean Clifford, a loaded running back room, the best linebacker in college football in Micah Parsons and a strong defensive line.

All the pieces were in place.

On Tuesday, the B1G cancelled the 2020 college football season, ending Penn State’s hopes of a B1G or national title in 2020. Parsons is heading for the NFL Draft and it’s unclear what other roster moves could come between now and the 2021 season. Unfortunately for Penn State fans, they’ll never truly know what this team could’ve acomplished.

Parsons, though, has no doubt that the 2020 version of the Lions could’ve been special.

“Covid broke up maybe one of the best teams in Penn State history,” Parsons wrote on Twitter.

Not only did Penn State have the talent on the field, it made great additions to the staff. Kirk Ciarrocca was brought in from Minnesota to run the offense. Taylor Stubblefield, a former All-American receiver at Purdue, was brought in to sure up one of the team’s most questionable position groups.

Penn State had Ohio State at home and a non-conference bout with Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on the slate. There was a lot to prove in 2020.

But the Nittany Lions didn’t get the chance to prove what they could do this season. Instead, we’re left wondering what this time might’ve accomplished if the 2020 season was played.