COLUMBUS – What a short, strange trip it’s been.
CFP National Semifinal
(3) OHIO STATE (6-0) vs. (2) CLEMSON (10-1)
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, La.
Fri., Jan. 1 (8:00 p.m./ ESPN)
To play through a pandemic, college football players had to sacrifice much of their lives away from the game and endure constant stress of knowing the next test could be the one that derails a season.
To reach the playoff, the Buckeyes, Clemson, Alabama and Notre Dame had to go a combined 37-2 on the field and keep the virus at bay. Doing so required lots of COVID-19 testing and little time spent with anyone outside the team.
Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields says day-to-day activities, like going to the store in a mask, or playing with no fans in the stadium were difficult to adjust to.
“It’s a lot of stuff I’ve missed. Of course, it’s been a crazy year for everybody, so I’m just glad it’s almost over and we’re getting through it,” Fields said to reporters Monday.
The Buckeyes had three of their eight scheduled regular-season games cancelled because of COVID-19, leaving them with a 6-0 record, an object of criticism from Clemson’s head coach, who ranked Ohio State No. 11 on his year-end coaches’ poll ballot.
“Has it been normal? No, but here we are. We asked for this opportunity and now we got to go,” OSU head coach Ryan Day said.
And even when the players were together, there were obstacles — both literal and figurative — to bonding with teammates.