Only hours after the Big Ten announced that the 2020 season was back on a black stripe was lost at Ohio State’s practice as transfer running back Trey Sermon lost his stripe on Wednesday afternoon. The former Oklahoma running back came to Ohio State as a graduate transfer only to see his collegiate playing career thrown into jeopardy as the conference tabled and then revived the 2020 season.

The black stripe was something employed under Urban Meyer and signifies the moment that a player really can call themselves a member of the Ohio State football team after they have earned their stripes and lose a black stripe that stands out on their helmet.

Fellow running back Master Teague removed the stripe for Sermon as the two will be in a camp battle for first team carries even though the Buckeyes will certainly employ a committee approach to the position, especially with a nine-game over nine weeks schedule on hand.

“He can do a lot of things,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said of Sermon in April. “He is big, strong, powerful, got good feet in the hole, can break tackles, he can run routes out of the backfield, he can pass protect… he is another versatile guy that is strong, powerful and intelligent in just talking to him and understanding his football IQ. We are fired up that he is a Buckeye.”

Sermon played in 37 games for the Sooners over his three-year playing career in Norman (Okla.) and would celebrate his most successful season in 2018, a year where Sermon would rush for 947 yards on 164 carries and 13 touchdowns.

The Buckeyes are awaiting word on when they can move from a 12-hour practice week to a 20-hour week, with the return of a football season to be played. We expect black stripes to be coming off first-year players in a hurry once things really start to ramp up as the Buckeyes have worked hard to remain in shape with the lessened workload while a season was not in play.