Fields to face new schemes against Bama

Ohio State’s Justin Fields was amazing against Clemson, throwing six touchdown passes and showing off accuracy and arm strength all over the field. He also displayed poise and toughness, playing most of the game after taking a nasty hit to his side.

That came after an inconsistent and truncated season that has called into question Fields’ status as the best available QB behind Trevor Lawrence.

“There’s a lot of buzz around the league about (BYU’s) Zach Wilson being the No. 2 pick in the draft behind Lawrence,” said Dane Brugler, a draft analyst for The Athletic. “Fields, with what he did, it changed that a little bit. He’s making teams kind of go back and reconsider.”

The Alabama defense has had some bumpy moments, but it is still the most talented group Ohio State has faced, starting with SEC defensive player of the year Patrick Surtain III. The junior will probably be the first cornerback drafted if he declares.

Plus, Fields will be tested by Alabama schematically.

“Give (Tide coach) Nick Saban 10 days to figure you out and to find your weaknesses, that’s terrifying,” said Matt Miller of NFL Draft Scout.

Back to normal?

College football will attempt to return to normal in 2021 after a season roiled by the pandemic while also adapting to a new paradigm in which the athletes have more power than ever before.

A COVID-19 vaccine brings hope for a season with full schedules, fewer disruptions and more fans in the stands.

“I know that there’s a lot in front of us,” Boston College athletic director Patrick Kraft said. “But I do believe that good times are coming. We’re going to get back to having full stadiums and the athletes having their parents come and watch them play. And campus being abuzz Saturday morning or Friday night. Yes, I feel that’s coming.”

Dr. Cameron Wolfe, an infectious disease specialist at Duke who led the Atlantic Coast Conference’s medical advisory panel, is cautious when talking about a return to normal next football season.

The availability of effective vaccines and lessons learned about mitigation strategies give reason to believe that college football will run more smoothly. If nothing else, another summer of uncertainty over holding a season at all seems unlikely.

“We’re very confident that the current vaccine has wonderful protection against the current strain of COVID,” Wolfe said. “And you can hear my current emphasis there because there are some folks who are a little nervous that some strain mutations that we’re starting to see … may impact vaccine protection.”

NCAA reform

A few hours before Monday’s national title game, the NCAA’s Division I Council is scheduled to consider a proposal that for the first time would permit college athletes to be paid — though not by their schools — for things like endorsements, sponsorship deals and personal appearances.

The name, image and likeness proposal would allow athletes to earn money from outside sources, with some limitations.

Athletes will not be permitted to display school logos. They will not be allowed to enter sponsorship agreements that could conflict with their schools’ deals. For example, a Nike school could prevent one of its athletes from striking a deal with another shoe or apparel company. Also, athletes will not be permitted to endorse products or companies that conflict with NCAA values (gambling or alcohol).

Lastly, a third party will be in charge of monitoring deals athletes make for fair market value and improprieties.