COLUMBUS, Ohio — When the proposal for a 12-team College Football Playoff leaked last summer, Ohio State fans saw a rare opportunity to introduce the southern half of the sport to Big Ten winters. Obviously they would prefer the Buckeyes be a top-four seed and receive a bye to the quarterfinals. Falling short of that, teams seeded 5-8 would host a playoff game, per that proposal. That could mean Southeastern Conference teams leaving their moderate winter climate for a potentially harsh afternoon or evening in the Ohio frost. Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith does not share those fans’ glee about subjecting players to those conditions — especially his own. He said Thursday he might recommend hosting one of these still-theoretical playoff game at an indoor facility, particularly Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The issue in Smith’s mind is not the potential for miserable weather conditions for fans, or players,…
Continue Reading: Why Ohio State’s Gene Smith wants the option to move home playoff games indoors, and why it might often make sense
