Odds we have a football season poll

[FearlessF]

[FearlessF]

Alabama coach Nick Saban, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday afternoon, appeared on his weekly radio show from home on Thursday night and told listeners that he was feeling great and would hate to miss Saturday's game against No. 3 Georgia.

"I'm doing great," he said. "I don't have any symptoms. I don't have a fever."

Saban said he would like to be a part of the game against Georgia but that NCAA rules prohibit in-game communication with anyone on the staff while he is in quarantine and he cannot travel to the stadium while in quarantine, either.

But if Saban has three negative tests, including the second two in a 24-hour span, he could conceivably be cleared to return to athletic activities before Saturday's game in Tuscaloosa.


"I would hate to not be at the game Saturday if that's what this turns out to be," Saban said.

Still, Saban said, he wishes there was a way for a coach in quarantine to be able to participate, adding that it "doesn't seem quite right" that he wouldn't be able to communicate with his staff or players during a game from a remote location like his home.

"There's ways to do this so you wouldn't be putting anyone in harm's way," he said. "But I also believe in the safety of all the people ... so there would have to be some logistical things to work out."

[ELA]

When Dantonio had his heart attack in 2010, after the Notre Dame win, I recall them checking in to that as far as him communicating with the staff for the Wisconsin game, and it was shot down immediately.  Turned out okay, MSU pulled off probably their biggest win of his first four years

[utee94]

Sure seems like, in light of the unusual circumstances, allowances could be made for a quarantined coach to communicate with his team.

What strange and draconian rules, the NCAA has.

[FearlessF]

if a player is out injured or out with a medical issue, or quarantined with the virus is his allowed to communicated with the coaching staff?

I would guess they are.

[Cincydawg]

We see injured players on the side lines at every game.

[utee94]

I at least understand the intent of many of the strange rules, even if in practice they make little sense and result in unintended negative consequences.

But this one?  Why?

Is it  because someone external to the game could be getting additional information and feeding it to the team?  Couldn't they do this anyway, with mobile phones and 2-way radios and whatnot?

And thinking about it logically, who on earth would Nick Saban, of all people, look to for any additional info and insights?  Who would he ever trust, more than himself?  

Or is there some other reason for the limitation?  Just so strange.

[Brutus Buckeye]

Utah has concluded their HS regular season FB schedule. No major hiccups as far as I know.

[utee94]

Texas high school football is about halfway through, with no major cancellations, at least in my area.

The high school in the suburb where I currently live, which will be my kids' high school, is currently 4-0 and rankled #6 in the state.  Next week they'll be playing my actual high school alma mater for the first time I can recall (new district lines were drawn this year), and my alma mater is... not very good.  They're currently 1-2, and I'd be surprised if they can keep it within 50.