Ohio State Football: How having no fans would impact the 2020 season

The fans are the heartbeat that makes Ohio State football special. So what would games look like without fans in the stadium in 2020?

The O-H-I-O chants that go around The Shoe, the roar that envelopes the 102,000-plus in attendance and the passion of the fans makes Ohio State football the national brand that it is. But if fans are prevented from attending games in the fall, the home field advantage that develops inside Ohio Stadium will no longer be a factor.

From before the start of the game, head coach Ryan Day gets the fans going at the rousing Skull Session, which would likely be off-limits to fans, if not completely eliminated in 2020. Although the players could still get the energy from coaches and each other, the passion the fans bring to the game would be nonexistent.

However, a bigger issue than the energy that players get from fans is the concern over whether games will even take place in the fall of 2020.

As the situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop, the Buckeyes’ match-up against the Oregon Ducks in Eugene is already more than likely to be played without fans or perhaps an even stronger response. This presents the possibility for either a switch in the home-and-home series (Columbus in 2020, Eugene in 2021), a move to a neutral site or simply cancellation of the game.

The other road games for Ohio State are: Oct. 17 against Michigan State, Oct. 24 against Penn State, Nov. 14 against Maryland and Nov. 21 against Illinois. Whether each of these games would be played, or how they will be, could be down to the state governors and the guidelines they set.

Assuming any of these Ohio State football games are played, the environment would be very different. It’s possible the bands would still be there – likely with some form of social distancing – but the loss of the roar of the crowd would create an eerie silence after a touchdown or a big defensive stop. The only noise would be made by the cheering of the coaching staff and other players.

Another effect would be fewer false starts in any college football stadium. Offensive lines would have no issue hearing the snap count, which is often drowned out in environments like Beaver Stadium or Death Valley.

Even more than the impact fans have on the game itself, the camaraderie that comes with being surrounded by 100,000 of your closest friends would be sorely missed if the 2020 college football season is played behind closed doors.

With all the questions surrounding what the game may look like in 2020, one thing is certain. It will look very different and one of the pillars that makes college football so special could be gone.