How would 2020 have gone if not for COVID?

[Sheffielder]

Something we haven't really discussed much here, but probably worth a conversation since that season alone interrupted what would otherwise be an an inexcusably bad stretch in the program's history.

First and foremost, does anyone remember when Peyton Ramsey committed to playing? Just wondering if his commitment was influenced either way by COVID. I think it is fair to say he was our MVP that season; obviously the defense was stout but without a QB we wouldn't have been close to this level of success.

Looking back, I think we had a fairly balanced schedule - neither too easy nor murderer's row. We missed a scheduled game vs. Minnesota due to COVID, and they finished that season at 3-4 so it's reasonable to assume a win there (rather than assume a definite loss).

However you look at the 2020 season, I give full credit to Fitz and the coaches for keeping the train on the tracks - I get that people might argue 2020 was weird - OBVIOUSLY it was, but this season was all about discipline and tuning out the weird, which Northwestern did better than just about any other team. Just wondering if people think we would have enjoyed comparable success if COVID had not been a thing.

 

[dillonpgp]

Ramsey announced his decision to attend grad school and play football at Northwestern on Monday, March 9, 2020. Covid shut down the Big Ten basketball tournament (and essentially the entire US) three days later, March 12th.

I do not recall where Northwestern was (or was not) in terms of spring ball, but Ramsey would not have participated as he was still considered an IU student on track for a May graduation that spring.

 

[Arlcatsfan]

Ramsey was very interested in coming to NU coming out of HS.As things worked out we did not offer and he ended up at Indiana.When he decided to transfer from Indiana we were in need of a QB and he ended up in Evanston.
The coaches did a fantastic job of keeping everyone focused and the discipline of that team was very impressive.So everyone was on the same page.I don't think we had a positive covid test that 2020 season.One of the best coming together and pulling in one direction of a team in not only NU history but college football history.
The difference between 2019 season and the 2020 was the QB position as the D for those two seasons were about the same.If Ramsey was our QB in 2019 or if TJ Green could have stayed healthy that year we definitely would have gone to a bowl game.

 

[vee4three]

The final record certainly would've been worse in a non-COVID year, because the non-conference games wouldn't have been canceled!

But seriously, I don't understand the willingness of fans to write the season off as a fluke. That was a top 5-10 defense in the country. The B1G championship against OSU was extremely competitive. Yes, there was luck involved in not having any positive COVID tests. On the other hand, Slater opted out, and it was a very unusual offseason to install a new OC.

At the end of the day, the CFP that year featured LSU, OSU, Clemson and Oklahoma. Doesn't seem too weird.

 

[FanatiCat]

The final record certainly would've been worse in a non-COVID year, because the non-conference games wouldn't have been canceled!

But seriously, I don't understand the willingness of fans to write the season off as a fluke. That was a top 5-10 defense in the country. The B1G championship against OSU was extremely competitive. Yes, there was luck involved in not having any positive COVID tests. On the other hand, Slater opted out, and it was a very unusual offseason to install a new OC.

At the end of the day, the CFP that year featured LSU, OSU, Clemson and Oklahoma. Doesn't seem too weird.

100% agree with this. If anything 2020 is a testament to Fitz and how the program is run as a whole. Heck, we went without our best player and perhaps if Slater had played, we’d have had some semblance of a run game and pass protection in the second half of the OSU game - if that meant one more TD scored and giving them a couple less possessions due to time, maybe they get one less TD and we get a narrow victory.

 

[phatcat]

It was a good team. In a full year, probably 10-3. As good as 2018 team.

The difference is obvious. When we have a good, not necessarily great QB, and a good defense, we win a lot of games. We fell off a cliff offensively in 2019 when we went from a 4 year starter to Keystone Kops. In 2021/22 - same QB issues plus lose GOAT DC and replace with actual goat 🐐

I've been mulling over QB. We know we have not recruited well, and when HuJo fell in our laps nearly everyone was like 'whew, that solves THAT problem for 3 years.' HuJo didn't have to be as good as Thor, but having him be a colossal failure really set us back. Not to excuse recruiting derps, but the staff probably took their eyes off the road when he transferred.

 

[Ryanfield124]

I think it was a bowl-capable year but let us factor in crowds. I was at the B1G Championship game and it was probably the first time most of the OSU players had ever had equal crown noise for NU. NU was the only team to not have a COVID19 case that year which meant the team was at full-strength each week. That was good. The 2020 team would have won no less than 7 games normally and Ramsey didn't throw a bad ball once that year.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Something we haven't really discussed much here, but probably worth a conversation since that season alone interrupted what would otherwise be an an inexcusably bad stretch in the program's history.

First and foremost, does anyone remember when Peyton Ramsey committed to playing? Just wondering if his commitment was influenced either way by COVID. I think it is fair to say he was our MVP that season; obviously the defense was stout but without a QB we wouldn't have been close to this level of success.

Looking back, I think we had a fairly balanced schedule - neither too easy nor murderer's row. We missed a scheduled game vs. Minnesota due to COVID, and they finished that season at 3-4 so it's reasonable to assume a win there (rather than assume a definite loss).

However you look at the 2020 season, I give full credit to Fitz and the coaches for keeping the train on the tracks - I get that people might argue 2020 was weird - OBVIOUSLY it was, but this season was all about discipline and tuning out the weird, which Northwestern did better than just about any other team. Just wondering if people think we would have enjoyed comparable success if COVID had not been a thing.

We won the West with Covid and would have won it without Covid. Easily the best team in the West.

 

[zeek55]

I'm never going to treat 2020 as a fluke or say that it would have been different if Covid hadn't happened because the games were played and we watched all the games and we had one of the greatest seasons in the history of the program.

As we've learned the past 4-5 years, every year is its own animal, each year is a different team with different coaching and different players/leaders and a different path.

 

[pnt16]

It would have been a great season and I would've been in Indy watching the Cats take on Ohio State. Rashawn Slater would've won the Outland and probably a top 5 pick.

 

[Vassar69]

COVID has nothing to do with it. NU didn’t win the west because of COVID. They won because they had Hankwitz running the D and a great QB.

In the years since, Fitz has hired the two worst coordinators in the conference. And he’s tried to fill the most important position in sports with guys who couldn’t cut it elsewhere and unsurprisingly aren’t any better playing with less talented teammates than wherever they came from.

If Fitz can get a decent QB and dump those horrible coordinations, NU will not suck. If he continues to do the same thing, NU will suck. Regardless of pandemics or no pandemics.

 

[1830sherman]

But seriously, I don't understand the willingness of fans to write the season off as a fluke.

Of which fans do you speak? "Writing the season off"...is that really a thing? Not challenging you, just wondering, and too lazy to actually research this.

 

[phatcat]

Of which fans do you speak? "Writing the season off"...is that really a thing? Not challenging you, just wondering, and too lazy to actually research this.

There is a lot of '3 clunkers and a covid year ' floating around to crap on Fitz. He deserves it, but 2020 was legit

 

[ohiovalleycat]

As referenced by others, Ramsey at Quarterback was a key. Prospective Coach Hunter Johnson likely would not been effective QB he was playing in the absence of Ramsey. Obviously, it is possible there would have been differences with a full schedule in a non-COVID year, but the general situation of the Wildcats having a good year likely would not have changed assuming Ramsey at Quarterback.