Crimson Tide gets good and bad news
Alabama is No. 1 in first playoff rankings, but Saban has virus
Alabama grabbed the top spot in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2020-21 season, which were released Tuesday night.
But on Wednesday morning, Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban tested positive for COVID-19. It comes just days before Alabama will face No. 22 Auburn in the Iron Bowl.
“He has very mild symptoms, so this test will not be categorized as a potential false positive,” team physician Dr. Jimmy Robinson and head trainer Jeff Allen said in a joint statement. “He will follow all appropriate guidelines and isolate at home.”
The Crimson Tide is set to face its biggest rival Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium without the 69-year-old, six-time national champion coach. Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, a former head coach at USC and Washington, will oversee preparations within the football building and oversee the team on game day.
Alabama (7-0), which is making its 38th appearance in the rankings, feature the top offense in the SEC and have won all seven of their games by an average of 30 points per game this season.
Notre Dame (8-0) entered the rankings at No. 2, its highest spot ever in the rankings. The Fighting Irish are playing in the ACC this season and own a win over Clemson (7-1), which came in at No. 3.
Ohio State (4-0) rounded out the top four with the Buckeyes playing a limited Big Ten schedule.
Texas A&M (5-1) was ranked No. 5, with the Aggies edging No. 6 Florida (6-1) after earning a 41-38 win over the Gators on Oct. 10.
The college football season has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, with the Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC playing conference-only schedules, while ACC and Big 12 headline the leagues that have played nonconference opponents.
Cincinnati (8-0) was the highest ranked Group of 5 team in the rankings, with the Bearcats coming in at No. 7. It’s the highest ranking the program has earned in the playoff era.
BYU(9-0) which was a top 10 team in the latest Associated Press poll, was ranked No. 14.
This is the first of five weekly rankings that will be released by the 13-member selection committee, with the final standings to be revealed Sunday, Dec. 20. The rankings will determine the four semifinalists along with the teams taking part in the New Year’s Six Access Bowl games.