LINCOLN, NE - SEPTEMBER 28: Head coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes waits with his team to take the field before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)As of now, Alabama and Ohio State are set to meet on Jan. 11 for the national championship. Believe it or not, that could change in the coming days though.
On Tuesday afternoon, AL.com broke the news that Ohio State is dealing with COVID-19 issues. It’s possible the national championship game could get pushed back depending on how this situation develops over the next few days.
Brett McMurphy of Stadium is reporting that discussions are being had about moving the College Football Playoff title game to Jan. 18 to give Ohio State time to recover from its COVID-19 issues.
Because of COVID issues at Ohio State, there has been discussions about postponing @CFBPlayoff title game to Jan. 18, sources told @Stadium. 1st reported by @JTalty & @mzenitz. The game – for now – remains scheduled for Monday night
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) January 5, 2021
Moving the title game by an extra week shouldn’t be much of an issue, especially since it’s the final game on the schedule for this college football season. That being said, it seems like the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide are preparing to square off next Monday.
Yahoo insider Pete Thamel said Ohio State plans on playing on Jan. 11, but obviously things can change in the blink of an eye.
Sources: As of right now, Ohio State planning on playing in the title game as scheduled on Jan. 11. All systems are go for that. There's been COVID-19 issues at OSU, but not enough to postpone the game. This is obviously COVID-19 times, and things can change.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 5, 2021
The main concern for the Buckeyes is losing an entire position group due to COVID-19 testing and contact tracing protocols.
COVID-19 has made this the most challenging season in college football history. With the finish line clearly in the distance, it’s imperative that Alabama and Ohio State take a cautious approach to this national title game.
