College Football Reeling As Maryland-Ohio State Is Latest Game Cancellation
The Big Ten’s Maryland-Ohio State matchup this weekend has been canceled, joining a slate of SEC games already on the sidelines because of COVID-19 positive tests.
Maryland-Ohio State was nixed after the Terrapins paused team activities Wednesday while announcing that eight players had tested positive. The game will not be made up, which could have crucial implications for major power Ohio State’s national championship aspirations in an already-shortened season.
The Big Ten rivals join already sidelined LSU-Alabama, Georgia-Missouri, Texas A&M-Tennessee and Auburn-Mississippi State. All four of the SEC games have been postponed by positive player tests.
There is no word from the television networks yet on which games will be substituted for the canceled games.
Maryland-Ohio state is the third Big Ten game to be canceled. Wisconsin did not play the last two weeks because of player positive tests. The Big Ten is playing an eight-game, in-conference season, making each game crucial in national rankings.
The Maryland athletic director issued a statement on the cancellation of his team’s game.
“There is nothing more important than the health and well-being of our student-athletes, coaches and staff,” Maryland athletic director Damon Evans said in a statement. “We realize that this news is disappointing to all of the Maryland fans out there who were looking forward to the Terps taking on an outstanding Ohio State team, but the responsible thing for us to do is pause football activities, given the number of positive cases currently in our program.”
College football got off to a late start in the Big 10 because of COVID-19 fears, and its teams are playing an eight-game, conference-only schedule. The top four teams in the polls will move on to the College Football Playoffs in search of the national championship, and missed games can only damage the chances for top contenders like Ohio State.
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