Bama’s Saban to miss game against Georgia
In a development that could have nationaltitle implications, Nick Saban won’t be allowed to coach No. 2 Alabama from home against thirdranked Georgia per NCAA guidelines, and also can’t be in the stadium after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Saban said on his radio show Thursday night that he hasn’t had a fever or any symptoms and has been able to perform all his normal work duties from home.
“I feel great. I don’t have any problems,” Saban said. “I’ve been able to do everything that I would do if I were working from ( the office), whether it’s being in meetings, watching film with the coaches, watching practice film, have communication on the field that I can still correct players.”
He said offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, a former USC and Washington head coach, will handle the headcoaching decisions on the sideline during the game.
Saban, 68, and athletic director Greg Byrne tested positive for the virus Wednesday.
Saban questioned the rule keeping head coaches who test positive from having an ingame role, saying “there’s ways to do this where you wouldn’t be putting people in harm’s way.
“If you’re the head coach, there ought to be a better way to do it. I don’t know exactly what that is but there should be a better way to do that.” No. 8 CincinnatiTulsa postponed: No. 8 Cincinnati’s game at Tulsa on Saturday has been postponed because of an undisclosed number of positive coronavirus tests among Bearcats players.
The American Athletic Conference rescheduled the game for Dec. 5.
Later, Florida International at Charlotte was postponed because of an increase in positive tests in the FIU program. Charlotte athletic director Mike Hill said in a statement the schools will work with Conference USA to reschedule the game in December.
Overall, six major college games slated to be played this week have been rescheduled because of the virus, including five since Sunday. The SEC has called off two games, including LSU at No. 10 Florida, the first postponements in the league since it began Sept. 26.
The number of games involving FBS teams to be postponed or canceled since Aug. 26 is 31.
Bowden back home: Former Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden was released from a hospital after being treated for the coronavirus.
Bowden family friend Kim Shiff said the 90yearold College Football Hall of Famer was back home after a weeklong stay at Tallahassee Memorial Health Care.
He was hospitalized Oct. 6. He had received word of the positive test a few days after returning to his Tallahassee home from a lengthy hospital stay for an infection in his leg.
Bowden coached Florida State for 34 years and is second on the career victories list in major college football with 357, behind only the late Joe Paterno of Penn State. Bowden’s teams won national championships in 1993 and 1999.