Could we see Ohio Stadium at full capacity this fall?

14 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are seeing signs that things are trending in the right direction. Even though Ohio State wasn’t allowed to have fans in attendance for football games during the fall because of a Big Ten mandate, the Buckeyes were able to allow some fans inside of Ohio Stadium for last month’s spring game.

So what does that mean for this fall? With four months to go before Ohio State’s home season opener against Oregon, there are still questions to be answered before we get an answer to that question. How many fans are allowed into Ohio Stadium this fall will hinge on how well Ohio does when it comes to getting the COVID-19 vaccine into the arms of residents.

Currently just over 40% of adult residents in Ohio have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot, and a little more than 33% have received two doses of the vaccine. With the age requirement to receive the vaccine being dropped to 16 and older in Ohio at the end of March, there are plenty of residents who have done their part and at least started the vaccine process.

Unfortunately there are many who haven’t started the vaccine process, and won’t be starting it anytime soon. It’s understandable to be skeptical of what you are putting into your body, but there are many who are against it because they are listening to the wrong people.

Personally, I’ll trust science and medical professionals over noted idiots Tucker Carlson, Clay Travis, and other. Besides, I thought it was common knowledge that if you on the opposite side of Travis that you were guaranteed to turn a profit.

Honestly, if you want the COVID-19 vaccine, not being able to find it isn’t really an excuse anymore, unlike a couple months ago where the rollout gradually included younger people. There have been vaccine clinics at the Schottenstein Center, St. John Arena, and the Celeste Center. You can walk into the Columbus Health Department, and many grocery stores and pharmacies and get the vaccine without even making an appointment. Hell, you can even take in a Columbus Clippers game, get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and a beer.

For those who might be a little fearful of the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine, I can at least share my experience. I got the Moderna vaccine, with my first dose being on April 1st and the second on April 29th. I received both of my vaccines at a Kroger pharmacy, and it took no time at all. Had it not been for a 15-minute “observation period” after the shot, I would have been in and out of the store in 10 minutes.

After both shots I did have some pain at the injection site of my army, with it feeling like I got hit in the arm. After a day or two the pain wasn’t even noticeable anymore. Since I had heard some people were dealing with some more symptoms after the second shot, I made sure to drink a bottle of Pedialyte the night before, and after the shot to try and help with hydration. About 30 hours after my second shot, I did feel a little crummy with some body pain. It was almost like I could feel a head cold/flu was coming on, but when I woke up the next morning those symptoms had disappeared and I felt normal.

I know my experience isn’t going to be the same for everyone. I do have plenty of friends and family who have started the vaccine process, and many who have completed both shots. I haven’t had one person I know need to be hospitalized or pass away because of their reactions to the shot. Obviously the same can’t be said for actual COVID-19.

I just want to be able to go to live sports and concerts without have to worry about social distancing and all the other rules and regulations that we are seeing now. I did attend the season opener for the Columbus Crew a few weeks ago, which was my first live event since March 2020. While it was nice to get a little bit of normalcy by attending a live sporting event, it wasn’t the same as pre-pandemic.

Prior to COVID-19 shutting down the world, I was planning on going out to Oregon for the Ohio State-Oregon game in September. Obviously that game never happened, but this year’s the teams will meet in Columbus. What better way would there be to open up this year’s home schedule than by selling out The Horseshoe for Ohio State’s marquee non-conference game?

We can do this together. Many people already started the vaccine process, while there are plenty of others that are fully vaccinated. You aren’t selling your soul to the devil if you get the vaccine, and I’m sure Bill Gates has much more to worry about now that he is getting divorced than tracking your every movement.

When Buckeye Nation works together, we can accomplish anything. Let’s show everyone that “Ohio Against the World” is no joke. All the players and coaches said it was nice to have fans in attendance for the spring game. While the turnout was great, we can do even better. The players deserve to be able to hear our voices after what they did last year in front of no fans.

Getting the vaccine doesn’t just protect you, it helps to protect others. Show not only all the other Buckeyes fans in your life, but anyone close to you, that you care about their health and well-being by trusting science and getting the shot. That way we can make up for some lost time this fall with some amazing Saturdays at The Horseshoe.