COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Athletic director Gene Smith said Ohio State plans to play in the national championship game Monday night against Alabama after reports surfaced that the game could be postponed because of COVID-19 cases in the Buckeyes program.

AL.com, a news agency in Alabama, and a reporter for Sports Illustrated said Tuesday that a discussion was under way about postponing the game.

“We continue to follow the same protocols we have all season,” Smith told NBC4 in response. “We plan to play January 11th.”

Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff, told Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated that there were no plans to postgame the game.

“There are no changes to report,” Hancock told Sports Illustrated. “The game is scheduled for January 11 as planned and we are looking forward to it.”

If the game were to be postponed, Monday, Jan. 18 has been designated as a back-up date at Hard Rock Stadium outside Miami.