Although Ohio State will have several players back for the College Football Playoff semifinal against Clemson, coach Ryan Day said some of the Buckeyes might not be in game shape.
The team played without 22 players, including top receiver Chris Olave and linebacker Baron Browning, in its Big Ten championship victory over Northwestern on Dec. 19. Under conference rules, players exposed to COVID-19 had to quarantine for 21 days. The team feared the players would miss the CFP semifinal if they qualified, however, the Big Ten changed the rule after Ohio State won the conference title game and secured a CFP spot.