Ohio State has shifted its traditional status report reveal as the team continues to deal with a reported COVID-19 outbreak within the program.

This story really began on Wednesday when there were reports of the Buckeyes dealing with several players testing positive for the virus. No official update was given on Thanksgiving though it is likely a positive sign that the team was able to practice Thursday.

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Many were expecting the traditional Ohio State status report on Friday to shed some light on the situation for Saturday’s game against Illinois, but that is not the case. Ohio State announced that the traditional status report would be pushed to Saturday morning at 10 am EST, just two hours before the scheduled kickoff.

What does that mean? It still is currently unclear.

On the one hand, it could be a good sign that the game is happening with the Buckeyes delaying as long as possible to reveal a status report. If that is the case, it could simply be a strategic maneuver to not inform Illinois early of which players are available.

On the other hand, it could mean the game is still in jeopardy. Without knowing the current testing situation within the program, there remains a possibility that the team is still watching cases tick upward and is waiting to see if the numbers plateaued by Saturday morning.

Without further information, we will just have to wait to see what Saturday brings. For now, the kickoff against the Illini is still set for 12 pm EST on FS1.