Report: B1G Championship Game 'not in jeopardy' despite COVID-19 concerns
The Big Ten Championship Game is not in jeopardy of being canceled due to COVID-19, according to a report.
That’s per ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, who adds that multiple key players could be out for the Buckeyes.
Could be several key players out for #Buckeyes, but game is not in jeopardy, I’m told. https://t.co/LUsTApsEYR
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) December 18, 2020
The concern over the game re-surfaced on Friday morning when Ohio State announced it would not release a player availability report until Saturday morning.
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Typically, when the Buckeyes have been healthy this season, that report comes on Friday. However, Ohio State has delayed its release to game day when its dealing with COVID-19 issues.
This is the same release schedule as Ohio State’s last game at Michigan State when 23 players were unavailable. For the first four games, the Buckeyes put out a status report on Friday.
— Joey Kaufman (@joeyrkaufman) December 18, 2020
Ohio State is likely playing for a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes are currently ranked No. 4 despite a 5-0 record and face a quality opponent in Northwestern on Saturday.
OSU has had three games canceled due to COVID-19 so far this season, including two due to their opponents having issues with the virus. The Wildcats have been more fortunate, only missing one game so far.
These two teams met in the 2018 Big Ten Championship, with Ohio State winning that game 45-24.
Kickoff is at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday.
