I don’t know if it’s really sunk in yet. On Saturdays when we turn the television on this fall between September and November, there will be no Ohio State football. That means no Skull Session, no TBDBITL running out of the tunnel, no Script Ohio, and no domination on the gridiron with players wearing Scarlet and Gray.
Save me the fact that we’re still hopeful for a spring (or winter) season and all of that. In fall when the leaves start to change, the skies begin to turn gray, and the days begin to shorten always left me with a nostalgic feeling of college football Saturdays in the Midwest. For most of us here, that means Ohio State football. But yet, the Horseshoe will be empty when the autumn air descends during that time of year in 2020.
And to make matters worse, this had the potential to be one of the very special years in Ohio State football history. Sure, it seems like we’ve said that every year the last decade or so, but this team had something building, and now were not going to be able to see it because of the Big Ten’s decision to postpone the fall season in the midst of a pandemic.
If it doesn’t leave me pining for things just yet, it sure will when I turn on the television and watch an SEC, Big 12, or ACC game and wonder what could have been come late September.
So, let’s get our crystal ball out and give you five things we would have seen accomplished during the 2020 Ohio State football season.
Next … More B1G trophies?
Ohio State wins another division and Big Ten Championship
Ohio State voted 2020 Big Ten favorite in https://t.co/1OSozV73YO Preseason Poll https://t.co/DThT44i5of
— Phil Steele (@philsteele042) July 31, 2020
The Buckeyes have won three-straight Big Ten Championships and at least a share of eight straight Big Ten East division titles. That would have continued in the fall of 2020. With Justin Fields running the show in his second year under Day’s offense, and with so many weapons to choose from, the offense would have been almost unstoppable.
The defense may not have been quite as good as last season, but there’s still plenty of athletes and playmakers ready to step up on the defensive line and secondary to go with a versatile and veteran linebacking corps. This could all still go down in the spring, but the fall would have been spectacular.
Next … Trey Sermon breaks out
Trey Sermon rushes for over 1,000 yards
Trey Sermon owns two of the top-ten most elusive rushing seasons since 2014.
He's going to be a problem with Ohio State in 2020.pic.twitter.com/pYBqI80CgT
— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 30, 2020
The world doesn’t quite know how good Oklahoma transfer Trey Sermon is, but it would have found out. Sermon may have gotten lost in the shuffle at Oklahoma, but some of it had to do with injury. At Ohio State, he would have been a game breaker in the fall. He most likely would have split some time with Master Teague if healthy, but his athleticism and burst would have been on full display running behind one of the best offensive lines in the country.
Sermon would have been used often in multiple packages with huge success as defenses keyed on Fields and the dynamic passing game. That would have opened things up for him on the ground. He would have eclipsed 1,000 yards even in a shortened season and become a household name.
Next … A Heisman for QB1?
Justin Fields wins the Heisman
.@LauraRutledge is predicting that Justin Fields will win the Heisman this season. Here's why ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/LaPVVHjlek
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) June 3, 2020
Fields would have put up some ridiculous numbers in a fall season. With only ten games, he couldn’t have touched some of the stats Dwayne Haskins and J.T. Barrett put up, but his completion percentage and per game stats would have been out of this world. And with so many weapons surrounding him, the highlights would have lit up the television and internet.
It all would have culminated with Fields getting an invite to New York where he would end up with a bronze statue in his baggage claim on the way home. That means Ohio State would take the lead over any program with eight total Heisman winners.
Next … Another TTUN butt-whooping
Another Ohio State win over Michigan
I went to Ohio State, so I'm not great at math, but I guess not playing in 2020 would be a creative way for Michigan to avoid the losing streak extending to nine.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 24, 2020
Oh, of course. This seems as likely as death, taxes, and Republicans and Democrats blaming each other for the nation’s problems. I mean, That Team Up North has only managed one victory in the last sixteen years, and things seem to be getting worse, not better over the last couple of seasons.
This fall Michigan was set to visit the ‘Shoe and play against a team full of talent, coaching, and drive. Ryan Day has even gone on record as saying this year’s team had the makings of a “team of a lifetime.”
If you liked the Buckeyes chances to beat the Wolverines in previous years, this one was a season you’d take to the bank. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll still see it all happen after the calendar flips to 2021.
Next … A run for the Roses
No stopping to smell the Roses
Phil Steele predicts the Ohio State Buckeyes will win the 2020 national championship.https://t.co/QiB4ngN4bs pic.twitter.com/U9KqvZ0zAa
— 247Sports (@247Sports) July 21, 2020
Ohio State would have gone to its 16th Rose Bowl in January of 2021 after an undefeated fall campaign. But the stakes are a little higher this year in Pasadena because it’s one of the semifinals for the College Football Playoff.
Unlike other years when the Buckeyes have gone to the “Grandaddy of the all,” this time there would be more to play for after a win at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. OSU would win there, then head to Miami where it would finish things off with its second national championship in six years.
Bank on it.
