This weekend's game between the Hoosiers and the Boilermakers has been canceled, but neither team will play Ohio State.
Indiana and Purdue have mutually agreed to cancel Saturday's game due to a rising number of COVID-19 cases within both programs. This means that despite the cancellation, neither team will be available to play the Buckeyes this weekend.
“We’re certainly disappointed that we had to cancel the Old Oaken Bucket game," the schools said in a joint statement. "We both understand the history and tradition of one of the best rivalries in college football, but the safety and well-being of our student-athletes, coaches and staff is our primary priority. We will continue to monitor the situation on both campuses and listen to the advice of our medical professionals.”
After the cancellation of The Game this weekend and Purdue's suspension of team activities due to a rising number of COVID-19 cases, it initially appeared that a rematch between Ohio State and Indiana could be a possible replacement game for both teams, but that became unlikely after the Hoosiers' later suspended team activities due to virus concerns of their own.
With no other Big Ten games in apparent jeopardy, it's unlikely Ohio State will have a replacement opponent this weekend. However, the Big Ten is expected to change its six-game requirement, allowing the Buckeyes to play in the Big Ten championship game.
