COLUMBUS – For the first time since 1942, the Buckeyes will not play their rivals from the State Up North as the final game of the regular season in 2020.
And they have the coronavirus to blame.
The Michigan Wolverines will visit Ohio Stadium on Oct. 24, according to the revised football schedule released Wednesday morning by the Big Ten Conference, and which is subject to change, depending on the course the virus takes over the next four months.
“This is not a final decision that there will be an athletics season; it is the next phase in our responsible planning process with the Big Ten Conference to be prepared if we are able to have an athletics season. The final decision will be made in the coming weeks in consultation with local, state and federal authorities,” OSU Athletics Director Gene Smith said.
The conference approved a 10-game conference-only schedule beginning as early as the weekend of Sept. 5, when Ohio State is scheduled to travel to Illinois.
Click here for the revised Ohio State 2020 football schedule
In making this announcement, the Conference acknowledges that there is much work to be done on our campuses, in our communities and across the country to gain control of a virus that continues to spread at an alarming rate. While the Conference remains hopeful for a September 2020 start in all fall sports, including football, issuing a schedule does not guarantee that competition will occur. -statement from the Big Ten Conference
The Buckeyes will host Rutgers on Sept. 12, followed by a road game at Purdue — added to create a 10-game schedule — a home game against Indiana and a bye week.
Nebraska will visit Columbus on Oct. 10 and the Buckeyes will travel to Michigan State on Oct. 17 before facing the Wolverines on Oct. 24.
The final three games of the regular season will be at Maryland (Oct. 30) and Penn State (Nov. 7) with another week off before OSU winds up the season on Nov. 21 against Iowa in Columbus.
Non-conference games against Bowling Green, Oregon and Buffalo during the first three weeks of the season had previously been cancelled.
The Big Ten Championship Game is scheduled for Dec. 5 at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis.
The conference also released its COVID-19 medical protocols, which requires athletes, coaches and other teams personnel to be tested at least once a weekly while sports with “high contact risk,” including football, will be required to test a minimum of twice weekly.
Tests must be administered at least three days prior to a game and anyone who tests positive must isolate for 14 days. Those who test positive without displaying symptoms must isolate for 10 days.
An athlete may return to competition if they do not display any further during the quarantine period.
-0-
The Buckeyes have chosen the seven players who will serve as team captains for the 2020 season.
The list includes two returning captains – linebacker Tuf Borland the defensive end Jonathon Cooper – along with guard Wyatt Davis, quarterback Justin Fields, linebacker Justin Hilliard, center Josh Myers and cornerback Shaun Wade.
Borland becomes just the second three-time captain in program history, joining QB J.T. Barrett, who held the honor from 2015 through 2017. He graduated last December with his degree in human development and family science and is currently working toward a master’s degree in sports coaching.
Cooper is a product of Gahanna Lincoln high school who graduated from OSU last December with a degree in consumer and family financial services.