It was a mess. There is really no other way to describe the 2020 Ohio State football campaign without acknowledging the sheer, unadulterated chaos that defined it. While the rest of the world was figuring out Zoom calls and sourdough starters, Ryan Day and the Buckeyes were stuck in a "will-they, won't-they" relationship with the Big Ten office that felt more like a soap opera than a sports schedule. People remember the empty seats. They remember the piped-in crowd noise that sounded like a broken radio. But if you actually dig into what happened on the turf, you realize that this specific team might have been one of the most resilient groups to ever wear the Scarlet and Gray, even if the record books look a little light on games played.
Most fans focus on the blowout win over Clemson or the disappointing finale against Alabama. That's fine. Those were the big moments. But the real story of 2020 Ohio State football is found in the Tuesdays and Wednesdays when the facility was shut down and Justin Fields was leading a grassroots movement just to get permission to play. It was a year where the depth chart changed by the hour because of a positive test.
The Fight to Even Take the Field
Remember when the Big Ten just... quit? On August 11, 2020, Commissioner Kevin Warren and the university presidents pulled the plug on the season, citing player safety concerns. It felt final. Nebraska grumbled, but Ohio State fought. Justin Fields, the star quarterback, didn't just sit in his dorm; he started a petition that gathered over 300,000 signatures. Parents of players, led by Randy Wade (Shaun Wade's father), literally showed up at the Big Ten headquarters in Rosemont, Illinois, to protest. They wanted to play.
It worked. Eventually.
The season didn't start until October 24. By then, other conferences were already deep into their schedules. This put the Buckeyes in a massive hole regarding rhythm and conditioning. They didn't have the luxury of "cupcake" games to work out the kinks. They had to be perfect from the jump. And honestly, they kind of were, at least at first. They handled Nebraska and Penn State with a level of efficiency that made people think, "Okay, maybe this short season won't matter." But then the virus started hitting the locker room.
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Justin Fields and the Performance of a Lifetime
You cannot talk about 2020 Ohio State football without talking about the Sugar Bowl. It is the definitive game of that era. For a year, the Buckeyes had to hear Dabo Swinney talk down to them. Dabo even ranked Ohio State 11th in his Coaches Poll ballot because they had only played six games. It was a slight that the team took personally.
Then the game happened.
Fields took a brutal helmet to the ribs from Clemson’s James Skalski. He was clearly in agony. He could barely stand on the sideline. But he went back in. What followed was a clinic: 385 passing yards and six touchdowns. He outplayed Trevor Lawrence in a way that shifted the entire NFL Draft conversation. It wasn't just about the stats; it was the fact that he was doing it while essentially playing with a shattered midsection. That 49-28 win was a catharsis for every Buckeye fan who felt the season had been "unfair" up to that point. It proved that despite the lack of games, the talent was undeniably elite.
The Defensive Struggles and the Alabama Reality Check
We have to be honest here: the secondary was a problem. While the offense was humming, the back end of the defense was giving up chunks of yardage to anyone with a decent vertical threat. You saw it against Indiana, where Michael Penix Jr. threw for nearly 500 yards. The Buckeyes won that game 42-35, but it exposed a glaring weakness that would eventually haunt them in the National Championship.
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Kerry Coombs was in his first year back as defensive coordinator, and without a full spring practice or a normal fall camp, the "Best in the Country" unit looked lost. They relied heavily on a defensive line anchored by Haskell Garrett—who, by the way, was miraculously playing after being shot in the face earlier that summer. Think about that for a second. The toughness required to go from a hospital bed in August to First Team All-American in December is staggering.
When they finally met Alabama in Miami, the wheels fell off. DeVonta Smith, the Heisman winner, was unguardable. He had 12 catches for 215 yards and three scores... in the first half. Ohio State was missing key players like Tyreke Smith and Tommy Togiai due to COVID protocols. The 52-24 loss sucked the air out of the building. It was a reminder that even a "great" team can't overcome a lack of depth and preparation when facing one of the greatest college football rosters ever assembled.
The Weird Stats and 2020 Trivia
Because the season was so short, the stat lines look bizarre when you compare them to the Archie Griffin or Ezekiel Elliott eras.
- Trey Sermon's Record: Sermon, a transfer from Oklahoma, didn't do much for the first four games. Then he exploded. He ran for a school-record 331 yards in the Big Ten Championship against Northwestern.
- Master Teague: He was the steady hand, providing the "thunder" to Sermon's "lightning," finishing with eight touchdowns in just seven games.
- The Missing Games: Ohio State had games against Maryland, Illinois, and Michigan canceled. Yes, the Michigan game was canceled. It was the first time since 1917 that "The Game" wasn't played.
The cancellation of the Michigan game was particularly bitter. Rumors swirled that the Wolverines used COVID as an excuse to dodge a blowout, though Michigan camp vehemently denied it. Either way, it left a void in the season that no amount of postseason success could quite fill.
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Why 2020 Still Matters for the Program
A lot of people want to put an asterisk next to the 2020 Ohio State football season. Don't do that. It’s a lazy way to look at history. That season changed the way the program recruited. It showed that Ryan Day could maintain the culture Urban Meyer built, even under extreme external pressure. It also solidified Justin Fields as an all-time Buckeye legend.
The 2020 season also highlighted the importance of the transfer portal. Without Trey Sermon, Ohio State doesn't win the Big Ten. Without Sermon, they don't beat Clemson. It was a precursor to the modern "NIL and Portal" era we are living in now.
It was a year of "what ifs." What if they played a full 12-game schedule? Would the secondary have improved with more reps? Would Justin Fields have won the Heisman? We'll never know. What we do know is that the team finished 7-1, won their fourth straight Big Ten title, and reminded the country that the road to the playoff still runs through Columbus.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Historians
If you’re looking back at this season to understand the current state of the Big Ten or the Buckeyes, keep these points in mind:
- Study the Sugar Bowl Film: If you want to see the pinnacle of Ryan Day's offensive play-calling, watch the 2021 Sugar Bowl (played for the 2020 season). It’s a masterclass in exploiting over-aggressive defenses.
- Respect the "Short" Career: Don't judge 2020 players solely on their career totals. Look at their per-game averages. Players like Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson were putting up historic numbers on a per-snap basis that year.
- Contextualize the Alabama Loss: Realize that Ohio State was playing at about 80% strength due to virus protocols, while Alabama was one of the healthiest teams in the country that night. It doesn't change the score, but it explains the gap.
The 2020 season wasn't perfect. It was loud, confusing, and often frustrating. But for those who lived through it, it was a testament to why we care about this sport in the first place. It wasn't about the rankings or the trophies in the end; it was about the fact that against all odds, they actually found a way to play.