Gene Smith seemingly shut the door on Ohio State potentially playing a fall season on Tuesday when he said playing outside of the Big Ten was "not realistic" and that the Buckeyes were moving forward with a spring season.
But it turns out, Ohio State hasn't quite ruled playing in the fall just yet.
In his first media appearance since the Big Ten announced its postponement of the fall football season, Ryan Day told reporters that he and Smith continue to discuss the matter "at length" and that they are "looking at everything," calling it a "fluid situation."
Ryan Day does not completely shut the door on playing this fall: "That's a fluid situation. I know Gene and I talked again this morning at length about this."
— Colin Hass-Hill (@chasshill) August 12, 2020
He says "we are looking at everything."
Even before the Big Ten's announcement, Day suggested Ohio State could consider playing a fall season outside of the Big Ten if the conference postponed its fall season, telling ESPN's College Football Live that they "need to look at everything" during his Monday appearance
"If that's the only option at the time, we need to explore it, see if that's something we can possibly do," Day said on Monday. "Because if it is, and that's what's best for our kids, then we need to look at that and do it."
However, Smith quickly shot down the option shortly after the Big Ten's announcement on Tuesday, saying such a move is "not realistic."
"We’ve been a member of the Big Ten for a long time We share the same values as our member institutions,” said Smith. “We’re in the Big Ten. We’re not looking to play someone else outside our conference. We have a contract that we’re obligated to with our television partners.”
But after Day's comments on Wednesday, it seems no final decisions have been made and Ohio State is still trying to determine its best course of action.
