The Buckeyes have been forced to cancel three straight games due to an outbreak within the program.
Although Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmannpreviously said he fully intends to play New Orleans on Tuesday night, the Buckeyes have cancelled the game against the Privateers due to health and safety concerns within the program.
“Our guys are progressing through the COVID return to play protocols well, but we just don’t have the numbers or readiness to play a game yet,” Holtmann said in a statement. “Player safety as it relates to COVID and as they return to play after a significant time off, will always be a top priority.”
The game, which was set for 6:30 p.m. on BTN, is the third straight Ohio State has had to cancel due to a COVID-19 outbreak that impacted both players and staff, including the Dec. 18 matchup with Kentucky and Dec. 21 game against Tennessee Martin.
“While we were hopeful we could play on the 28th, I think that was maybe a little too optimistic on our part, on my part,” Holtmann said during his radio show on 97.1 The Fan on Monday afternoon. “We practiced with five guys yesterday, only four of which are eligible to play. It’s limited what you can do.”
That said, the Buckeyes are on track to play Sunday’s game against Nebraska, with tipoff set for 8 p.m. on BTN.
“We are making good progress,” Holtmann said. “Guys are returning. They’ll be returning this week. Having this shut down probably allows us to have some consistency moving forward starting on Sunday with being able to play.
“We’ll be rusty, but we’ll be ready.”
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