Nick Saban sent shockwaves across the college football landscape when he announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.
Since the initial statement, Saban has maintained that he feels fine, and is somehow still hoping to be on the sidelines for Alabama’s game against Georgia on Saturday.
In the event that Saban is unable to do so, he outlined who would take over responsibilities.
“So, we’re still doing everything possible to get ready for the Georgia game, preparing our team,” Sabana told reporters on a Zoom press conference on Wednesday night. “I’ll have normal meetings tomorrow. Everything will be on Zoom. We’ll continue to do this. Sark’s kind of filling in in my absence for anything that needs coordinated in the office.”
If Saban is unable to coach, this will be the first game he has not been on the Alabama sidelines since the 2006 season. Over that time, he’s become the top coach in the sport and won his last five games over the Georgia Bulldogs.
Vegas has already shifted the betting lines following the news, with some sportsbooks taking the game off the board. Others have shifted the line, down from Alabama being a 6-point favorite to Alabama being a 4-point favorite.
So how big of an impact does Saban not potentially being on the sideline have on Saturday’s big game? How much would it potentially help or hurt Alabama? The DawgNation team of Connor Riley, Brandon Adams, Mike Griffith and Jeff Sentell discuss the impact and what it means for Saturday’s game.
Other topics discussed on the show include:
- What would a win vs. Alabama mean for UGA?
- What does the Georgia offense have to do to be successful against Alabama?
- Who are the players that must play well on Saturday for Georgia?
- What is the worry level regarding the recent COVID-19 trends in the SEC?
You can watch and comment along with Cover 4 Live every week at 7:30 p.m. ET on the DawgNation Facebook and Youtube channels.
More Georgia football stories from around DawgNation
- DawgNation Happy Hour: UGA fans debate how Nick Saban’s coronavirus news impacts Saturday showdown
- Amarius Mims: The 2021 class weighs in on how big that 5-star commitment was for Georgia
- Georgia-Alabama: Game Time, TV Channel, odds, how to watch for Week 7 game
- 5 questions with Alabama beat writer, where Tide is most susceptible
- Everything we know about the status of Georgia-Alabama following Nick Saban’s positive COVID-19 test
- Social media reacts to Georgia football landing 5-star offensive tackle Amarius Mims
- What Georgia football is getting in 5-star OT Amarius Mims
- Georgia counts on Stetson Bennett to keep offense in control at Alabama
- Andrew Thomas catch and conversion leads top moments for former Bulldogs in the NFL
- Richard LeCounte: Georgia defensive goal remains 13 points, even for Alabama