The Ohio State Buckeyes will compete for the Big Ten Championship on Saturday, and they’ll be doing it without a lot of players.
The Buckeyes’ availability report lists 22 players as out for the game against Northwestern on Saturday night. The biggest name on the list is wide receiver Chris Olave, whose 528 receiving yards rank second on the team.
No reason was cited for the absences. However, Kyle Rowland of the Toledo Blade notes that the players would be in danger of missing the College Football Playoff semifinal if any of the players tested positive for COVID-19.
The Buckeyes must beat Northwestern to keep their playoff hopes alive. As deep as they are, that will certainly be tougher with this many players sidelined. That said, given the team’s many critics, winning this game without key players could make their resume look stronger.
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