Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz throws a pass in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Illinois on Friday Oct February 23, 2020, in Madison, Wisconsin
Wisconsin could face the type of nightmare scenario coaches dreaded as soon as the coronavirus pandemic arrived
Wisconsin does not comment on individual player COVID-19 test results, but CBS Sports initially reported that quarterback Graham Mertz tested positive for a second time Under the Big Ten Protocols, this means Mertz cannot play for at least 21 days
If that wasn’t enough, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported that quarterback Chase Wolf has tested positive at least once Returning starter Jack Coan is indefinitely out after undergoing foot surgery Junior Danny Vanden Boom is the only other Wisconsin Stock Exchange quarterback
« Obviously there are things this year that will be unique, » Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said on Monday without specifically discussing his players’ test results. « I enjoyed what this whole quarterback room did, kind of how they approached everything »
The situation could leave the ninth-seeded Badgers incredibly shorthanded at the game’s most important position as they prepare to visit Nebraska, host Purdue and travel to No.13 Michigan in the next three weeks
This is the kind of dilemma schools hoped to avoid when college football decided to play amid the pandemic
Ohio State coach Ryan Day explained this week how the third-ranked Buckeyes are trying to make sure the virus doesn’t spread between Justin Fields and the other quarterbacks
« When they’re in the quarters boardroom with (quarterbacks coach) Corey (Dennis) they’re obviously all masked and distant, and they do a great job on that, » Day said. « I’m going to grab Justin and take him alone sometimes for a lot of reasons, but that’s one of the reasons, to kind of keep him away from some of the other guys. What a delicate situation «
In the spring, Penn State coach James Franklin noted the difficulties in holding team meetings while keeping players away from each other as much as possible for fear that an entire group of positions would be infected
« But the other challenge is if you’re going to meet all your quarterbacks at the same time and they all get sick, you don’t have a healthy quarterback, » Franklin said at the time.
Tanner Morgan of Minnesota said on Tuesday that coaches have often reminded him and the other quarterbacks that « this is a crazy year and crazy things could happen. »
“So when we come together as a quarterback we’re all scattered, 6 feet apart,” Morgan said “We all have our masks on Coach wears his mask Unless you grab a glass of water and put it back right away We take this seriously, because 21 days is a long time, and it’s something we really can’t afford «
After announcing August 11 that it would push back all fall sports until spring due to the pandemic, the Big Ten reversed itself and opened the season in mid-October Because it started later than most other Power Five leagues, the Big Ten have set up a nine-game schedule, conference-only, with no week off.
So while Notre Dame may postpone a scheduled match with Wake Forest after experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak last month, Big Ten programs don’t have that luxury The Big Ten’s 21-day deadline for player feedback is also stricter than other conferences – a move the league knew it could put its teams at a disadvantage over the competition
« I think there were definitely those questions after the decision was made, » said Jim Borchers, Ohio State team doctor last week. « And the answer is that this is what it took to get us to a point where our presidents and chancellors felt comfortable minimizing the risks in order to allow a return to competition. And that’s all we really paid attention to «
Big Ten Protocols Say Athletes Who Test Positive In Daily Point-Of-Contact Testing Must Take Polymerase Chain Reaction Test To Confirm First Result All COVID-19 positive athletes must complete self-isolate for 10 days and have heart tests
Doug Aukerman, team doctor at Pac-12, Oregon State, said he saw Big Ten policy as reasonable
“But at the same time I prefer an approach where everyone isolates themselves for 10 days and you do your heart tests and you come back based on their individual situation,” Aukerman said “And watch out for their symptoms individual as they progress «
The Big Ten and other conferences have set roster thresholds teams must meet to play a game this season Most include a minimum of 53 players There are also minimums at some positions like quarterback -back (one) and offensive line (seven)
Several teams, including Florida and Vanderbilt, have postponed games because they didn’t have enough players in total Baylor last month postponed a game against Houston because it lacked offensive linemen
No team has publicly acknowledged that it had to postpone a game because it was running out of quarterfinals
Mertz’s first positive test is said to have come a day after he finished 20 of 21 and tied a school record in one game by throwing five touchdown passes on Friday in a 45-7 win over Illinois Now the Badgers may have to look to Vanden Boom, whose only career assist to Wisconsin was for a 3-yard touchdown against New Mexico in September 2018.
While Wisconsin awaits answers, Big Ten teams continue to remind quarterbacks of the potential risks inherent in this unusual season
« It’s something else with this year, respect the virus, » said Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras « I know we quarterbacks all know we have such a small room and it’s important that we do what we can off the pitch to make sure we keep our circles extremely small and keep doing our better to avoid getting it «
Wisconsin Badgers football, Big Ten Conference, Quarterback, Nebraska Cornhuskers football, University of Wisconsin-Madison, American football
World news – United States – Nightmare scenario: what’s going on happens when the epidemic hits QB room?
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
