COVID- 19 issues hit Buckeyes
Ohio State kicker Blake Haubeil and defensive linemenTommyTogiaianddefensive end Tyreke Smith were unavailable for the College Football Playoffnationalchampionship game against No. 1 Alabama onMonday night.
OhioState released its status report for the title game an hour before kickoff.
The game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, ended too late for this edition.
The school doesn’t specify whyany of the 13 playersonthe list cannot play, but Buckeyes coach Ryan Day did acknowledge lastweek that Ohio State was dealing with some new COVID- 19 cases.
Haubeil posted onhis Instagram page that he didn’t make the trip to Florida after testing positive. The senior was 5- for- 7 on field- goal attempts this season and handled kickoffs. Junior Dominic DiMaccio was 1- for- 2 on field goals and3- for- 3onextra points this season. Freshman Jake Seibert missed his only field goal attempt and made all 13 PATs.
“I’m extremely upset but at thesametime I’moverwhelming thankful tobe anindividual who is asymptomatic,” Haueil said in his post. “I have spent the past 4 months making sacrifices, and have not seen family and friends one single time. So, to say I’m ( angry) is a complete understatement. I didn’tgooutanddosomething IknewIwasn’t supposed to be doing and thenwakeupwith a positive test.”
Togiai and Smith both played well in the Sugar Bowl semifinal victory againstClemson, when the Buckeyes got good pressure on QB Trevor Lawrence and shut down the Tigers’ running game.
Smith had a sack and Togiai four tackles. WithoutTogiai at nosetackle, JerronCageandTy Hamiltonwas expected to see more playing time.
The Buckeyes got back defensive ends Zach HarrisonandTyler Friday after they missed the semifinal.
Ohio State also had second- leading rusherMaster Teague available after he missed the Clemson game.
Running back Miyan Williams, whohadsomesignificant runs against Clemson, didn’tmake the trip to Miami.
THEQUOTE
“Above all, I am an American citizen with great reverence for our nation’s values, freedom and democracy.”
— Patriots coachBillBelichick on his decsion in the wake of last week’s attack on the Capitol not to accept the PresidentialMedal of Freedom that DonaldTrumpplanned to present to him onThursday