ROSEMONT, Ill. — Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith had high praise for college football’s playoff system — and a warning to the NCAA about adding another round. More bandages will be needed. Smith said his Buckeyes were a banged-up bunch as they marched toward the championship and expanding the playoff field form four to eight teams will only add to the bumps and bruises. Ohio State knocked off Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and Oregon in the title game. But the way Smith sees it, a third game sure would add to the physical toll after watching his Buckeyes beat rival Michigan before playing in the league title game. “Could they (play one)? Sure,” he said Tuesday. “Would we have had significant injuries? No doubt. We had a nice gap between the Big Ten championship game and the Sugar Bowl. But we still had guys recovering from playing the gauntlet of the regular season. We play the ‘team up north,’ that’s a tough game for us. And we turn around and play the championship game. We have guys recovering after that.” Smith said if another round was added, it would have to be in December and not January. He also praised the playoff, and he insisted the kind words were not the product of his team’s championship. “The kids had a great time, not just because we won, but because of the way they set it up,” he said. “I really like the fact they took the semi game and made it like the bowl experience, because that was one of our concerns. It worked.” Smith and other Big Ten administrators are meeting through Wednesday at the conference’s headquarters…
Continue Reading: Ohio State AD says College Football Playoff ‘worked,’ but wary of expanding field
