When Gene Smith previously held a teleconference with reporters on May 20, the Ohio State athletic director said he was “cautiously optimistic” that the nation’s battle with the COVID-19 pandemic would get to a point that ultimately, Ohio State and other college football teams around the country would be able to play their seasons as scheduled this fall.
In a teleconference with reporters on Thursday just minutes after the Big Ten announced that its fall sports teams wouldn’t play any non-conference games this upcoming season, Smith made it clear he no longer had the same level of confidence about Ohio State playing any football this season at all.