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The No.1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide will be without their head coach on Saturday when they face No.22 rival Auburn, but Paul Finebaum believes that won’t affect the outcome of the game.
ESPN and SEC network analyst, who joined ESPN’s ‘Get Up’ Thursday, suggested it would be business as usual for Tide, even with coach Nick Saban sidelined with COVID -19.
“I don’t think it will have a big impact. Yes, it’s a rivalry game, ”said Finebaum, per 247 Sports. “It’s the Iron Bowl. Remember, Gus Malzahn has won two of the last three games against coach Nick Saban. Find someone else who can make this statement outside of Clemson, SC Beyond that, they trust Sarkissian. He was head coach in Washington and Southern Cal. They have already undergone this exercise. I think that’s the only thing that helped them, and also the last time was against Georgia. At that point, before we knew Saban was coming back, Alabama hadn’t played well. The defense was fragile. The defense has really taken a lot of steps now. There is a much higher degree of confidence in this game.
Saban tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. As he was showing mild symptoms, it looks like there won’t be a bogus reprieve for Saban like there was last month before another huge game against Georgia.
“He has very mild symptoms, so this test will not be classified as a potential false positive,” said team doctor Dr Jimmy Robinson and head coach Jeff Allen in a joint statement. “He will follow all appropriate directions and self-isolate at home.”
Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian will oversee preparations and lead the team on game day.
Saban said he had a runny nose, but no major symptoms. When he tested positive before the game with Georgia, he showed no symptoms. Saban ended up being cleared to coach in that match after subsequent tests leading up to the match came back negative.
The two teams will meet on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. ET) and will be broadcast live on CBS All Access. CBS will broadcast the game.
Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on twitter @Mark_Heim.
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