This is not an ideal time for a two-and-a-half-week break in game action.
Sure, the Buckeyes would have had some time off for the holidays anyway, and the COVID-19 outbreak that canceled two of the program’s games did come amid Ohio State’s final three non-conference games of the regular season. But it’s a stretch that not only leaves just one game before the start of the Big Ten gauntlet, but also would have allowed the Buckeyes an opportunity to notch another high-profile ranked win over Kentucky.
With the momentum Ohio State had built up on its current season-high four-game win streak, Holtmann liked his chances against a Wildcat team that now ranks 20th in the country, and that’s one reason why he still wanted to play the game despite growing COVID-19 concerns in the program last week.