USA TODAY International Edition
USA TODAY Sports picks mid- season honors
Here’s a look at the college football players, teams, coaches and games that defined this ( most unusual) first half of the season.
Only in 2020 would college football’s midseason hit as one Power Five conference has played a single game and another is more than a week away from kickoff.
While the Big Ten just got started and the Pac- 12 won’t open until Nov. 7, the 2020 season began Sept. 5 and has heated up since the Southeastern Conference opened on Sept. 26.
Despite the odd and mismatched schedules across Football Bowl Subdivision leagues, one aspect of the year has gone according to plan: Alabama and Clemson have carved out some distance from the rest of the pack in the College Football Playoff race.
Also predictable? That Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence would head into Halloween as the favorite for the Heisman Trophy.
As we reach the midway point, here’s a look at the players, teams, coaches and games that have defined the first half of the 2020 season.
Best player
Paul Myerberg: Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence. He’s completing 70.7% of his attempts, averaging 9.6 yards per throw and avoiding turnovers ( two interceptions in 191 throws) at a better rate than in 2019. This is an easy pick.
Erick Smith: Alabama QB Mac Jones. Any thought that the Crimson Tide offense would be slowed by the departure of Tua Tagovailoa can be discarded. It might actually be better with Jones off to an amazing start. The junior threw for 417 yards and four touch
downs against an elite Georgia defense in a comeback win. He ranks third in passing yards and passer efficiency.
Coach of the year
Myerberg: Luke Fickell, Cincinnati. Fickell turned down the chance to take over at Michigan State because he knew what the No. 7 Bearcats were capable of doing in 2020 and beyond. Cincinnati already has two wins against Top 25 competition and has a shot at rising into the top four.
Smith: Chris Kleiman, Kansas State: Without a roster devastated by COVID- 19, the Wildcats lost their opener to Arkansas State. Two weeks later, they rallied to beat Oklahoma. That was the first of four Big 12 victories in a row. His next challenge will be to overcome the loss of starting quarterback Skylar Thompson.
Best defender
Myerberg: Notre Dame LB Jeremiah Owusu- Koramoah. The senior has made splash plays for one of the nation’s best defenses and a unit already being compared to some of the best in recent program history. He is second on the team with 21 tackles and leads with six tackles for loss.
Smith: Arkansas LB Grant Morgan. The Razorbacks have been one of the stories of the season. Their former walkon linebacker has spearheaded an improved defense with a team- high 52 tackles in four games and added an interception.
Best freshman
Myerberg: Clemson DT Bryan Bresee. The nation’s top- ranked recruit has exceeded expectations. One of two fivestar freshmen on Clemson’s defensive front, Bresee is physically ready to earn all- conference honors and play a key role in the Tigers’ push for the national championship.
Smith: Kansas State RB Deuce Vaughn. Small in stature, Vaughn has been huge in his impact for the Wildcats, who are at the top of the Big 12 standings. He has totaled 319 yards and four touchdowns on the ground and 360 yards on 13 catches. A pair of his big plays helped rally the Wildcats on the road in their upset of Oklahoma.
Best first- year coach
Myerberg: Sam Pittman, Arkansas, and Greg Schiano, Rutgers. There are so many options beyond this pair: Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz, Boston College’s Jeff Hafley and Texas- San Antonio’s Jeff Traylor were also considered. But Arkansas is a surprising 2- 2 ( and probably should be 3- 1) and it took only one game for Schiano to end Rutgers’ long and painful Big Ten Conference losing streak.
Smith: Sam Pittman, Arkansas. It’s hard to overstate the impact that Pittman has in his first season with the Razorbacks. Even without a full offseason of practices, they led Georgia at halftime of their season opener and snapped a 20- game losing streak in the SEC the following week. Only an incorrect referee decision stopped them from an upset at Auburn and a 3- 1 start.
Game of the year
Myerberg: Indiana- Penn State is still fresh in our minds. The touchdown and two- point conversion to force overtime. Indiana scoring in the bottom of the first extra frame and opting to go for the win. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. scrambling to his left, diving and just breaking the plane of the end zone to give the Hoosiers a win against a top- 10 opponent for the first time since 1987.
Smith: Oklahoma- Texas is always going to be emotional. This year’s edition, though, outdid itself. The Sooners looked to be on their way to a comfortable win midway through the fourth quarter. Then Sam Ehlinger rallied the Longhorns and forced overtime with two late scores. The game pendulum of momentum would swing in the three overtimes before an Oklahoma interception ended things.
Biggest surprise
Myerberg: The Sun Belt. The league beat three Big 12 teams in one weekend.
One Sun Belt team, No. 21 Coastal Carolina, is currently in the Top 25, and another two, Louisiana and Appalachian State, have been ranked at some point this season. Always overlooked and ranked at the bottom of the Group of Five, the Sun Belt has been one of the best stories of the 2020 season.
Smith: Brigham Young. The Cougars have been dominant in six victories to start their season, putting them at No. 10 in the Amway Coaches Poll and in position to earn a spot in the New Year’s Six. Junior quarterback Zach Wilson has gone from obscurity to dark horse Heisman candidate. Only Boise State and San Diego State appear capable of slowing BYU down.
Biggest disappointment
Myerberg: The Big 12. Did I mention the conference lost three games to the Sun Belt on a single Saturday? Oklahoma and Texas are already out, Iowa State has two losses, Baylor has taken a step back and the league is pinning almost all of its playoff hopes on No. 6 Oklahoma State. That was not expected.
Smith: LSU. Yeah, the Tigers weren’t going to be the same as last season’s dominant title winners. But watching their defense implode in losses to Mississippi State and Missouri was startling. Perhaps last week’s win against South Carolina gets them refocused, but they appear a long way away from title contenders in the SEC West.
Best four teams
Myerberg: Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State and Notre Dame. The first three are easy. The fourth is more complicated. While Notre Dame wouldn’t have been pick a week ago, last Saturday’s 45- 3 win against Pittsburgh showed the Irish at their best.
Smith: Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson and Georgia. You can argue about the order of the first three teams. Part of the issue with Clemson is whether it is being tested enough on a weekly basis. The last spot is up in the air for now. Georgia did lose to Alabama but led on the road for three quarters. Notre Dame and Cincinnati are worthy of consideration.