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Ohio State Football: Could Alabama be added to regular season schedule?

By Blake Biscardi

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 01: Ezekiel Elliott #15 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the All State Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 1, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 01: Ezekiel Elliott #15 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the All State Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 1, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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The schedules of the Ohio State football team and Alabama both currently possess a caveat that could lead to the most epic season opener in recent memory.

Layered levels of uncertainty surround the sports world right now, especially college football. Safely returning to campus and preparing to play the season is all being figured out, but light appears at the end of the tunnel — especially for the Ohio State football team.

Dave Biddle of 247Sports reported earlier Ohio State’s football players will be returning to campus June 8th. This is a big step in the right direction in terms of playing a college football season in the fall.

Other conferences such as the SEC and Big 12 also have their votes shortly to determine outlooks for both student and athlete safety. The ACC, like the Pac-12, is in a peculiar spot as it’s conference make up spans the coast line.

Speculation and concern are both arising that the Pac-12 may not be able to play in 2020, but nothing is definitive. However, if the conference out west is not able to participate in the fall college football season, Ohio State will have to make a scheduling change.

The Buckeyes are scheduled to travel to Eugene, Oregon to face the Ducks in Autzen on September 12th. For this scenario, assuming Oregon cancels on Ohio State, the Buckeyes will have an open date in which they will need to fill – likely with a quality opponent similar to the Ducks.

Well, it just so happens a team from the SEC also has a team from the PAC-12 scheduled in September. Alabama and USC are set to open the season September 5th. But, again, if the PAC-12 is unable to play, the Crimson Tide will also have an open date in early September.

Ohio State hosts Bowling Green in week one and Alabama hosts Georgia State in week two. What if Ohio State slid Bowling Green to September 12th and freed up the season opener?

Ohio State versus Alabama to open the college football season would be one of the most epic regular season showdowns in the history of the sport. After the difficult start to 2020 and the loss of spring football, this heavyweight fight is the matchup college football didn’t know it needed — but could get if all the ingredients fall into place.

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Of course this is just speculation, but it seems to be becoming more feasible with each passing day.

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