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This post will be updated as more information comes available seeing as the Big Ten’s release of COVID-19 numbers is imminent.
#B1G about to release COVID info: If team pos rate >5% and team "population" rate >7.5%, game will be declared No Contest and will not count as W or L for either team.
— Teddy Greenstein (@TeddyGreenstein) October 22, 2020
Ahead of that news release, Jeff Brohm shared some news during his Zoom call this afternoon:
Brohm says he won't have a full staff on Saturday. Wouldn't say names or how many people on staff/support staff who won't be there Saturday.
— Tom Dienhart (@TomDienhart1) October 22, 2020
This news lines up with rumors of multiple coaches (up to four) on the Purdue Boilermakers testing positive for COVID-19.
Additionally:
Brohm says "5-6 players" will miss game.
— Tom Dienhart (@TomDienhart1) October 22, 2020
Here’s the full quote from Brohm:
“We probably will have about, maybe, five or six players that are out for the game. Once again, I apologize. I’d rather not give that information right now so that the other team knows. But once we get on the field, you’ll probably be able to tell some of those. But .. we will probably have a handful that’ll miss this game.”
One of the impacted players has been rumored to be star WR Rondale Moore. When asked whether Moore would play, Brohm was again evasive:
Brohm was asked about WR Rondale Moore and if he was OK and if he was going to be playing Saturday?
— mike carmin (@carmin_jc) October 22, 2020
"Just like with everybody, we don’t want to give any information out specifically until game day and then we’ll go from there", Brohm said.
To be fair, here, there’s a strong likelihood these may not be COVID-19-related. Kirk Ferentz was similarly deceptive in sharing the Iowa Hawkeyes’ injury report of sorts with the only news, officially, being an undisclosed Jack Campbell illness. (rumor has it NOT the coronavirus)
With sophomore Jack Campbell likely out with an undisclosed illness, Nick Niemann will slide to MLB. Among the freshmen battling to see snaps at WLB include Jestin Jacobs, Yahweh Jeudy and Jay Higgins.
— Scott Dochterman (@ScottDochterman) October 20, 2020
Iowa also could employ more dime coverage against pass-heavy Purdue.
But if we play this out with 5 Boilermakers having COVID-19 plus 4 coaches, it really comes down to the “team” and “population” size referenced above. If there are less than 100 players (assuming 5 positive player tests) AND less than 120 people in Purdue’s population (assuming 9 positive “population” tests), get ready for your first NO CONTEST of the Big Ten season.
10/23 update:
Purdue WR Rondale Moore out vs Iowa, according to the school. No additional information available
— mike carmin (@carmin_jc) October 23, 2020
As noted above, there is a strong likelihood this is not COVID-19-related. Unfortunately, without any clarification that it is NOT COVID-19, there’s a possibility it is.