Indiana pauses football team activities, puts game with Purdue in doubt
BLOOMINGTON, Indiana – A streak of more than 100 years with an Old Oaken Bucket game is in serious jeopardy, as Indiana and Purdue grapple with COVID-19 concerns this week.
After Purdue announced it had canceled its Tuesday practice due to a number of positive COVID-19 tests, Indiana confirmed Tuesday night it had paused all team activities "due to an increase in COVID-19 cases within the program."
Per a news release announcing that pause in activity, no decision has yet been made about Saturday's game.
The Hoosiers' decision sprang from concerns around tests taken Tuesday morning before practice that returned positive results.
"The health and safety of our students, coaches and staff is paramount," Indiana Athletics Director Scott Dolson said in the release. "In consultation with our medical experts, we decided this is the appropriate decision at this time. We will continue to assess the situation moving forward."
The news only added to a chaotic day in the Big Ten East, which appears bound for a controversial finish.
COVID-19 issues at Michigan forced the cancellation of the Wolverines' annual rivalry game against Ohio State. That in turn means Ohio State does not currently have a path to the six completed games required for Big Ten championship game eligibility.
According to protocols put into place by the league's athletics directors before this season began, were Ohio State to fall short of that six-game threshold, the second-place team in the East would replace the Buckeyes in the Big Ten championship game. That team is Indiana, which is locked into the No. 2 spot in the East whether it plays this weekend or not and already has played seven games.
But Big Ten decision makers have suggested those rules could be amended to allow the Buckeyes into the title game without playing a sixth game. Wisconsin athletics director Barry Alvarez and Michigan AD Warde Manuel have suggested eligibility requirements could be reexamined, in an effort to provide Ohio State a strong enough case to be included in the College Football Playoff.
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The Buckeyes were ranked No. 4 by the playoff selection committee again when the third round of rankings were released Tuesday night.
The Hoosiers (6-1) are ranked No. 9 in the Amway Coaches Poll, coming off a 14-6 win at Wisconsin and in the discussion for a New Year's Six Bowl.
Tuesday saw that path twisted slightly, when the Hoosiers remained No. 12 in the College Football Playoff rankings, despite their weekend win at Wisconsin. The Badgers dropped from No. 16 to out of the top 25, suggesting the committee did not rate the win highly enough for Indiana to move up.
Winning a game weekend after next, when the Hoosiers would play either ranked Iowa or ranked Northwestern, would likely boost their resume. But that, of course, depends upon the scope of IU's COVID-19 issues.
With Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren suggesting the conference must remain flexible and nimble, and COVID-19 issues now affecting both programs with at least some claim to the East's berth in the conference championship game, an unpredictable and chaotic season now appears destined for a fitting finish.
Follow Zach Osterman on Twitter @ZachOsterman