Coronavirus pandemic shaking things up in SEC
The COVID-19 pandemic is packing a punch in college football this week, nowhere harder than in the Southeastern Conference.
Alabama coach Nick Saban has tested negative in a follow-up test for COVID-19, leaving open the possibility of a return to the sideline for tonight’s Southeastern Conference showdown with Georgia.
Alabama head athletic trainer Jeff Allen said Saban’s test came back negative on Thursday. If he tests negative again Friday and today, Saban, who tested positive Wednesday, would be allowed to coach tonight.
Two SEC games scheduled for today, LSU at No. 10 Florida and Vanderbilt at Missouri, have been postponed.
Two other games involving Top 10 teams also are off: No. 7 Oklahoma State at Baylor and No. 8 Cincinnati at Tulsa.
FIU-Charlotte and Southern Miss-UTEP in Conference USA were postponed, as was the matchup between Appalachian State and Georgia Southern, which hurriedly scheduled a replacement home game against Massachusetts.
• No. 3 Georgia at No. 2 Alabama is the only matchup of Top 25 teams this week and was supposed to be the second straight game Saban faced off against a former assistant, Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart. Steve Sarkisian will be in charge of the Tide unless Saban gets the goahead. Otherwise Saban will be quarantining at home.
Alabama got into a scoring contest in last week’s 63- 48 triumph against Lane Kiffin and Mississippi. Georgia was challenged for a while against Tennessee, trailing at half before winning 44-21.
The Crimson Tide have won five straight against Georgia and will be meeting the Bulldogs in the regular season for the first time since 2015.
Georgia presents a much bigger physical challenge than the Tide faced last week. The Bulldogs’ run defense is best in the nation. Opponents are averaging 1.49 yards per carry and have scored no rushing touchdowns. The Bulldogs, however, haven’t seen a running back like Najee Harris, who went for 206 yards and five TDs against Ole Miss.
The last two Georgia-Alabama games were classics.
In 2018, Jalen Hurts took over for an injured Tua Tagovailoa in the fourth quarter and led the Tide to a 3528 win in the SEC championship game in Atlanta. Eleven months earlier on the same field, Tagovailoa had replaced an ineffective Hurts and brought back the Tide from a 13- 0 deficit to beat the Bulldogs 26-23 in overtime in the national championship game. HEISMAN WATCH >> Ian Book became Notre Dame’s first quarterback to pile up 2,500 yards passing, 500 yards rushing and 30 touchdown passes in a season, and he’s been steady through three games against overmatched competition.
The third- year starter’s status as a second-tier Heisman candidate could change quickly if the Irish keep winning and he has a big outing against Clemson on Nov. 7.
UNDER THE RADAR >> Kentucky will be at No. 18 Tennessee today.
The border rivals are meeting for the 116th time, and Kentucky will be going for its first win in Knoxville since 1984.
The Wildcats’ defense should be plenty confident after holding Mississippi State coach Mike Leach’s “Air Raid” offense without a touchdown last week. Kentucky’s offense needs to get out of neutral, especially the passing game.
The Volunteers used a late goal-line stand to beat the Wildcats 17-13 last year. HOT SEAT >> Middle Tennessee’s Rick Stockstill is 5-12 since he was Conference USA Coach of the Year in 2018. His Blue Raiders broke through with their first win last week after an 0- 4 start, scoring in the last minute to beat Florida International. They’re a touchdown favorite at home against a North Texas team that can put up — and give up — a lot of points.
In these tough financial times for athletic departments, Stockstill might be able to survive another bad season if only because his contract buyout is north of $6 million.
NO. 17 SMU IMPROVES TO 5-0 >> Brandon Crossley ended the first overtime possession with an interception and Chris Naggar made a 34-yard field goal to give No. 17 SMU a 37-34 victory over Tulane in New Orleans. The Mustangs are 5- 0 (3- 0 American).