Ohio State Buckeyes: Health for Sugar Bowl uncertain

“Full strength is a floating target right now because there are guys who come off of the isolation and then they have a protocol to get back on the field,” Day said in reference to the aftermath of a positive COVID-19 test. “You don’t just play football after being off for 10 days.”

Aside from having to wait to see who would be ready to play, Day appeared on a joint video conference with Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney without the results of Ohio State’s final round of COVID-19 testing having come back. Those tests were to be administered Thursday morning.

Swinney said every member of his roster had made the trip to New Orleans except for an unidentified walk-on and an unidentified scholarship player, though the Tigers will go into the game without offensive coordinator Tony Elliott after he tested positive Wednesday.

Ohio State listed more than 20 players as unavailable for its last game, a 22-10 win over Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship game on Dec. 19.

“We are getting a lot of guys back, but to say (the team is) 100 percent is different this year,” Day said.

The third-ranked Buckeyes are set to take on No. 2 Clemson at 8 p.m. Eastern with the winner advancing to the College Football Playoff Championship game.

Ohio State is set to depart by plane from Columbus at 1:30 p.m. Thursday for a three-hour flight to the Big Easy.

After a walk-through at the SuperDome, the Buckeyes plan to retire to their hotel for a team meal and other activities.

They will return to Columbus immediately after the game Friday night.