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Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban had tested positive for Covid-19 previously, but that turned out to be a false positive. But it appears this one isn’t.
From Alabama: “This morning we received notification that Coach Saban tested positive for COVID-19. He has very mild symptoms, so this test will not be categorized as a potential false positive. He will follow all appropriate guidelines and isolate at home.”
— Aaron Suttles (@AaronSuttles) November 25, 2020
During Georgia Week in October Saban tested positive, but he was back on the field by kickoff after passing a series of tests that showed his previous test appeared to be incorrect. But that doesn’t appear to be the case here.
Last time offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian was named the interim head coach, but ended up not needing to do the job. He’ll likely be the head man on Saturday in the Iron Bowl against Auburn.
Saban has been the main character in the Iron Bowl drama since arriving in Tuscaloosa in 2007. He is 255-65-1 overall, and 164-23 at Alabama, and 8-5 against Auburn. His team was named #1 in the first College Football Playoff rankings yesterday.
Alabama is a 24.5 point favorite over Auburn this Saturday, although the line moved about 2.5 points towards Georgia when he was declared out last time. We’ll see if there’s any movement away from the Crimson Tide based on this news.