Ohio State coach Ryan Day returned to the office Monday and will rejoin the No. 4 Buckeyes for practice after spending the past 10 days in isolation per CDC guidelines, a school spokesman confirmed to ESPN.
Ohio State’s regular-season finale against Michigan remains in question because of COVID-19 issues within the Wolverines’ program. Michigan on Monday was cleared to resume limited workouts, a school spokesperson said.
While much of the discussion surrounding The Game has centered around the possibility it is cancelled, there is still a chance it is played.
Michigan paused football activities last week and canceled its game against Maryland after at least a dozen members of the program tested positive for COVID-19. Ohio State defeated Michigan State on Saturday, despite missing Day, who had tested positive for the virus, and a total of 23 players.
Ohio State is listed as a 30-point favorite over Michigan, the largest point spread in the rivalry since at least 1978, when the FBS and FCS split into separate divisions.
If the game isn’t played, Ohio State would not meet the six-game minimum needed to be eligible to play in the Big Ten championship game.
According to sources, Big Ten athletic directors will meet Wednesday, where they could discuss changing the benchmark. The rule was initially made by the league’s 14 athletic directors with input from head coaches and conference championship game administrators.