The game scheduled for Saturday, November 14, between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Maryland Terrapins has been canceled due to an elevated number of cases within Maryland’s football program. While the cancellation is unfortunate, there is no need to panic.
Ohio State will be just fine. In fact, a bullet was dodged with Maryland pausing all team activities on a Wednesday. The situation could have been significantly worse had the Buckeyes traveled to College Park and played this weekend, potentially exposing themselves to the virus.
Watching Ohio State football games on Saturdays is something we all treasure, but must understand that the most important issue is the safety and health of both teams involved. Bucks Head Coach Ryan Day said “The health, safety, and well-being of our student-athletes is our main concern. We wish Maryland, their student-athletes, and programs well as they battle through this issue.”
The Big Ten schedule was created without any wiggle room, as games cannot be made-up at a later date, they are canceled, and will be treated as if the game never occurred, so neither team is credited with a win or loss. This week will be treated as BYE week, as the Buckeyes will prepare for a home match-up with the #10 Indiana Hoosiers on the 21st.
How will this cancellation impact Ohio State’s playoff odds? That is a question that is impossible to answer. With so many other cancellations this week, it would be hard to hold this against the Buckeyes. #1 Alabama also is not playing this weekend, as their game with LSU was canceled due to COVID issues. Teams should not, and likely will not be punished by the playoff committee for issues outside of their control.
Things could get tricky and interesting if any more Ohio State games get canceled, if two more games cannot be played, the Buckeyes will not be eligible for the Big Ten Championship. If it works out so a team like Wisconsin, Northwestern, or even Indiana is still undefeated and wins the Big Ten title, they could make their way into the playoff over the Buckeyes, especially if they have played in, and won more games.
In a perfect world, which isn’t too far-fetched, the Buckeyes could complete all of their remaining games, and win the Big Ten Championship Game. That would put OSU at 8-0, and it would be hard to imagine the playoff committee leaving out an undefeated Ohio State, in any year, let-alone one played in the middle of a global pandemic.
COVID has obviously impacted every person on earth, and very little is in our control. Let’s stay hopeful that Ohio State and other Big Ten schools can get healthy, and stay healthy, and the season can be completed without an alarming number of cancellations.