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The Iron Bowl will be without its biggest star.
Iconic Alabama No.1 coach Nick Saban tested positive for COVID-19 just before the game with No.22 Auburn. 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.
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Team doctor Dr Jimmy Robinson and head coach Jeff Allen said in a joint statement that the positive test took place on Wednesday.
“He has very mild symptoms, so this test will not be classified as a potential false positive,” the statement said. “He will follow all appropriate directions and self-isolate at home.”
The Crimson Tide are set to face their biggest rivals on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium without the 69-year-old six-time national champion. Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, former head coach of USC and Washington, will oversee preparations in the football building 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.
This time looks different.
“It was a PCR test that was different from the false positive I had before,” Saban said during the South Eastern Conference coaches conference call. “I don’t really have any cardinal signs of the virus right now. I have no fever, no loss of taste or smell, no fatigue, no muscle pain.
“I informed the team this morning at 10 am on a zoom call. I am the only person in the entire organization to have tested positive this round. ”
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Saban will still set up meetings and monitor practice via zoom at home, just like he did before the game against Georgia. Sarkisian will still call offensive plays during the game, but Saban said other details still need to be worked out.
“The last time I did this for three days, I absolutely did everything I did from home to the office,” Saban said. “I just did it while zooming in.”
Saban said he had no idea how he caught the virus and it was not immediately clear if anyone else in the program would be affected due to close contact. . Saban thinks it’s unlikely “depending on how we handle things internally in the building”.
“I’m not with anyone. I mean, I come home and go to the office, ”Saban said. “I have no idea. Now there are people coming in and out of our house on occasion, but I have no idea how it happened. We really do social tracing, social distancing, whatever we need to do to be safe.
“We’re always six feet apart in meetings. We have staff meetings in large rooms. Everyone is required and we all wear masks. The players all wear masks during meetings. “
Auburn coach Gus Malzahn, facing Alabama without Saban on the opposite key, will be the last bizarre aspect of a “really weird year.”
“I hope his symptoms aren’t severe or anything. I hope he will recover quickly, ”said Malzahn. “It’s going to be a really weird business to play the Iron Bowl without Nick.”
“Just another sign of a very unusual season.”
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Saban is one SEC regular season victory over former Florida and South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, second in conference history. Spurrier’s 131 SEC only wins Alabama legend Bear Bryant (159).
While Alabama was hoping the Tide can still play on Saturday, another top 10 team had their game canceled on Thursday.
No.7 Cincinnati will not play Temple as both teams grapple with COVID-19 issues.
The American Athletic Conference said the scheduled game could not be caught on Dec.5, even though both teams have an open date, as league protocols “would not allow enough players to be available for. the competition that day. “
The Bearcats’ next undefeated and conference-leading game is scheduled for Dec. 12 at the 24th Tulsa, which also saw its Saturday game against Houston postponed because the Cougars were affected by the virus.
Tulsa is also undefeated in conference and with a win next week over the Navy he would earn a berth in the AAC Championship against Cincinnati.
Cincinnati-Temple is the 11th game this week to be postponed or canceled in major college football.
With cases of the virus rising from coast to coast in November, college football has faced increasing disruption. This month, 54 games directly impacted by COVID-19 issues for one of the teams have been postponed or canceled.
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