Alabama arrives in Dallas for national playoff semifinal

The top-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide arrived in Dallas on Sunday for Friday afternoon’s national semifinal against fourthseeded Cincinnati in the 86th Cotton Bowl.

Most of them, that is. Alabama (12-1) resumed practices for the Bearcats (13-0) without offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and offensive line coach Doug

Marrone, who are isolating back in Tuscaloosa after positive COVID-19 tests last week.

“They will do all their work and coaching virtually with players, very similar to the way I did it when I tested positive before the Auburn game a year ago,” coach Nick Saban said Sunday afternoon on a Zoom call. “They will join us, I think, the evening of the 29th or the 30th or whenever their time is up. They will be here for the game.

“They’re both doing well. No one is so sick that they can’t function and do things that they need to do with our players.”

Joe Pendry, a special assistant to Saban and the Alabama offensive line coach for the 2009 national championship team, will work on the field with the line during Marrone’s absence.

Saban said there was no update on the injury front and no other COVID-19 issues of which he was aware.

“We’ve got some guys traveling from different spots here today, and we’re all going to gather up,” he said. “If something comes up, then we’ll let you know. We’ve implemented the masks and the social distancing in meetings with players, so we’re already doing all the protocols that we feel that we possibly can.

“Our team has all been vaccinated, and 92% of our players have also had boosters, but we’ve encouraged them to use the same practices that we used a year ago. If there were some new protocols that would help us be safer, we would certainly implement them.”

This marks Alabama’s seventh appearance in the eight years of the College Football Playoff. The Tide have a 5-1 record in semifinals, losing to Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl after the 2014 season before winning their next five over Michigan State, Washington, Clemson, Oklahoma and Notre Dame.

The wins over Michigan State after the 2015 season and Notre Dame last season transpired in Dallas.

“When you’re in the playoffs, it’s all about what’s happening now and what’s in front of you now,” Saban said. “This is one of those win-or-go-home type of situations. Our players have worked hard all year, and I appreciate the adversity that they overcame, but you didn’t come this far to get this far.”