There is nothing better than waking up on a Saturday morning, throwing on your team’s jersey, and watching some college football. However, though it has been a welcome distraction given everything happening in today’s climate, college football has also been greatly affected by the lack of in-person attendance. As a game can be won or lost with the energy of a home crowd, the sport relies heavily on student sections. With a minimal amount of live attendance becoming normal at most college football games, some fans have found it hard to continue watching the sport.

“I think that the sport has lost some entertainment value as fans provide an excellent atmosphere and without it, the games can seem a little dull and unenergetic,” freshman Jack Graham said.

Though college football has been affected by COVID-19 in many different ways, one way in which it has remained the same is its tradition for surprises and upsets. LSU, the reigning champions, has had a historically poor season. Sporting a record of 3-4, their chances of repeating a national championship are non-existent. With early losses in Weeks One and Three, LSU never seemed to find a rhythm and they fell flat-footed against their first real challenge, Auburn, in Week 5.

While LSU has faltered, old fan favorites such as Alabama, Notre Dame, and Ohio State have seemed to be unbreakable, with each team boasting an undefeated record. Despite the shortened season, these teams have proven themselves once again to be the juggernauts of the sport at the collegiate level. 

Freshman Jackson Wiley provided this analysis: “It’s very interesting to see how college football is shaping up this year. On the one hand, Notre Dame has not suffered a big loss later in the season, knocking them out of contention, as they typically do. On the other hand, perennial powers such as Michigan and Penn State are having historically bad years with Penn State recording it’s first 0-5 start in program history. 

This year’s college football playoff is set to be electrifying and will most likely involve the familiar powerhouse schools. With the regular season coming to a close, it will be hard for any team outside of the top four to reach the playoffs. The only team that could threaten these leaders would be Texas A&M.

The Aggies have a 6-1 record and are currently ranked fifth in the AP top 25 rankings. The Aggies have shown incredible cohesiveness as a team and have only been defeated once this season by number one ranked Alabama. 

The College Football Playoff (CFP) selection committee will release its final rankings of the 2020-21 season on Sunday, December 20. The semi-finals are set to begin on Friday, January 1, 2021, at the Rose Bowl Game and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The College Football Playoff National Championship will be Monday, January 11, 2021, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Though 2020 has been a year of challenges and hardships for most Americans, college football has brought back a sense of normalcy and camaraderie that we sorely needed.