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Ohio State coach Ryan Day hopes “the worst is behind us” after the No.4 Buckeyes returned to the field on Saturday and beat Michigan State 52-12 while they were out. shorthanded due to COVID-19.
The Buckeyes (5-0) played without three starting offensive linemen – tackles Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere, and center Josh Myers – and three-time captain linebacker Tuf Borland in the victory over the ‘State of Michigan.
The team listed 23 players for Saturday’s game without specifying a reason, but many of them had been active against the No.12 Indiana on November 21. Day, who tested positive for COVID-19 late last week, watched the game from home, and three other full-time assistant coaches did not make the trip to East Lansing, Michigan.
“Hopefully we start picking up guys,” Day told Zoom from his home. “We had a lot there. I start here on Monday, then we get some of the coaches back, and then we start to bring some of these guys back into the building. It’s huge.
“If you look at what we’ve been doing in the last four or five months, it’s been great. We’ve had this mini-epidemic that’s been tough. We managed it, we did a great job and we have it. There you go. I hope the worst is behind us and we can move forward. “
Big Ten policy requires any player who tests positive to miss at least 21 days and go through heart screening and reconditioning. Coaches who test positive should follow CDC guidelines and complete at least 10 days of isolation.
Day said he had not received an update on next week’s game against Michigan, which put the team on hold on Wednesday and called off Saturday’s scheduled game against Maryland due to an increase in COVID-19 cases within the program.
Michigan targeted a possible return to operations on Monday if the COVID situation improves.
Ohio State (5-0) must play one more game to reach the Big Ten threshold to qualify for the conference championship game, though league athletic directors may reconsider the requirement because the Buckeyes already hold a lead over several games in the East Division.
The Big Ten named No.14 Northwestern on Saturday as the West Division champion.
Day praised interim head coach Larry Johnson, offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson and the players for their performance against the Spartans after a week of uncertainty.
Ohio state suspended the team’s activities on Nov. 27 and called off last week’s game in Illinois before resuming practice on Tuesday. Day said all team meetings and staff meetings have been held on Zoom this week.
“So many people had to step up this week,” Day said.
Johnson, the team’s defensive line coach, became the first black head coach in Ohio State history and received a Gatorade shower in the dying minutes of Saturday’s victory. Johnson said he thinks about the importance of a third-quarter victory with Ohio State holding a sizable lead.
“I had tears in my eyes because I felt so good for the players,” Johnson said. “They deserve an opportunity to play on Saturday and they did. You could see it in their eyes.”
Quarterback Justin Fields, who accounted for 303 yards on offense and four touchdowns in the win, said he felt lucky he didn’t get COVID-19 after Day’s coach and quarterbacks Corey Dennis had tested positive.
Day said he struggles to watch his team on TV.
“I took a lot of notes, I shouted a lot, I was really, really excited on other pieces,” Day said. “Certainly [Haskell Garrett’s interception for a touchdown], I was running into the house. Others, I was screaming and screaming. It was not easy. It’s all about the team, but it was a tough day. “
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