Four months ago, the college football universe was set to move on without the presence of Ohio State or the rest of the Big Ten in 2020. Buckeye fans across the world had spent an offseason waiting for a shot at redemption in the College Football Playoff, but with a pandemic in full-swing, it appeared unlikely Ohio State would get to play any games at all.
However, over the course of September and October, the conference got its ducks in a row, and a week before Halloween, the Buckeyes were playing football in Columbus again. Now, after a season full of cancellations, contact tracings and involuntary roster adjustments, Ohio State is at last back in the National Championship.