Ryan Day Weighs in on College GameDay During Important Weekend for Possible Big Ten Return

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day appeared on College GameDay on Saturday to echo many of the thoughts he expressed on Thursday. He's hopeful for a Big Ten season beginning in mid-October.

There's a chance that by the end of the weekend, Big Ten Football fans will know if and when they'll see their favorite teams on the field. According to ESPN's Heather Dinich and Fox's Bruce Feldman, the Big Ten's Return to Competition Task Force is making a presentation to eight of the 14 members on the Big Ten's Council of Presidents and Chancellors with the chance to show them it's possible to play football this fall.

The goal of the presentation is to get back on the playing field quickly as new medical advances have become available - notably, several different rapid antigen tests that can help lessen the stress of contact tracing.

"The Big Ten's return to competition taskforce is meeting with eight university presidents and chancellors today," Dinich said during Saturday's appearance on College GameDay. "The athletic directors and doctors on that committee will show them at least four testing models that could lead to daily testing and significantly decrease the need for contact tracing.

"Now, if that is approved today, they could call a full board meeting for Sunday which might possibly lead to a vote. Remember, the last time they voted, it was 11 to 3 to postpone. This time, they would lead at least nine votes in order to return to competition, which means this medical advice needs to be buttoned up because six of them would have to change their minds. Multiple sources have told me these presidents would not be swayed by what’s been written or said in the media.

"In fact, I've been told it could turn them the other way. If they approve it, sources tell me the earliest possible return is a month from now which means mid to late October."

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day also joined ESPN's College GameDay this morning.

"The presidents have a tough job here and we’ll see what comes out of the weekend. But the top thing we’re focusing on is just our players. The number one job for a coach is to take care of your players," Day said. "We fully understand that there have been hundreds of thousands of people who have lost their lives and loved ones during this time, and by no means am I comparing what they’ve been through to what we’ve been through.

"But it’s been very difficult for our players. They’ve had a hard the past month and certainly the past few weeks understanding how it all fits in for them. They’ve done everything that’s been asked, and to see others playing, that’s where they’ve had the hardest time."

As far as a possible restart is concerned, Day is hopeful there is still a chance the Buckeyes could take the field and have a chance to compete in the College Football Playoff.

"We've always defer to our medical experts and personnel. Again, there's people around the country and within our footprint that have the same goals and values the Big Ten has that follow the same principles are playing football this weekend. We're learning more and more every day."

"I don't know if there's an exact date, but we need to try to get going by mid-October to get in the conversation for the CFP."

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