Alabama vs. Ohio State CFP Final to Be Played as Scheduled Despite Rumors

Despite concerns about availability for Ohio State players, the College Football Playoff National Championship Game will be played Monday night as scheduled, according to Heather Dinich of ESPN.

"As I have said all week the game is on. Alabama’s team will be traveling to Miami tonight, Ohio State will be arriving [Saturday]," CFP executive director Bill Hancock said Friday. "We look forward to a great night of college football."

Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne said his team is "good to go" after receiving their COVID-19 test results. Dinich reported the Crimson Tide will arrive in Miami tonight, while the Buckeyes are set to travel tomorrow.

John Talty and Matt Zenitz of AL.com previously reported there were discussions about postponing the game because of COVID-19 with Ohio State potentially without a position group as a result of testing and protocols.

Dan Patrick also reported Thursday that Ohio State was close to the minimum amount of players required for a game:

Buckeyes coach Ryan Day downplayed the concerns, saying Thursday: "We’ll have plenty of players."

Ohio State has already had its season heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Big Ten had a shortened regular season with only eight games per team, while the Buckeyes only completed five of them because of outbreaks in three different weeks.

The squad remained undefeated and won a Big Ten title before beating Clemson in the Sugar Bowl to earn a spot in the championship game.

Alabama (12-0) had one game postponed earlier this season but made up the matchup against LSU three weeks later. The Crimson Tide enter the championship game coming off a 31-14 win over Notre Dame in the Rose Bowl.