Alabama’s Saban will miss Iron Bowl with coronavirus
The Iron Bowl will be without its biggest star.
No. 1 Alabama’s iconic coach Nick Saban tested positive for COVID-19 just before the game with No. 22 Auburn. Since he was experiencing mild symptoms, it appears there won’t be a false positive reprieve for Saban like there was last month before another huge game against Georgia.
Team physician Dr. Jimmy Robinson and head trainer Jeff Allen said in a joint statement that the positive test came Wednesday.
“He has very mild symptoms, so this test will not be categorized as a potential false positive,” the statement said. “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 lead the team on game day.
Saban said he has had a runny nose, but no major symptoms. When he tested positive ahead of the game with Georgia, he didn’t have any symptoms. Saban ended up being cleared to coach in that game after subsequent tests leading up to the game came back negative.
This time appears different. “It was a PCR test which was different than the false positive that I had before,” Saban said on the Southeastern Conference coaches teleconference. “I don’t really have any cardinal signs of the virus right now. I don’t have a fever, no loss of taste or smell, no fatigue, no muscle aches.
“I informed the team this morning at 10 on a zoom call. I’m the only person in the whole organization who tested positive this round.”
Saban will still run meetings and monitor practice via zoom at home like he did ahead of the Georgia game. Sarkisian will still call offensive plays during the game, but Saban said other details were still to be ironed out. OKLAHOMA-WEST VIRGINIA POSTPONTED TO DEC. 12 >> No. 11 Oklahoma (6-2, 5-2) paused all activities due to COVID-19 concerns, and its game Saturday at West Virginia (53, 4-3) was postponed to Dec. 12. AIR FORCE-COLORADO STATE GAME OFF >> The Mountain West Conference is calling off the Colorado State-Air Force football game that was set for this morning at the Air Force Academy because of “an upward trend of COVID-19 cases within the Colorado State football program.”
The game has been declared a no-contest and there are no plans to reschedule it.
UTAH MAKES COVID SHIFT AGAIN, HEADS TO WASHINGTON >> COVID-19 has been the most difficult opponent on Utah’s schedule. After another shift this week, the Utes will head to Seattle and play Saturday against an unbeaten Washington team.
Itinerary changes have been constant for Utah. The Utes’ first two games — against Arizona and UCLA — were canceled due to virus spread in the program. It was learned Tuesday that Arizona State would need to call off this week’s game with Utah scheduled at Tempe because of lingering COVID-19 issues with the Sun Devils.
The Pac-12 announced the UtahWashington matchup shortly after the Utes’ game with ASU was canceled. The Huskies became available when their Apple Cup rivalry game this weekend with Washington State was canceled because of COVID-19 striking the Cougars’ program.
NO. 7 CINCINNATI AT TEMPLE CANCELED >> No. 7 Cincinnati’s game at Temple this weekend was canceled because both teams are dealing with COVID-19 issues.
The unbeaten and conferenceleading Bearcats’ next game is scheduled for Dec. 12 at No. 24
Tulsa, which had its game scheduled for Saturday against Houston postponed because the Cougars have been hit by the virus.
Tulsa is also unbeaten in American Athletic Conference play and with a victory next week against Navy it would clinch a spot in the championship against Cincinnati. TEXAS STATE DB WINTERS KILLED IN SHOOTING >> Texas State sophomore defensive back Khambrail Winters was fatally shot Tuesday night in San Marcos, Texas. Two men have been arrested and charged in the killing, authorities said Wednesday.
Police responded to reports of shots fired at an apartment building in San Marcos on Tuesday night and found Winters with a gunshot wound to the chest, according to the San Marcos Police Department. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
MINNESOTA WR BATEMAN ENDS SEASON EARLY >> Minnesota star wide receiver Rashod Bateman decided to end his season early out of concern over COVID-19, the day after the Gophers canceled their game against Wisconsin due to a rise in cases within the program.
Bateman, a widely projected first-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft who was the Big Ten Receiver of the Year award winner in 2019, made his announcement on Twitter.