Ohio State's Chris Olave will be eligible for Clemson game, source tells The Dispatch

Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave, who missed Saturday's Big Ten championship game for COVID-19 reasons, will be eligible to play in the College Football Playoff, an OSU source told The Dispatch.

The Big Ten will change its requirement that players who've tested positive are ineligible for 21 days, shortening it to 17 days. Olave will have to go through the conference's COVID protocol before he returns, but the timing would allow for his return if the testing goes well. It is not known when Olave tested positive. He was listed on the team's status report as unavailable Saturday morning.

Olave leads Ohio State with 36 receptions and is second behind Garrett Wilson in receiving yards with 528. He and Wilson each have five touchdown catches.

The source said that some of the players who were unavailable on Saturday because of COVID will not be able to play in the Jan. 1 CFP semifinal against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans but didn't specify a number.

Linebacker Baron Browning and punter Drue Chrisman were among the other players who were unavailable Saturday against Northwestern.

Olave has relished a chance to return to the College Football Playoff since he and quarterback Justin Fields had a miscommunication that resulted in a last-minute interception, sealing last year's 29-23 loss to Clemson in the CFP semifinals.

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