Ohio State football: How will leaders manage COVID-19 in season?
The clock is ticking quickly on deciding how to execute the upcoming Ohio State football season. We all want it to run normally, though that seems like a stretch at this point.
A spring without sports has injected steroids into an Ohio State fanbase that is insane under normal circumstances. Alterations made by the decision-makers will be met with mixed emotions, but ultimately accepted just to get a taste of the sport we all love.
The leaders have so many details to address. The most intriguing one is how will they deal with the inevitable blows COVID-19 will deliver?
I do not mean how will COVID-19 impact the number of games played or how many fans will be allowed to attend. I am talking about the gray areas that will cause more angst in a sport already mired in yearly controversy and debate about its postseason.
What happens when an Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida or Oregon gets a spike in COVID-19 cases during the season? That seems like a real possibility, especially given the numbers from Kansas State and Clemson this week.
Will these teams be allowed to play? If not, are these games forfeited?
If so, the losses will severely disrupt conference races. Will the fans accept that?
How about the College Football Playoff Committee evaluations? Let’s say Clemson misses three games. Should the Committee make special circumstances if the Tigers finished with no losses in games played?
What happens if the winner of one of the playoff semifinals gets a COVID-19 outbreak before the championship game? Will the game get postponed or will the other team be crowned champion automatically?
The controversy would be legendary if, for example, Alabama gets a COVID-19 outbreak and Ohio State collects the championship.
We’re still two-and-a-half months away before week one. The hope is we’ll get lucky and have a typical season.
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It will take a miracle for that to happen. My guess is we’ll have to live with chaos. It is still better than no Ohio State football at all.