Very little was normal about the 2020 college football season, particularly for the Gophers. They played just seven games, winning just three, and having the momentum from an 11-2 season in 2019 stalled.

Where they go in 2021 is a mystery that we will start to unfold in two weeks when they open the season at Huntington Bank Stadium against Ohio State. To get ready for that moment, I had Joe Rossi, Gophers defensive coordinator, on Tuesday's Daily Delivery podcast.

Here are a few of the things we chatted about:

Rossi on trying to evaluate last season: "I think you do your best. You just can't use the model that maybe you used for different years. ... When you take into account obviously COVID, quarantine, guys in and out of the lineup, no spring ball, all those things. Then you take social injustice, and all the things that were going on in the country but then also the fact that Minneapolis was really the epicenter for that and I think maybe the effect it had here was different than, you know, somewhere in Idaho. You take all of that and factor it all in, and that's why 2020 was so unique. What you do is just evaluate it for what it was."

On his coaching journey: "I played Division III football and started off coaching Division III football for six seasons and then Division IAA for five years. ... I take pride in that. I really appreciate that path. I think it does give me the perspective of valuing where you are at. ... I appreciate being here and having what we have. I can remember when I started off coaching Division III football and I was making $4,000 a year. We were in a converted house. The back porch was condemned but we converted it into a video room. If there was an extra Diet Coke laying around, that was a big deal for the day."

On preparing for Ohio State: "Obviously they have a tremendous roster. They're very talented. They have some people who have moved on to the NFL, but they've replaced them with very talented players. ... There's just always a newness in the season. Sometimes the openers are crazy games just because it's the first one. It's not like professional football with (preseason) games. Those opening games, there's uniqueness to it."