Ohio State Football: Options for Big Ten to still participate in Playoffs

This Ohio State team had the potential to not only win the Big Ten but to make the College Football Playoffs and win a National Championship. With plenty of rumors still circulating on when a season could start, timing will influence if these goals are possible.

There have been plenty of rumors about when and/or if a season will be happening for the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2020.

Ideas have ranged from nothing until after the new year (and even then, not including the top players who will be preparing for the draft) to starting as soon as October, to not starting until after Thanksgiving and playing in only domed stadiums.

As of right now each of these are just rumors and each seem to have just as much sway as the others. A major consideration with each of these options should be if the Big Ten and most likely Ohio State would have a chance to compete for a spot in the College Football Playoffs.

Obviously, any season starting after the New Year would only be viable if the other conferences are not able to complete their seasons in 2020. This would be either due to a conference saying no football will be played, or too many reschedules because of outbreaks, but this option is the least likely for Ohio State to be able to compete.

A season starting after Thanksgiving holds similar problems. Ohio State would at most be able to finish four or five games before the College Football Playoffs started which would not be enough to bounce any team that played a full season.

A season starting at the beginning of November would have a chance but would need the other conferences to hold off selecting the teams for the playoffs. If Ohio State is able to play 8 games, go undefeated, and win big in most of them, then there would be a chance they could impress the selection committee enough to earn a spot. The issue would be the other conferences agreeing to let Ohio State play a few more games before deciding on the final four teams.

The most viable option for Ohio State and the rest of the Big Ten is starting a season in early October. This would give enough time to still have a Big Ten Championship and have a team ready to go by selection day.

If the Big Ten wants a chance at sending a team to the College Football Playoffs, they need to get a season started as soon as possible.