Ohio State's Ryan Day: Says 'Full Strength Is a Floating Target' Amid COVID-19
Dec 31, 2020
Ohio State running back Trey Sermon, right, is congratulated by head coach Ryan Day, left, after being named most valuable player following the Big Ten championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, in Indianapolis. Ohio State defeated Northwestern 22-10. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Ohio State coach Ryan Daytold reporters he's unsure how ready players who were forced to quarantine after having or being in close contact with another person who had COVID-19 will be for Friday's semifinal matchup with Clemson.
"Full strength is a floating target right now," Day said Thursday. "Those guys who come off quarantine and isolation, they have a protocol to get back on the field. You don't just play football after not doing anything for nine or 10 days. All those guys we were missing for the last month are working their way back. We are getting a lot of guys back, but to say 100 percent, it's different. The good news is they're working their way back and getting stronger every day."
The Buckeyes were without 22 players for the Big Ten Championship Game against Northwestern, most notably receiverChris Olaveand linebackerBaron Browning.
Clemson will be without offensive coordinator Tony Elliott, who tested positive for the virus Wednesday. The team will also be without two undisclosed players because of COVID-19 protocols. Because of the ACC's rules on testing, the Tigers' roster is set for the semifinal.
"It's a unique situation that we don't have the same protocols going into the game, but I'm not going to spend time thinking about that," Day said. "I'm tired of that. As long as the guys are healthy playing the game, that's what matters. We'll have PCR before we get on the plane and go from there. At the end of the day, the goal is to have a clean field, so we'll follow the protocol that's been set forth."
Ohio State still has to undergo two more rounds of testing to satisfy Big Ten protocols.
Wisconsin Accidentally Shatters Mayo Bowl Trophy in Locker Room, Video Shows
Dec 30, 2020
FILE - In this Sept. 7, 2019, file photoWisconsin's Graham Mertz reacts to a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Central Michigan in Madison, Wis. Mertz is about to get his chance to show he’s worthy of all the acclaim that accompanied his arrival on campus last year. Now that foot surgery has sidelined returning starter Jack Coan indefinitely, Mertz is likely to open the season as the 16th-ranked Badgers’ first-team quarterback. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
Wisconsin won the Duke's Mayo Bowl on Wednesday, defeating Wake Forest 42-28. And the Badgers celebrated by...breaking the trophy?
It would appear so:
Wisconsin may be going home empty handed ...
It appears that the trophy from the Duke's Mayo Bowl is shattered 😳
That wasn't the only disappointment. A day after Oklahoma State players poured Cheez-It crackers onto head coach Mike Gundy following their 37-34 win over Miami in the Cheez-It Bowl, plenty of folks hoped Wisconsin would bathe head coach Paul Chryst in mayonnaise.
Turns out the trophy wasn't filled with mayo either. On Wednesday, it was just dollop after dollop of disappointment.
Graham Mertz, Wisconsin Top Wake Forest 42-28 in 2020 Duke's Mayo Bowl
Dec 30, 2020
Wisconsin inside linebacker Jack Sanborn (57) on the field during pregame before an NCAA college football game against Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020. (AP Photo/Tony Ding)
Wisconsin closed out 2020 on a high note, taking down Wake Forest 42-28 on Wednesday in the 2020 Duke's Mayo Bowl at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Badgers have now won five of their six bowl games under head coach Paul Chryst. They also finished with a winning record (4-3) for the 19th straight year.
Wake Forest hadn't played since Dec. 12 but didn't show any rust as it jumped out to a 14-0 lead after its first two drives. The Demon Deacons offense then ground to a halt, which allowed Wisconsin to tie things up at 14 by halftime.
Defense and special teams won the day for the Badgers. They only gained 266 yards but pulled away in the second half by forcing four turnovers.
To answer the question on everybody's mind, the Wisconsin players didn't dump an entire cooler of mayonnaise on Chryst to celebrate the victory.
Notable Performers
Graham Mertz, QB, Wisconsin: 11-of-17, 130 yards, one touchdown
Jack Dunn, WR, Wisconsin: six receptions, 60 yards
Jack Sanborn, LB, Wisconsin: 11 total tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception
Sam Hartman, QB, Wake Forest: 20-of-37, 318 yards, three touchdowns, four interceptions; five carries, eight yards
Wisconsin Offense Plays to Type
Remember when Graham Mertz threw for 248 yards and five touchdowns as Wisconsin hammered Illinois? That feels like a lifetime ago.
It was apparent when the Badgers recorded a 49-11 win over Michigan that Mertz wasn't a significant improvement over his predecessors. Going up against a Wake Forest defense allowing 265.9 passing yards per game didn't provide any sort of boost.
QB Graham Mertz is still jogging to the sideline to get the play calls -- something that began against Indiana because the Hoosiers knew the signals coming in. Something to address, among other things, in the offseason.
It’s crazy to think back to after Wisconsin’s first game and how we thought Mertz was going to make this offense unstoppable. I guess we jumped the gun a bit huh?
Big special teams plays helped set up a pair of Badger touchdowns. Jaylan Franklin blocked a punt in the second quarter to give his team a 1st-and-goal situation at the 9-yard line, and a kickoff return by Devin Chandler in the third quarter set up the offense at Wake's 33-yard line.
The defense then did the heavy lifting.
After Sam Hartman's eight-yard touchdown pass to Jaquarii Roberson to put Wake Forest up 21-14, Wisconsin scored 28 unanswered points. Those four scoring drives totaled 70 yards.
When you have an offense that isn't moving the ball well, just give yourself a short field.
Second-Half Turnovers Costly for Wake
Hartman wasn't very efficient during the regular season, completing 58.9 percent of his passes. He did, however, throw just one interception to 10 touchdowns. That helped the Demon Deacons have a plus-13 turnover margin.
The problem with relying on turnovers is that they can be fickle, and that was the case in the second half as Hartman threw interceptions on four straight drives.
Michael Kern replaced Hartman in the fourth quarter. By then, the damage had already been done. Kern also looked overmatched upon entering the game.
Roberson hauled in an impressive 39-yard grab to get the Demon Deacons into the red zone. A run by Kern went for no gain, and three of his passes fell incomplete to turn the ball over on downs.
Christian Beal-Smith got a consolation touchdown with six seconds remaining.
What's Next?
Wake Forest and Wisconsin open the 2021 season Sept. 4. The Demon Deacons host Old Dominion at Truist Field, while the Badgers jump right into conference play with a home matchup against Penn State at Camp Randall Stadium.
Clemson's Dabo Swinney Explains Why He Voted Ohio State Outside Top 10
Dec 28, 2020
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney speaks at a news conference for the NCAA College Football Playoff national championship game Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020, in New Orleans. Clemson is scheduled to play LSU on Monday. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney has opened up about his controversial decision to vote Ohio State at No. 11 in the final Amway Coaches Poll released on Dec. 20.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Swinney said the ranking "has zero to do with Ohio State" and was about the difference in games played between teams this season.
"I just don't think it's right that three teams have to play 13 games to be the champion and one team has to play eight," he said.
Swinney also noted he "didn't rank anybody who played nine games or less in the Top 10," but the Buckeyes are certainly "good enough to beat us" and win a national championship.
Of the61 coaches who votedin the final poll, eight didn't have Ohio State ranked in their top four.
From that group of eight, six of them had the Buckeyes ranked No. 5 and the seventh had them ranked at No. 6. Swinney was the only person who voted them outside of the top 10.
Ohio State's schedule became a talking point over the final two weeks of the regular season. Big Ten rules established before the season required teams to play at least six games to qualify for the conference title game.
The Buckeyes had three games canceled due to COVID-19 issues, including their Dec. 12 game matchup with Michigan. The conference amended itsminimum-gamesrequirement rule, allowing Ohio State to play in the Big Ten Championship Game despite playing just five games.
Ohio State defeated Northwestern 22-10 to win the conference title. The College Football Playoff selection committee ranked the Big Ten champs third in its final standings, pitting them against Clemson in a semifinal game on Jan. 1.
The Tigers beat the Buckeyes in a College Football Playoff semifinal last year29-23.
Don Brown Reportedly Fired as Michigan's Defensive Coordinator
Dec 22, 2020
Don Brown, Michigan defensive coordinator, watches against Rutgers in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
The Michigan Wolverines dismissed Don Brown as defensive coordinator on Tuesday, according to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic and Fox Sports:
Don Brown's defenses at Michigan the past five years in national ranking (yards per play allowed): second (2016); sixth (2017); eighth (2018); 10th (2019) and 56th (this year).
Brown's defense gave up the third-most yards per game on average in the Big Ten (434.3) and the third-most points per game (34.5) only a year after Michigan finished fourth in the conference with 307.2 yards allowed per game.
The Wolverines finished the 2020 season 2-4.
Don Brown's agent, Gary O'Hagan, told @YahooSports that Brown, 65, is interested in coaching next season. O'Hagan told Yahoo: “Wherever Don Brown goes, he’ll be the best defensive coordinator that university has ever had.” https://t.co/MDQFO91OBr
Staff changes seemed inevitable after an abysmal season in Ann Arbor—especially if head coach Jim Harbaugh is going to keep his job.
Brown, 65, isn't exactly taking the fall here, but the drop-off in defensive production left little choice for a program with some of the highest expectations in college football. The decision ends a tenure that began in 2016 when Brown took over for D.J. Durkin on Harbaugh's staff.
According to USA Today, Brown was the highest-paid assistant coach in the Big Ten at $1.7 million. He earned $1.1 million in base salary and $600,000 from a retention bonus. Only seven assistant coaches in the Power Five made more than Brown last season.
A former defensive coordinator at Boston College, UConn and Maryland before joining Michigan, Brown was responsible for helping Harbaugh land some of his most notablerecruits, including wideout Tarik Black, linebacker Jaydon Hood and defensive tackle Aubrey Solomon—though Black and Solomon would later transfer elsewhere.
It's unclear who Michigan could target to replace Brown.
Former Penn State RB Ki-Jana Carter Sued over Failed $2.4M COVID-19 Mask Deal
Dec 21, 2020
Former Penn State running back Ki Jana Carter, walks the sidelines as the team takes on Indiana during the first half of an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Chris Knight)
Former NFL running back Ki-Jana Carter is the subject of a lawsuit filed by Penn State Health, alleging a company owned and run by the one-time Nittany Lions star failed to fulfill the terms of a $2.4 million deal to supply surgical masks.
According to Penn Live's Matt Miller, Carter reached out to Penn State Health on behalf of ByoGlobe LLC to line up the sale of 300,000 masks in late March amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Penn State Health alleges in the suit it didn't receive a single mask and that it's unsure what happened to the $2.4 million it spent since ByoGlobe didn't hold the payment in escrow.
Penn State Health said it reached out to Carter in mid-April when the masks didn't arrive and received a response that a shipment was "en route." Carter allegedly followed up to say the delay was due in part to a change in ByoGlobe's suppliers.
Miller provided more on Penn State Health's allegations:
"Penn State Health claims Carter and ByoGlobe never actually had the connections or expertise to make good on the mask deal. It says it demanded a refund of the full amount of the contract in May.
"Since there was no escrow or performance bond that money has come back in dribs and drabs, with the $935,000 still to be repaid, Penn State Health contends. No further refunds have been made since July, it says."
Especially in the early stages when the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, some medical facilities experienced ashortage of necessary personal protective equipment such as surgical masks.
Penn State Healthexplained in Novemberhow it dealt with the problem. Part of the solution included the creation of an email inbox "asking people to send any leads they might have for securing more items like masks and gowns." It's unclear if that's how Carter came into contact with the organization.
Miller noted Carter's connection to Penn State made his offer stand out a bit.
The 47-year-old spent three seasons with the Nittany Lions, running for 2,829 yards and 34 touchdowns. He finished runner-up to Colorado's Rashaan Salaam in the 1994 Heisman Trophy voting. Penn State was a perfect 12-0 that year but wound up second behind 13-0 Nebraska in the Associated PressTop 25 poll.
Justin Fields 'Will Be Fine' After Thumb Injury, Ohio State HC Ryan Day Says
Dec 20, 2020
Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields throws during the first half of the Big Ten championship NCAA college football game against Northwestern, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Ohio State fans can breathe a sigh of relief because star quarterback Justin Fields will apparently be fine for the Buckeyes' College Football Playoff showdown with Clemson.
Head coach Ryan Day told reporters Sunday that Fields "will be fine" after he suffered a thumb injury during Saturday's win over Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Fields said he believed he sprained his thumb during the 22-10 victory:
The Fox broadcast showed the Ohio State medical staff wrapping the thumb on his throwing hand during the game. He also grimaced while grabbing the area in the second half and did not appear to be his typical dominant self as the game unfolded.
The Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year was just 12-of-27 for 114 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions while taking three sacks as Ohio State's offense struggled to gain traction against a stout Northwestern defense for much of the contest.
With Fields struggling and star wide receiver Chris Olave sidelined, the Buckeyes turned to running back Trey Sermon.
The Oklahoma transfer rescued the four-time defending Big Ten champions with the most Ohio State rushing yards in a game (331) and two touchdowns. It was an all-time performance in a pressure-packed spot and helped Ohio State clinch its CFP spot.
While the emergence of Sermon was key and should help the Scarlet and Gray against the Tigers, it is difficult to envision them winning without a healthy Fields. The quarterback was a Heisman Trophy finalist last year and is widely expected to be an early draft pick with the ability to hurt opposing defenses with his arm and legs.
Ohio State lost to Clemson 29-23 in the CFP last season in a game that was marred byquestionable officiating, and Fields will need to play well if his side is going to enact some revenge this time.
Penn State Football Announces It Won't Participate in Bowl Game Amid Pandemic
Dec 19, 2020
Penn State head coach James Franklin leads his team onto the field for an NCAA college football game against Illinois in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
The list of teams pulling out of bowl games continues to grow, with Penn State becoming the latest football program to announce it won't play in a postseason contest.
Per an official announcement from the school, the decision to opt out of a bowl game was made by the student-athletes with the support of athletic director Sandy Barbour and head coach James Franklin.
Franklin issued a statement included in the announcement:
"I couldn't be more proud and encouraged by how our team conducted itself during this unprecedented season. One of our four core values is a willingness to sacrifice, and our student-athletes, coaches and staff have all made incredible sacrifices both on and off the field in order for us to compete this year. This has been a challenging nine months, but we are proud of how our student-athletes have navigated these difficult times. As you know, we rely on our captains and Leadership Council to provide a voice for our team, and our student-athletes made the difficult choice not to participate in a bowl this year in order to spend time with loved ones. We are fully supportive of their decision, knowing it has been many months since our students-athletes have been able to spend time with their families and the challenges they endured, both physically and mentally. This will be an opportunity for our guys to go home, see family and recharge for the spring semester."
Brandon Marcelloof 247Sports noted a total of 17 teams across the country have opted out of playing in a bowl game.
Expectations were high for the Nittany Lions coming into 2020. They were ranked seventh in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll, but had a dramatic fall from grace with five straight losses to open the regular season.
After a 41-21 loss to Iowa on Nov. 21, ESPN'sField Yatesnoted Penn State became the first team ranked in the top 10 of the AP preseason poll to start 0-5.
Franklin was able to get his team turned around with four consecutive wins, including a 56-21 victory over Illinois in the season finale Saturday.
It's unclear if a 4-5 Penn State team would have received an invite to a bowl game anyway, but it would certainly have seemed possible given the number of programs that have decided against playing in them thus far.
By finishing their season now, the Nittany Lions have ensured their first losing record since a 4-7 mark in 2004.
Justin Fields Says Ohio State Deserves to Be in CFP: We're 1 of the 4 Best Teams
Dec 19, 2020
Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields throws during the first half of the Big Ten championship NCAA college football game against Northwestern, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
When the College Football Playoff committee releases its selections for the postseason Sunday, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields expects the Buckeyes to be among them.
"Do we deserve to be in the playoff? Yes, because we're one of the top four teams in the country," he said, via Kyle Rowland of the Toledo Blade.
Playing through a thumb injury, Fields led No. 4 Ohio State to the Big Ten championship with a 22-10 victory over No. 14 Northwestern on Saturday. He ended the day with 114 yards on 12-of-27 passing and was intercepted twice while failing to throw a touchdown. In addition, he added 35 rushing yards on 12 attempts.
Through five games before Saturday, Fields tallied 1,407 yards and 15 touchdowns on 78.1 percent passing while adding 239 rushing yards and five scores. He made it through four of those five games without throwing an interception, with all three of his previous picks on the year coming in a 42-35 win against Indiana.
Leading into Selection Sunday, 6-0 Ohio State rounds out the top four teams in the College Football Playoff rankings, behind No. 1 Alabama (10-0), No. 2 Notre Dame (10-0) and No. 3 Clemson (9-1).
Notre Dame and Clemson play Saturday afternoon for the ACC championship, and Alabama plays No. 7 Florida (8-2) for the SEC championship Saturday night, with every game likely having playoff implications.
The Buckeyes went to the Fiesta Bowl as part of the College Football Playoff last season, where they fell to Clemson 29-23.
OSU's Justin Fields Says He Suffered Thumb Injury in Big Ten Title Game
Dec 19, 2020
Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields drops back to pass during the first half of the Big Ten championship NCAA college football game against Northwestern, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields led the No.4 Buckeyes to the Big Ten championship on Saturday with a 22-10 victory over No. 14 Northwestern, but he revealed afterward that he was not 100 percent healthy.
Fields said in a postgame interview that he thinks he sprained the thumb on his throwing hand.
The junior finished with 114 yards on 12-of-27 passing, was picked off twice and failed to throw a touchdown pass. He also rushed for 35 yards on 12 carries.
Fields and the Buckeyes got off to a slow start and trailed the Wildcats 10-6 after they failed to find the end zone in the first half. But two rushing touchdowns by Trey Sermon made the difference in the final two frames, and the Ohio State defense held Northwestern to secure the victory.
Fields, who threw for 3,273 yards and 41 touchdowns with just three interceptions while also scoring 10 rushing touchdowns last season as a first-year starter, also engineered a comeback win in the 2019 Big Ten Championship Game. In a 34-21 victory against Wisconsin, he threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns. The Badgers led 14-0 and 21-7 at halftime.
Leading up to Saturday, Fields had collected 1,407 yards and 15 touchdowns with three interceptions on 78.1 percent passing in addition to 239 rushing yards and five scores. He hadn't thrown a pick since Nov. 21, when he tossed three in a 42-35 win against Indiana.
Fields and the Buckeyes will await their postseason fate, with the College Football Playoff committee making its selections Sunday.
