Buckeyes cancel game at Illinois after virus spike
No. 3 Ohio State’s game at Illinois on Saturday has been 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, Ill.
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 up Saturday morning for a noon ET kickoff.
After returning additional positive tests, Ohio State announced the game was called. The school did not reveal how many members of the program had tested positive as has been the school’s policy all year.
Ohio State has paused all activities for the football team.
“We have continued to experience an increase in positive tests over the course of this week,” Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said in a statement. “The health, safety and well-being of our studentathlete is our main concern, and our decisions on their welfare will continue to be guided by our medical staff.”
This is the second game of the Big Ten season Ohio State has had canceled. The first came after an outbreak at Maryland forced a postponement earlier this month. Despite playing only four games so far, the Buckeyes (4-0) were fourth in the first College Football Playoff rankings released earlier 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 game. 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 game would be two fewer than the average.
Ohio State has only two game remaining on its regularseason schedule: at Michigan State on Dec. 5 and home against Michigan on Dec. 12. The Big Ten championship game is Dec. 19.
■ NOTRE DAME BEATS UNC: At Chapel Hill, N.C., Ian Book kept No. 2 Notre Dame’s offense moving while the defense locked down Sam Howell and No. 25 North Carolina’s potent offense for the final three quarters in a 31-17 victory.
Book threw for 279 yards and a score and ran for 48 yards for the Fighting Irish (90, 8-0 Atlantic Coast Conference, No. 2 CFP), using his mobility and elusiveness to keep plays alive on a night when both offenses frequently faced long fields.
Receiver Ben Skowronek got Notre Dame its first lead with his 13-yard run around the right side midway through the third quarter. Kyren Williams ran for 124 yards — including a 47-yarder with about 5 1/2 minutes left as the Irish burned clock and sealed the win.
Williams closed that drive with his second rushing TD, a clinching 1-yarder with 1:20 left that kept the Fighting Irish alone atop the ACC standings ahead of No. 4 Clemson and No. 10 Miami.
More impressively, though, was a defensive effort that forced Howell and the highscoring Tar Heels to work for every gain after the opening quarter.
UNC (6-3, 6-3) sprinted to touchdowns on its first two drives, but Notre Dame surrendered only one field goal from there.
■ IOWA STATE HOLDS OFF TEXAS: At Austin, Texas, Breece Hall scored on a 3-yard run with 1:25 remaining and No. 15 Iowa State held off a last-minute drive by Sam Ehlinger and No. 20 Texas to win 23-20 and remain in first place in the Big 12.
After Iowa State sacked Ehlinger on third down, Texas’ Cameron Dicker barely missed left with a 58-yard field goal attempt as time expired.
The Cyclones (7-2, 7-1) have almost locked up a spot in the Big 12 championship game for the first time.
Hall gained 91 yards on 20 carries, his first game under 100 this season, but had 30 on the final 69-yard touchdown drive. Brock Purdy completed 25 of 36 passes for 312 yards and a touchdown. Charlie Kolar had six receptions for 131 yards.
Ehlinger was 17 of 29 for 298 yards and one touchdown in what could be his final home game for the Longhorns. Ehlinger and Brennan Eagles set up touchdowns in the first and third quarters, connecting for 59 and 45 yards.