It’s that time of year when injuries start to pile up for college football teams. Little bumps and bruises along the way add up, as do sudden large injuries. We hear every week about how certain teams will be playing without their star player, or that they were limited in practice.
For most teams, this means a sure win is suddenly a tossup, and a tossup is moved firmly into the loss column. Season expectations can change because of a tweaked knee or a sudden shot to the ribs (see: Penn State c. 2021).
The best teams, however, spend years building their rosters with depth.