Ranking the 20 best college football games of 2020

[Across The Field]

the dropoff from Garbers to Modster/Brasch was huge. With Modster, they scored 17 points against an Oregon State team that was 105th in scoring. Their offense also completely stalled against Arizona State after Garbers left.

Garbers: 131/215 (60.9%), 1772 yards, 8.2 Y/A, 14/3 TD/INT, 148.9 rating
Modster: 62/122 (50.8%), 705 yards, 5.8 Y/A, 5.5 TD/INT, 104.7 rating
Brasch: 9/25 (36%), 71 yards, 2.8 Y/A, 0/1 TD/INT, 51.9 rating

60.9% isn't great in today's game, but 50.8% is just woeful. And that pales in comparison to the 36%...

Garbers' numbers weren't bad, but again, he was hardly killing it. 8 of his 14 TD passes came against two dreadfully bad defenses in Ole Miss and Illinois. He only had one other game all year with more than 1 TD pass, and it was against a bad FCS team. Cal played a feather-soft schedule last year in terms of opposing defenses the way it was. They only faced one team that was in the top 25 in total defense nationally, and only two that were top 50. Garbers didn't play a snap against the first team (Oregon, 23rd nationally), and he barely generated 150 total yards passing and rushing against the other (Washington, 39th nationally), despite having 31 combined passes/rushes.

You brought up the fact they scored 17 points against Oregon State with Modster at QB, but with Garbers they only scored 23 on a North Texas team who was... tied with Oregon State at 105th in scoring defense. Garbers was also absolutely horrible against UNT.

 

[Across The Field]

Garbers was good. The point being his backup was atrocious. I think they could have been a 10/11 win team with him. Probably 10 because they wouldn't have played a team as bad as Illinois in the bowl game had they had Garbers the entire season. I can see it being a top 20 game, if those teams live up to expectations(or at least mine)

Garbers was really good in two games last year against two bad defenses in Illinois and Ole Miss, who were both outside of the top 75 nationally in total defense. He was good against Stanford, who was barely top 100, and he was decent at best against UCLA, who wasn't even top 100 in total defense. He was dreadfully bad against North Texas, who was not top 75 and was on par with Oregon State in scoring defense.

This is not a good QB.

 

[ericd7633]

the dropoff from Garbers to Modster/Brasch was huge. With Modster, they scored 17 points against an Oregon State team that was 105th in scoring. Their offense also completely stalled against Arizona State after Garbers left.

Garbers: 131/215 (60.9%), 1772 yards, 8.2 Y/A, 14/3 TD/INT, 148.9 rating
Modster: 62/122 (50.8%), 705 yards, 5.8 Y/A, 5.5 TD/INT, 104.7 rating
Brasch: 9/25 (36%), 71 yards, 2.8 Y/A, 0/1 TD/INT, 51.9 rating

60.9% isn't great in today's game, but 50.8% is just woeful. And that pales in comparison to the 36%...

Yeah I agree. Garbers wasn't elite or anything, it's just that the backups were truly awful. There was a significant drop off.

 

[kburjr]

I think the Wisconsin-Notre Dame game should be on the list. 2 Top 10 teams with the winner getting a bump into the Playoff talk. That's assuming that it plays out as per their preseason rankings.

 

[Olyduck]

No OU, texas game?

Morons.

ive seen Texas projected at 7-5 and 10-2 so maybe these guys are more on board with that low end

 

[Olyduck]

Yeah I agree. Garbers wasn't elite or anything, it's just that the backups were truly awful. There was a significant drop off.

Cal also returns more than just the QB.

 

[Gatorchip]

I blame the choppy page scrolling due to the ads loading

Not the ads, and it wasn't you either. It was the article.

A post from the author in the comments section after being asked about the omission:

BrandonMarcello
You're absolutely correct. It was supposed to be No. 5 but somehow got pushed out and Iowa State was added in as I was developing the list (initially there were 24 games). It has been corrected.

 

[ericd7633]

Garbers was really good in two games last year against two bad defenses in Illinois and Ole Miss, who were both outside of the top 75 nationally in total defense. He was good against Stanford, who was barely top 100, and he was decent at best against UCLA, who wasn't even top 100 in total defense. He was dreadfully bad against North Texas, who was not top 75 and was on par with Oregon State in scoring defense.

This is not a good QB.

He's probably a top 25/30 QB in CFB. The problem is his backup was atrocious.

 

[ericd7633]

Cal also returns more than just the QB.

Yeah I said earlier I think they can be a top 20/25 team next season.

 

[PnkPanther]

tOHSU has to replace Jk Robbins and JK Dobbins? that's tough one

 

[Olyduck]

tOHSU has to replace Jk Robbins and JK Dobbins? that's tough one

J.K. Dobbins NFL draft profile and fantasy projection

 

[Boise4Life]

He's probably a top 25/30 QB in CFB. The problem is his backup was atrocious.

I like Garbers a lot too. I watched a few Cal games and that dude was beyond impressive. Great accuracy and decision making. His vanilla offense and lack of play makers held him back. As an ASU alum and fan I was concerned about that 2019 match up with Cal who was top 15 at the time. And I will tell you this. No way in hell ASU wins that game had they not broken his collar bone in the second quarter, not the way he was playing and the way that game was going.

Going into this season if Garbers stays healthy I have my eye on Cal. Sure they won’t be competing for a playoff spot, but I do believe if he’s healthy they’ll be competing for a division championship and quite possibly beyond. Justin Wilcox is a hell of a coach. When he was Boise’s DC our defense flat out dominated. Evidence of that would be holding #3 TCU to 10 points in the Fiesta Bowl and if you watched the game they were lucky to even get that. He’s starting to somehow recruit to Berkeley of all places and his defenses are stout. If he stays they are an up and coming team in my opinion.

 

[Across The Field]

Not the ads, and it wasn't you either. It was the article.

A post from the author in the comments section after being asked about the omission:

BrandonMarcello
You're absolutely correct. It was supposed to be No. 5 but somehow got pushed out and Iowa State was added in as I was developing the list (initially there were 24 games). It has been corrected.

Oh good, that makes me feel less like an asshat. Slightly, but still less.

 

[Across The Field]

He's probably a top 25/30 QB in CFB. The problem is his backup was atrocious.

He might be this year. Fringe top 30 at best last year. At any rate, he wasn't a game-changer, and Cal is still going to be at best a top 50, maybe top 40 team this year. If you're not going to put games like Indiana-Penn State (7 point game last year and Indiana is 11th in the nation in returning production, and it's at IU this year with PSU a likely top 5 team), or Texas A&M-Auburn (8 point game last year with two extremely talented teams and two top 10 QBs nationally), or even Memphis at Cincinnati (two up and coming G5s who combined for 23 wins last year), then including not one, but two Cal games basically says 247 was just trying their best not to have an east coast bias.

I could probably come up with at least 10 other games not on this list that would be more entertaining and nationally relevant than any Cal game in 2020.

 

[Olyduck]

What about Florida State @ Boise

Oh good, that makes me feel less like an asshat. Slightly, but still less.

we'll let it slide this time. from now on know what the author was thinking first

 

[Boise4Life]

Florida State/Boise is intriguing, especially for me as a fan but it doesn’t belong on the list. Florida State is talented but also rebuilding. Eventually I’m pretty sure Norvell will get them there. Boise will be in the back half of the top 25 and that’s assuming we beat a very good Air Force team who finished ranked last season on the road, a very big if. If not then neither team will be ranked when they face off.

 

[ericd7633]

He might be this year. Fringe top 30 at best last year. At any rate, he wasn't a game-changer, and Cal is still going to be at best a top 50, maybe top 40 team this year. If you're not going to put games like Indiana-Penn State (7 point game last year and Indiana is 11th in the nation in returning production, and it's at IU this year with PSU a likely top 5 team), or Texas A&M-Auburn (8 point game last year with two extremely talented teams and two top 10 QBs nationally), or even Memphis at Cincinnati (two up and coming G5s who combined for 23 wins last year), then including not one, but two Cal games basically says 247 was just trying their best not to have an east coast bias.

I could probably come up with at least 10 other games not on this list that would be more entertaining and nationally relevant than any Cal game in 2020.

Okay so if you're going from a top 30 guy to someone who isn't even top 200, that's a significant drop off. I think they can be a top 25/20 team. If USC doesn't blow it early on that could very well be a top 25 matchup. Plus it's a rivalry game, they've played 100 times in their history. That adds some too it. A&M vs Auburn could also be a top 25 matchup, but there's no history. Same with Memphis/Cincy. Nobody gives a shit about that game outside of those fans. IU/PSU doesn't offer any intrigue. It's going to largely be what it was last year IMO. A top 10 PSU team against a 4/5 loss IU team, fringe top 35 team.

 

[Olyduck]

Florida State/Boise is intriguing, especially for me as a fan but it doesn’t belong on the list. Florida State is talented but also rebuilding. Eventually I’m pretty sure Norvell will get them there. Boise will be in the back half of the top 25 and that’s assuming we beat a very good Air Force team who finished ranked last season on the road, a very big if. If not then neither team will be ranked when they face off.

even with a rebuild FSU is still projected to be what 7 or 8 win team? after the finish they had last year I think it could be on the list.

 

[Across The Field]

Okay so if you're going from a top 30 guy to someone who isn't even top 200, that's a significant drop off. I think they can be a top 25/20 team. If USC doesn't blow it early on that could very well be a top 25 matchup. Plus it's a rivalry game, they've played 100 times in their history. That adds some too it. A&M vs Auburn could also be a top 25 matchup, but there's no history. Same with Memphis/Cincy. Nobody gives a shit about that game outside of those fans. IU/PSU doesn't offer any intrigue. It's going to largely be what it was last year IMO. A top 10 PSU team against a 4/5 loss IU team, fringe top 35 team.

Cal is going to also have to beat two teams that were better than them last year in Utah and TCU early, and I think they drop both of them.

Be real eric, nobody gives a shit about the Cal-USC "rivalry". I guarantee Auburn-A&M had better ratings than Cal-USC last year, and Cincy-Memphis is actually relevant towards something since both of them are strong candidates to make a NY6 bowl. You say nobody gives a shit about that game outside of those fans, but who do you think gives a shit about Cal-USC? Hell I doubt most of their actual fans even care much, let alone the rest of the country. And with PSU-Indiana, you just said it's a 4/5 loss Indiana team against a top 10 PSU team, but somehow that's not as good a game as a game with maybe a ranked USC team and a likely 4/5 loss Cal team? At least there is an elite team in PSU, and Indiana was also better than Cal last year, so add that to the fact that B1G football is significantly more relevant than Pac12 football, and it means all three of these games are more relevant and better choices for this list.

 

[Boise4Life]

Cal is going to also have to beat two teams that were better than them last year in Utah and TCU early, and I think they drop both of them.

Be real eric, nobody gives a shit about the Cal-USC "rivalry". I guarantee Auburn-A&M had better ratings than Cal-USC last year, and Cincy-Memphis is actually relevant towards something since both of them are strong candidates to make a NY6 bowl. You say nobody gives a shit about that game outside of those fans, but who do you think gives a shit about Cal-USC? Hell I doubt most of their actual fans even care much, let alone the rest of the country. And with PSU-Indiana, you just said it's a 4/5 loss Indiana team against a top 10 PSU team, but somehow that's not as good a game as a game with maybe a ranked USC team and a likely 4/5 loss Cal team? At least there is an elite team in PSU, and Indiana was also better than Cal last year, so add that to the fact that B1G football is significantly more relevant than Pac12 football, and it means all three of these games are more relevant and better choices for this list.

You raise some good points that I don’t necessarily disagree with but keep in mind that TCU was not actually better than Cal last year. TCU was downright bad. They won a total of 5 games. Plus keep in mind that Utah lost a lot from last season. Not only did they close like shit, they’re replacing most of their skill position players and also that beastly defensive line. Both of those games are in Berkeley too. I would not be surprised if Cal is 5-0 going into that USC game.