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Ohio State will be without wide receiver Chris Olave, starting linebacker Baron Browning and others for Saturday’s Big Ten Championship against No.14 Northwestern.
Olave and Browning are among 22 Ohio State players listed as out for the title game. Starting safety Marcus Hooker is listed as a game time decision. The state of Ohio does not specify the reasons players miss games, although sources told ESPN the team had had to ‘other positive COVID-19 tests this week among players and possibly staff.
The fourth-ranked Buckeyes played without 23 players on Dec. 5 at Michigan State, their last game. Several starters who sat against Michigan State – linebacker Tuf Borland and offensive linemen Josh Myers, Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere – are not included in Saturday’s situation report and are expected to play against Northwestern.
Starting punter Drue Chrisman is among those who left for the championship game, alongside reserve wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, running back Steele Chambers, reserve quarterback Gunnar Hoak and others.
Chrisman tweeted that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
Big Ten policy requires all players who test positive for COVID-19 to miss a minimum of 21 days before returning to the game.
Olave leads Ohio State with 36 receptions for 528 yards and five touchdowns. Browning sits second on the team with 23 tackles, one forced fumble and two breakouts. Chrisman is averaging 45.2 yards per punt with eight placed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
Wide receivers coach Brian Hartline and linebackers coach Al Washington are also not coaches for Ohio State on Saturday.
Both teams ruled out Big Ten COVID-19 testing Friday night after arriving in Indianapolis, and Northwestern continued to have no positive cases, according to a source. Northwestern has not reported any positive tests among players or coaches all season.
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