Ohio State?

Can they play their last two regular season games?

You know the story by now, therefore, no.

They need to get to six games to qualify for the Big 10 Championship.

They've missed two of their last three because of coronavirus concerns.

Here's their coach, and so you know they're focuses on Michigan State winning this game and, you know, little short handed.

But it will say a lot about our program if we can rally this week after, you know, having another disappointing weekend last weekend and come, come on the road and go get this win.

All right, let me bring Heather and Paul into the conversation.

Are regulars here?

And if they do play this game, it will be without Ryan Day.

That is part of what will be shorthanded.

What do we How do we stand right now?

Heather?

What?

When do we know exactly what their situation is?

Well, typically, on game day greeny, they release a player of availability chart.

I would expect they do the same thing if they don't do that today and the player availability chart remember, it includes injuries.

It includes anybody else who might be out.

They're not going to say specifically if players are missing because of co vid 19.

They have tried all along to protect the privacy of the student athletes and haven't revealed the scope of this, so we don't know exactly how shorthanded they might be.

But they are going to test again around 8 p.m. This evening to make sure they get on a clean plain so that the point is, they're gonna play if they reasonably can.

Paul Finebaum, I will ask you, Is it enough for them to win out as currently scheduled?

They play Michigan State in Michigan.

Is it enough for them just to win these games?

Or do they need style points?

They need style points right now.

Greeny.

I mean, they're depending on a 13 person committee to determine whether they play for the national championship or not.

And it was interesting.

On Tuesday night, the committee chairman talked about how he did.

They did not put Texas A and M with the number four position.

Why, Because they looked average against the defending national champion.

L s U.

So right, Right now it's all about style points, getting these games in, but but looking good in the process because all eyes are on the Buckeyes.

What's your sense, Heather?

No one covers that committee more closer than you do.

Obviously, some of the people on it change every year.

So it's not necessarily consistent.

Is your sense that the eye test is going to be critical for Ohio State?

Yes, the eye test matters this year, more than any other season, Gary Barta has said it.

It's one of the things they're using to help determine between these vastly unbalanced resumes, and Paul nailed it.

Look, when you look at Ohio stating that win against Indiana, which seems like forever ago, Justin Fields threw three interceptions, the past defense allowed almost 500 yards.

You're going to finish top four in the country.

Those things have to improve and Texas A and M, the selection committee is liking their defense.

They're keeping an eye on their offense, but they absolutely considered the Aggies for that number four spot this week, So the Buckeyes need to do everything they can to leave.

No doubt there are top 14 Paul.

How do you look ahead to next week?

Well, Michigan has problems, as we've heard with the A P reporting with 12 positive, so it's hard to know until Monday.

But if they if Ohio State cannot play Michigan, the Big 10 has to figure out a way.

They have the luxury of the schedule.

They could mix and match.

They need to be judicious and fair, and they need the support of the other AIDS.

But Ohio State can't miss next weekend.

That would be disastrous for their playoff hopes.

Yeah, I mean, at this point this year, I think a little bit of flexibility has proved to be very important.

Certainly in other conferences in the Big 10 may need to do it.

Meanwhile, I wanna produce, um, sneaky big news here because I came across the story, had to read it three times to make sure that I was completely understanding what I think is the magnitude of it.

The Night commission, which is a group of collegiate athletic leaders including presidents and former aides, has officially endorsed that the FBS what most of us will forever.

Noah's Division one college football split away from the CIA.

This is extremely significant.

It seems to me, Heather, what can you tell us about the importance of that decision?

Well, it's important because it's a recommendation that will be brought to the attention of NC Double A president Mark Emmert.

But it's also important to remember that the night commission doesn't actually have the power to change things.

And I reported last month a little bit about this survey.

So, you know, the survey was done in June.

It was, er, July.

It was a 15 minutes survey online, and there was over 300 participants of it.

My question is how many of the power five conference commissioners and university presidents agree with this and one of the questions on their greenie?

And we've talked about this before.

We should there be a commissioner of college football, and I could tell you in that survey on Lee, half only five of 10 FBS commissioners answered.

Two were power 53 were group of five.

So when you when you bring that into a larger perspective, how Maney agree with this philosophy of breaking apart and it's also important to remember that the people who make these decisions in the Double A four college football they are college football there the athletic directors and the conference commissioners and the Football Oversight Committee.

They're all power five people.

So, no, I don't know.

It makes sense, but we'll see what happens and how much work there is.

Paul, five years from now, will they have split off from the I think they will, and they need to.

Greedy.

Uh, this is an old conversation on this program, But during the biggest crisis in collegiate sports, the president of the Double A.

Mark Emmert, has been in the witness protection program.

Nobody sees him, nobody hears from him, and it's time to end this charade.

And big time college football needs a commissioner or a czar or committee of its own, Not depending on the governing body.

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