Ohio State may be hoping for another decision from the B1G if the Buckeyes are able to win Saturday.

At this point, fans are well-aware of the bone that conference leadership tossed Ryan Day and Ohio State recently. Despite not meeting the conference’s pre-established six-game threshold during 2020, the B1G voted to eliminate the rule and allow the Buckeyes to play Northwestern for the B1G Championship.

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That game is set to kick off in just a little while. A win by Ohio State, currently No. 4 on the rankings for the College Football Playoff, would likely send the Buckeyes to a Jan. 1 semifinal contest with a shot at a national championship.

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Unfortunately, the availability of some Ohio State players was thrown into question Saturday morning. The latest status report for the Buckeyes listed 22 players out against Northwester, including star receiver Chris Olave, linebacker Baron Browning, and punter Drue Chrisman.

Why is that significant for Jan. 1? Though Ohio State does not list the reason for player absences, the speculation is that at least some of these players are out due to testing positive for COVID-19. And depending on when players test positive for the virus, they could be in line to miss a potential CFP game due to the B1G’s 21-day rule for players who test positive.

While it is all speculation and remains to be seen, a number of people have argued against the B1G’s COVID protocols from the start of the season. The conference has gone above and beyond current CDC guidelines for the virus with many believing the 21-day window is unnecessarily long for healthy individuals.

Is it possible the conference would pivot its rules yet again if it needs to do so to help the Buckeyes? Time will tell.