By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – One of the longest, and by far strangest off-seasons in the history of the Iowa football program is now less than a week from finally being over.

Hopefully.

The news on Sunday that Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm had tested positive for COVID-19, and will miss Saturday’s game against Iowa while isolating at home, is yet another sobering reminder that a highly contagious virus still is a threat, especially heading into the colder months.

Under normal circumstances, Iowa would be more than half way through its season by this time in October.

Under normal circumstances, there wouldn’t be snow on the ground just five days before Iowa’s season opener.

Under normal circumstances, there wouldn’t be the threat of a $20 million dollar racial discrimination law suit hanging over the Iowa program.

Under normal circumstances, there wouldn’t be a nine-game schedule, or playing in mostly empty stadiums with no tailgating.

This is uncharted territory for all of those involved, the players, coaches, fans and the media, and needless to say, it’s going to be really weird.

There hasn’t been anything close to normal since the world as we knew it was shut down in March for health reasons.

The Big Ten, since the virus first struck, has gone from playing a revised schedule consisting of just conference games to cancelling the fall season to now playing a nine-game schedule.

At least, that’s the plan, and the hope.

How well the Big Ten does in executing the plan will be on full display throughout the season.

If a bunch of games get cancelled due to players and coaches having tested positive for the virus, then, obviously, the Big Ten will have failed to deliver.

And each of the 14 schools will have failed to deliver.

The only way this season will survive, or sustain, is if the players and coaches stay smart, act responsibly and don’t let down their guard when dealing with the virus.

There isn’t much time left to squeeze in a 2020 season, so the players need to seize the moment by keeping themselves available.

A positive test could lead to a player being out for 21 days in the Big Ten, and that’s a lot under any circumstance, but especially now.

So the players have to stay diligent and stay safe because life with Hawkeye football, even with no fans in the stands, and with the late start to the season, sure beats life without it.

If the experts feel that it’s safe enough to play under the guidelines that have been laid out, then it’s safe enough to play.

It would be naïve to think there won’t be setbacks during the course of the season, but that is part of the risk and the reward to playing during a pandemic when conditions are uncertain and fluid.

Hawkeye football for many is a nice distraction, and if ever there was a time when fans needed a nice distraction, that time is now.

For others, Hawkeye football is more than just a nice distraction, it’s a way of life.

From the parents of the current players to the hardcore fans who cherish Saturdays in the fall, the chance to have a 2020 season of any kind will be an uplifting experience.

But it’s the players for whom you should feel happiest, because unlike fans, their time is limited.

The players only get four seasons of competition, although, the NCAA recently decided to grant all fall athletes with another season of eligibility because of the disruptions caused by COVID-19.

That’s a nice gesture, but if you’re someone like Iowa fifth-year senior left tackle Alaric Jackson, you want to play now as opposed to coming back for a sixth year of college.

Saturday’s game will not only feature some of the top receivers in the conference, thanks to both teams, but also the starting debut of Iowa sophomore quarterback Spencer Petras.

Iowa is coming off a tumultuous offseason in which Kirk Ferentz’s once-proud culture was accused of racial disparities by multiple former black players, while Purdue is coming off a 4-8 season that was marred by injuries.

Eight former black players are demanding the removal of Kirk Ferentz, offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz and Athletic Director Gary Barta, claiming they were subjected to intentional race discrimination by the coaching staff and administration during their times as Hawkeyes.

The players also are threatening to file a $20 million lawsuit if their demands aren’t met.

There is no good time for a story of this kind to break, but less than a week before the season opener is perhaps the worst time.

Purdue will have home-field advantage on Saturday, but it won’t be the same without fans.

That will be especially true at Kinnick Stadium where the fan experience and game-day atmosphere inside the stadium is arguably the best in the Big Ten.

College football usually starts in real hot weather and ends in cold weather.

But this year, it’ll start right when the temperature is beginning to drop and will end when it’s about to get real cold.

But beggars can’t be choosers, and many of us are begging for football right now.

Depth chart for Iowa’s season opener on Saturday