COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — No. 3 Ohio State will be “a little shorthanded” because of a COVID-19 outbreak but continues to practice ahead of its scheduled game at Michigan State, coach Ryan Day said Thursday.
So far, so good, this week for Ohio State, which voluntarily canceled its game at Illinois last week because of a spike in positive tests among its 170 players and staff in Columbus.
There were no details on which players might be missing for Saturday’s game in East Lansing — the program will issue a list of unavailable players Friday — but Day will for sure be staying at home after a positive test last week.
“It’s been a tough, tough week,” Day said on his weekly radio show, the only media interview of the week for him. “It’s certainly been a frustrating week. But I’m resting comfortably.”
Day will be convalescing at home Saturday, watching the game on TV like everybody else.
“It will probably be the hardest three hours of my life,” he said.
Players and staff will be tested at about 8 p.m. Friday before getting on the plane for a game Ohio State (4-0) must get in to log the minimum of six needed to be eligible for a Big Ten title.
That means the Buckeyes also must play next week’s regular-season finale against Michigan, which because of positive tests had to suspend football activities and scrap this week’s game against Maryland.
While the Big Ten requires a minimum of six games for title eligibility, there is no such threshold for the College Football Playoff. Ohio State is No. 4 in that ranking this week.
Day said the toughest part for everybody in the program has been all the stopping and starting.
“I just think the emotional toll it takes,” he said. “To say just ‘It’s OK, we’re just going to get over it’ isn’t fair. We’ve had to just continually get over the disappointments, these stops, these starts.
“To go win a football game at any level, but certainly in college football and at Ohio State, you have to get yourself emotionally ready to play any game. And when those games are taken away, it’s hard to create that momentum again.”
Standing in for Day on Saturday will be defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who has been on the staff since 2014. The 68-year-old assistant talked about the challenges of coaching and cajoling players virtually much of the time these days.
“The Zoom is tough,” Johnson said. “You can give information, but you can’t give a feel of the passion of the information. You want to see guys’ eyes and how they react. It’s tough to do that when you’re showing videotape and talking to the guys (on Zoom). Sometimes I think I’m talking to myself.”
No. 3 Ohio State hoping for return to field against Spartans
The first step for No. 3 Ohio State is showing up.
If the Buckeyes can do that, they have to like their chances of reaching another Big Ten title game.
Right now the biggest question isn’t whether Ohio State can win out — it’s whether each of its last two regular-season games will be played. If so, then the Buckeyes will have the six games needed to be eligible for the conference championship game. It’s going to be a close call, however, after last weekend’s coronavirus-related cancellation against Illinois.
That was the second game Ohio State has missed during this truncated season. The Buckeyes have two left: Saturday at Michigan State and then the following weekend against Michigan.
The Big Ten requires six games for a team to be eligible for the title game, unless the average across the whole league falls below six — a possibility that seems remote at the moment. Ohio State (4-0, all Big Ten) missed a Nov. 14 game because of an outbreak at Maryland. Then the virus hit the Buckeyes.
First Ohio State announced that coach Ryan Day tested positive. Then the school voluntarily canceled the game at Illinois because of positive tests. The team was allowed to resume full practices this Tuesday afternoon — but without Day. Ohio State hasn’t done any media availability this week.
If the Buckeyes are able to take the field, they’ll face a Michigan State team coming off an upset victory over another previously undefeated team. The Spartans (2-3) beat then-No. 11 Northwestern last weekend.
“It definitely helps coming off a good game last week,” Michigan State quarterback Rocky Lombardi said. “We’ve got a little bit more momentum. The team is feeling better. Any advantage we can have, we’ll take it.”
MEET THE NEW BOSS
Filling in for Day, defensive line coach Larry Johnson is getting his first chance to be a head coach.
The 68-year-old Johnson has coached the Ohio State defensive front since 2014. He was hired by former coach Urban Meyer. Before that Johnson spent 18 years as defensive line coach at Penn State.
Johnson wanted to be head coach at Penn State after Bill O’Brien left for the NFL’s Houston Texans, but he didn’t get the job and chose to leave. Meyer snapped him up right away.
Johnson, who developed Nick Bosa, Joey Bosa and Chase Young into top-three overall draft picks, is known for his close relationships with players and the fact that he doesn’t swear — a rarity among college football coaches.
THE OTHER NEW BOSS
Mel Tucker is in his first season at Michigan State and has already pulled off a win at Michigan and a victory over that ranked Northwestern squad.
Tucker coached defensive backs at Ohio State from 2001-04.
NEAR THE TOP
Ohio State is No. 4 in the playoff ranking, so it’s certainly possible the Buckeyes could qualify for that even if they miss one of these next two games.
FAMILIAR
Michigan State safety Xavier Henderson would love to beat Ohio State this week. He’s from the Columbus, Ohio area.
“It definitely means something, especially being from right outside Columbus. It’s insane how they love their football in Columbus. It’s ridiculous,” Henderson said. “We’re always going to play with a chip on our shoulder, and I think maybe that chip might grow even more this week.”
This is Henderson’s third shot at the Buckeyes. Michigan State lost 26-6 and 34-10 the past two years.
HISTORY
Michigan State has defeated Ohio State five times when the Buckeyes were in the AP top five — Ohio State was No. 5 in 1972, No. 1 in 1974, No. 1 in 1998, No. 2 in 2013 and No. 2 in 2015.