‘Unfinished Business’: What the 2020 Season Means to Syracuse Football Players

For some Syracuse football players, the 2020 season "doesn't count." For others, every game is "personal."

Syracuse, NY -- If the college football gods were gracious enough to offer one free mulligan, Syracuse head coach Dino Babers would use it to stamp an asterisk next to this 2020 season. Unfortunately for the 1-8 ball coach, there's no such thing. Babers may get the benefit of the doubt, but not an asterisk.

For Orange players, the scenario is slightly different. The record counts, the stats count, but the year of eligibility doesn't. Thanks to the chaos created by the COVID-19 crisis, those brazen enough to buckle a chinstrap mid-pandemic won't be docked a year if things don't go according to plan.

This means different things to different players. It's an excuse for freshmen to get their feet wet a lot earlier than they normally would. An extra year to develop and learn with four full seasons coming right behind it. Freshman LB Stefon Thompson, who looked more like a seasoned vet against Louisville (7 tackles, 1 sack), says this year is void of any pressure.

"I just look at this year as like a learning year," Thompson shared with the media on Tuesday. "And it's a free year for me, so every rep I get, I know it doesn't count, but it's helping, and it's going to help in the long run."

Thompson probably feels like he's getting all the answers to the test before he even registers for the class. But for guys like redshirt senior DL Josh Black, it's almost time for "pencils down."

"It's definitely different for me," Black said on Tuesday. "I don't have a decision yet on what I want to do. And I just have to give this effort for every game like it could be my last game. I guess you can say these games are very personal to me and my time playing football could be running up soon."

There's a lot for Black and fellow seniors to consider. Having a chance to further your education at a world-class university is an opportunity you don't sneeze at. But, as Black says, he's not getting any younger.

"There's a lot going through my mind right now," Black revealed. "Do I want to come back to get another year of education? That's a big possibility. And, you know, just the fact that I'm getting old. I gonna be twenty-three at the end of this year."

Despite the promise of another year, this season hasn't done much to encourage sticking around. Senior OL Chris Elmore has witnessed the fatigue and heard the grumbling.

"Trying to bring that energy is definitely hard, being 1-8," Elmore said. "Some guys, their heads are already out of it. Just to see that we're not having a season that we want, a lot of guys are like, 'Man, I'm ready to go home."

But not Elmore. The fullback turned tight end turned guard is built differently.

"I never wanted to end a football season like this," Elmore said plainly on Tuesday. "This could be the last time I play football in my career, and I never wanted to go out with a season like this. If I do come back, it'll definitely be unfinished business with every team that we lost to this year.

That's just how I look at this season. As unfinished business."