Ohio State sophomore quarterback Justin Fields (1) looks to throw a pass in the second half of the Big Ten Championship game against Wisconsin Dec. 7. Ohio State won 34-21. Credit: Cori Wade | Photo Editor

The advent of fall marks the beginning of football — at least outside the Big Ten. 

Although college football is beginning to ramp up — especially with the Atlantic Coastal Conference and Big 12 set to kick off Power Five football this week — Ohio State and the rest of the Big Ten practice without a game in sight. Conferences that have played or are scheduled to play are navigating the obstacles of playing amidst COVID-19 concerns, and Ohio State players, parents and coaches await an opportunity to play as well. 

At the Football Parents at Ohio State rally at Ohio Stadium Aug. 29, Gee Scott Sr., father of freshman wide receiver Gee Scott Jr., expressed confusion with how the Big Ten could not move forward with a season while other conferences, including the Southeastern Conference — where Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren’s son plays — prepared to play. 

“Help us understand why it is okay for you and your family, Mr. Warren, to decide if your kids play football, and it’s not okay for me and our parents to decide if our kids can play football,” Scott Jr. said Aug. 29. 

The fight to play does not stop at the Columbus city limits, however. Three hours north in Ann Arbor, Michigan, parents of Wolverine football players held a rally on campus Saturday to protest the Big Ten’s decision to postpone the fall sports season. 

One key attendee of the rally was Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, who spoke on the timetable his players would need to return. 

“We want to play as soon as we possibly can,” Harbaugh said Saturday. “And we’re ready to play. We could be ready to play a game in two weeks.”

Although return dates of Thanksgiving and Jan. 1 have been thrown around, Corey Teague, father of Ohio State redshirt sophomore running back Master Teague, said the return date could be determined based on the timing in which the Big Ten decides football is safe to return. 

“Get the guys back on the field and give them time enough to start training again, start practicing again, start getting football ready again,” Teague said. “Whatever time frame that takes is the time frame they should give to start the season.”

Ohio State’s modified Sept. 3 start date and original Sept. 5 kickoff have both passed without the Buckeyes taking a single snap. Other Division I Football Bowl Subdivision teams were able to meet their early-September starting point, with teams such as Marshall, Army and Memphis participating in games last weekend. 

The ACC and adopted member Notre Dame, as well as the Big 12, are set to play Saturday, and the Southeastern Conference is scheduled to start its season Sept. 26. 

The return to football has not been entirely smooth, however. A Sept. 12 game scheduled between TCU and SMU was postponed due to positive COVID-19 tests from members of TCU. 

“Everyone’s health and safety remains our top priority,” Jeremiah Donati, TCU director of intercollegiate athletics, said in a statement. “We share in your disappointment, but firmly believe we will be ready to resume football activities soon.”

The Big 12 released a set of requirements for a team to be eligible to play a game. Including a minimum of 53 available players, the conference set a benchmark of at least seven offensive linemen, four defensive linemen and one quarterback that must be available on any given gameday. 

Ohio State has been participating in 20-hour work weeks even with no known start date in sight. Despite an unknown playing schedule, Ohio State defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs took to Twitter to give an update on how the team was doing. 

“Only at Ohio State would over 100 players gather & practice so hard on a Saturday morning with so much uncertainty ahead of them! It is a privilege to coach here!” Coombs tweeted Saturday. 

Although the Big Ten has postponed the football season due to COVID-19 concerns, the Buckeyes are yet to have a player declare for the NFL draft. 

Elsewhere in the college football landscape, marquee players like LSU junior wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Georgia graduate transfer quarterback Jamie Newman both decided to forgo the season to focus on preparing for the NFL draft. 

If the Big Ten plans to return in time to participate in the College Football Playoff, a season would need to be played prior to the CFP’s final ranking release Dec. 20. 

In terms of Ohio State’s preparedness to play, University President Kristina Johnson expressed confidence in the protocols in place at Ohio State. 

“At the Ohio State University, I have full faith and confidence that we’ve created a program that does keep our players safe and would allow us the ability to compete,” Johnson said Wednesday on WOSU’s public affairs talk show “All Sides with Ann Fisher.”