OHIO ST.-ILLINOIS GAME CANCELED
No. 3 Ohio State’s game at Illinois on Saturday was canceled because the Buckeyes have had a spike of COVID-19 cases this week, leaving the Big Ten’s best team precariously close to being ineligible to play for the conference title.
The cancelation Friday night came about seven hours after Ohio State announced coach Ryan Day tested positive and wouldn’t travel with the team to Champaign.
The team did not fly to Illinois as scheduled Friday night so additional COVID-19 testing could be conducted in Columbus, Ohio. The revised plan was to fly Saturday morning for an 11 a.m. kickoff.
After returning additional positive tests, Ohio State announced the game was called. The school paused all football activities.
This is the second game Ohio State has had canceled. The first came after an outbreak at Maryland earlier this month. Despite playing only four games so far, the Buckeyes (4-0) were fourth in the first College Football Playoff rankings released this week.
Big Ten rules require teams to play at least six games in this abbreviated season to be eligible to play in the conference championship. The minimum could drop if the average number of games played by all Big Ten teams falls below six.
In that case the minimum number of games required to be eligible for the championship would be two fewer than the average.
IOWA 26, NEBRASKA 20
Tyler Goodson ran for 87 of his 111 yards in the second half and Zach Van Valkenburg recovered Adrian Martinez’s late fumble to secure the host Hawkeyes’ win.
The Hawkeyes (4-2, 4-2 Big Ten) extended their win streak to four games and have beaten the Cornhuskers (1-4, 1-4) six years in a row.
Iowa was looking to add to its six-point lead when Keith Duncan’s 51-yard field-goal attempt bounced off the cross bar with 2:02 left. The Cornhuskers then drove from their 32 to the Iowa 39 before Martinez fumbled under pressure. Iowa ran out the last 1:18.
OREGON STATE 41, OREGON 38
Taking his first college snap after starting quarterback Tristan Gebbia limped off, Chance Nolan scored on a one-yard, fourthdown run with 33 seconds left to give the Beavers an upset victory over the No. 9 Ducks.
Jermar Jefferson ran for 226 yards and two touchdowns to help the Beavers (2-2) win their second consecutive game. The loss dashed any slim hopes the Ducks (3-1) had of a spot in the College Football Playoffs.
IOWA STATE 23, TEXAS 20
Breece Hall scored on a three-yard run with 1:25 remaining and the No. 15 Cyclones (7-2, 7-1 Big 12) held off a last-minute drive by Sam Ehlinger and the host No. 20 Longhorns (5-3, 4-3) to remain in first place in the Big 12.
After Iowa State sacked Ehlinger on third down, Texas kicker Cameron Dicker barely missed left with a 58-yard field-goal attempt as time expired.
WOMAN SOCCER PLAYER CAN MAKE HISTORY
Women’s soccer player Sarah Fuller will don a football uniform Saturday for Vanderbilt and is poised to become the first woman to play in a Power 5 game when the Commodores visit Missouri.
No woman has appeared in a Southeastern Conference football game or for any Power 5 team. Liz Heaston became the first woman to score with two extra points for Willamette in NAIA on Oct. 18, 1997.
ALABAMA-LSU MOVED TO DEC. 5
The SEC announced a series of scheduling moves to make up games Dec. 5 that had been previously postponed, including No. 1 Alabama at LSU. The Tide and Tigers were scheduled to play Nov. 14, but LSU could not because of a lack of players available because of COVID. Arkansas at Missouri will also be made up Dec. 5. Also, the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium will not be played this year because of coronavirus concerns.