This college football season had a series of stops, starts and ripped-up schedules because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, despite its unevenness, the 2020 season did conclude — and with a familiar team at the top.For the sixth time under head coach Nick Saban, the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide are national champions, pulling away to defeat No. 3 Ohio State 52-24 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.At 13-0, Alabama ended a dominant season as the nation's only undefeated team. The Crimson Tide also avenged their loss to the Buckeyes in the inaugural College Football Playoff semifinals in the 2014 season.Heading into the fall, the initial outlook for these two teams were quite different. Like throughout the U.S., the pandemic wasn't handled in the same manner across the college football landscape.The Southeastern Conference didn't waver, opting to play a conference-only schedule for the 2020 season. Though at times impacted by COVID-19 — including Saban having to miss his team's game against Auburn after a positive test — Alabama had just one game postponed, which would eventually be played later in the season, against LSU.For Ohio State (7-1), vying to become the first team to win a national championship with just an 8-0 record since Minnesota did it in 1941, it wasn't so straightforward. In fact, it looked like Buckeyes wouldn't get to play at all.On August 11, the Big Ten Conference announced it was suspending fall sports, including football, because of health and safety concerns related to the pandemic. Just over a month later, on September 16, the conference reversed course, saying football season would resume in late October, including a specification that a team would need to play at least six games to be eligible for the conference championship game.But COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the schedule, and Ohio State had to cancel its game against Illinois, while two other schools (Maryland and Michigan) canceled against the Buckeyes because of their own COVID-19 concerns. That left the Buckeyes, at 5-0, on the outside looking in for the Big Ten title game.On December 9, officials from the Big Ten voted to amend its policy, which thereby extended Ohio State's season. The Buckeyes would come back against Northwestern in the Big Ten title game, and then went on to crush Clemson in the Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal.According to statistics provided by the College Football Playoff, Ohio State was one of 15 schools that had three games canceled and/or postponed without being made up. In all, according to the CFP, 111 games were canceled throughout the season because of the pandemic.
This college football season had a series of stops, starts and ripped-up schedules because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, despite its unevenness, the 2020 season did conclude — and with a familiar team at the top.
For the sixth time under head coach Nick Saban, the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide are national champions, pulling away to defeat No. 3 Ohio State 52-24 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
At 13-0, Alabama ended a dominant season as the nation's only undefeated team. The Crimson Tide also avenged their loss to the Buckeyes in the inaugural College Football Playoff semifinals in the 2014 season.
Heading into the fall, the initial outlook for these two teams were quite different. Like throughout the U.S., the pandemic wasn't handled in the same manner across the college football landscape.
The Southeastern Conference didn't waver, opting to play a conference-only schedule for the 2020 season. Though at times impacted by COVID-19 — including Saban having to miss his team's game against Auburn after a positive test — Alabama had just one game postponed, which would eventually be played later in the season, against LSU.
For Ohio State (7-1), vying to become the first team to win a national championship with just an 8-0 record since Minnesota did it in 1941, it wasn't so straightforward. In fact, it looked like Buckeyes wouldn't get to play at all.
On August 11, the Big Ten Conference announced it was suspending fall sports, including football, because of health and safety concerns related to the pandemic. Just over a month later, on September 16, the conference reversed course, saying football season would resume in late October, including a specification that a team would need to play at least six games to be eligible for the conference championship game.
But COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the schedule, and Ohio State had to cancel its game against Illinois, while two other schools (Maryland and Michigan) canceled against the Buckeyes because of their own COVID-19 concerns. That left the Buckeyes, at 5-0, on the outside looking in for the Big Ten title game.
On December 9, officials from the Big Ten voted to amend its policy, which thereby extended Ohio State's season. The Buckeyes would come back against Northwestern in the Big Ten title game, and then went on to crush Clemson in the Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal.
According to statistics provided by the College Football Playoff, Ohio State was one of 15 schools that had three games canceled and/or postponed without being made up. In all, according to the CFP, 111 games were canceled throughout the season because of the pandemic.
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