Strange Days Indeed
College Football Is A New Game In The Pandemic Era
Georgia Tech’s 2nd-year head coach and longtime music enthusiast Geoff Collins might have been channeling his inner John Lennon- as in, ” Nobody told me there’d be days like this… strange days indeed”. In a season hatched during a global pandemic, in which Collins’ first spring practice was suddenly foreshortened and many of his fledgling routines and strong expectations (the culture, as he calls it) were still being baked in, Saturday was just more of the unexpected. Heck, the whole ACC season schedule was still hanging in the balance as of a couple weeks ago, and many of Tech’s new pieces had yet to set foot on a college field. Now Collins’s daunting task was to make the 5-hour ride down to Tallahassee- in 11 buses, no less– to open his second season against a once-proud (and still resource-rich) program looking to make Tech a minor stepping stone on their planned journey back to elite circle of college football. What other hurdles could pop up?
That’s when Mother Nature joined the fray, sending a couple of lightning shows over Doak Campbell stadium to delay the start of the game and re-interrupting midway thru the first quarter.
Like our now familiar 6-foot social distancing, lightning within 8 miles earns a minimum 30 minute delay. In neither case do we fully understand the science, but the rule seems reasonable. When the kickoff finally happened , FSU stopped Tech’s opening drive around midfield and then moved quickly downfield to score on their first possession of the Mike Norvell era. It looked a bit easy, really, so when the weather was again ruled not safe for football just moments later, the Seminoles went to their locker room with a more-comfortable-than-it-sounds 7-0 lead. The sense then among the Seminole faithful was that Tech would in fact oblige in playing its role as a sort of football version of the Washington Generals, showing up to serve as designated first victim in FSU’s planned stomp back to national prominence.
What happened instead was more of the unexpected. Yes, Tech’s offense got in its own way a few more times, but they did move the ball and most important, their brand new QB Jeff Sims showed poise. He looked flat-out comfortable running the offense in his first college contest. Meanwhile Tech DC Andrew Thacker’s defense found its footing, clamping down on FSU and prompting inconsistent play from Jr QB James Blackman. Tech hung around Doak Campbell like distant relatives stuck in your home on a longterm quarantine. The Jackets’ sheer persistence frustrated both their opponent and their fans, who had almost certainly expected a roll-over response to their quick start. Tech’s perseverance led directly to the surprise outcome –a narrow win, 16-13, on the road.
The pandemic has changed everything of course, college football included. In Tallahassee in Saturday, there were very few students on campus. Only 18,000 were allowed into the stadium, leaving nearly 70k seats empty. There was strict 6-foot distancing in the press box, with signs everywhere to remind those of us who might forget. The usual food and drink line was subbed out by an individual Chick-fil-A snack box. Eating and drinking were the only valid exceptions to constant mask-wearing (unless you were playing in the game itself). And by the way, we were reminded, the mandatory mask must cover both the nose AND the mouth– a rule that makes perfect sense but was not enforced. And, hey, no more than 4 at a time in the elevator, and a maximum of 2 at a time in the restroom– not sure if those were enforced.
All these rules imposed a quieter, calmer, more orderly vibe in the press area. And there were a few unintended benefits. Namely, less traffic, easier parking. In the press area, several surrounding empty seats meant good elbow room–no need for stealth usage of a neighboring chair, no hijacking precious outlets for vital electronics. The snack box was still there for me in the 4th quarter, when i was ready to eat. Typical buffets are a good bit jazzier, but gone away by halftime.
The post-game interviews were all remote, via ZOOM, our new best work-friend in the pandemic era. Still, questions were asked, and answered, and insights were gained in the process. Tech QB Jeff Sims seemed just as comfortable during the Q&A as he had looked on the field, as he confirmed our observation that his offense had proper confidence early and just needed to stop making “silly mistakes”. They did stop, leading to the happy outcome for Tech, unexpected as it was by the greater world of college football.
And so, game one of the 2020 pandemic season is in the books. As uncertainty persists in college sports and in the world at large, we really don’t know how much more of this season will happen. All? None? Any number in between? Each is possible. The next health report could contain an insurmountable number of mandatory quarantines, on Tech’s squad, or on any squad. But the season opener is done. Tech won on the road, in a storm, using a re-made roster, against a powerful FSU program that won a national championship just six years ago.
In Georgia Tech football annals, it felt like a seminal moment.
Patrick Conarro