The Ohio State Football team huddles up before the start of the Ohio State-Rutgers game on Nov. 7. Ohio State won 49-27. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
After a week in which Ohio State’s football program dealt with a spike in COVID-19 cases and cancelation of its game against Illinois, the Buckeyes will return to action Saturday.
An Ohio State release said that the team will travel to East Lansing, Michigan Friday evening ahead of its game against Michigan State Saturday at noon. The Buckeyes had surpassed one of the Big Ten’s thresholds before the Illinois game, but Ohio State Head Team Physician James Borchers said the Buckeyes are no longer above the mark.
“Our population positivity rate, which exceeded the threshold for participation at this time last week, has now returned on the seven-day rolling average to a level that allows us to compete safely this weekend,” Borchers said in the release.
The Big Ten’s population positivity rate threshold is 7.5 percent.
Ohio State underwent increased COVID-19 testing this past week by continuing to adhere to the Big Ten daily testing protocol and expanding its polymerase chain reaction surveillance testing.
“We are very confident that we are heading to East Lansing with a team that can safely compete and whose health, safety and well-being has been our utmost concern,” Borchers said. “We’ve tested, monitored and evaluated our results daily and have advised the student-athletes, coaches and performance staff accordingly.”
