For the first time ever, Michigan football will go an entire season without winning a home game.
This is all in due because A) they’re an awful football team this year and B) the Program had to cancel Saturday’s game at the Big House due to a number of COVID-19 positives on the team.
Michigan, mired in a COVID-19 outbreak, has canceled its final home game of the season against Maryland, the school announced Wednesday. This is the first game the Wolverines have missed this season.
The game was scheduled for Saturday at Michigan Stadium.
It is unclear yet how this will affect the Wolverines regular-season finale at Ohio State next week. The abbreviated Big Ten-only schedule also includes a crossover game Dec. 19.
Detroit News
“The decision by our medical professionals to stop practices and cancel this Saturday’s game against Maryland was made with the health, safety and welfare of the student-athletes, coaches and staff as our utmost priority,” Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in a release Wednesday. “We have seen an increase in the number of student-athletes unavailable to compete due to positive tests and associated contact tracing due to our most recent antigen and PCR testing results.”
That game against Ohio State that’s currently in danger of now not being played could have massive ramifications on Ohio State’s hopes to take part in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Last weekend, the Buckeyes had their game against Illinois canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak. Ohio State plans to play this weekend against Michigan State, however, the Buckeyes will need to take part in their final two regular-season games in order to be eligible for the Big Ten Championship Game.
Meanwhile — aside from their play on the field, Michigan had been pretty lucky this season when it came to avoiding any COVID-19 cancellations. They along with Penn State, Rutgers, Indiana, and Iowa were the only teams in the Conference to play every single game on their schedule. Northwestern was also part of that list until they too had to cancel this weekend’s game against Minnesota after the Gophers seen a massive COVID-19 outbreak within their program.
Nonetheless, you wonder how this cancellation will play into the future of Jim Harbaugh? The Michigan head coach now has just one more week to make the case at a contract extension.
In reality though, that opportunity has probably been long gone at this point.