Will Be a "Weird" Iron Bowl Without Nick Saban According to Gus Malzahn

The Tigers coach says Saban missing this year's annual rivalry game is just another product of a strange season

With news of University of Alabama coach Nick Saban testing positive for COVID-19 and missing Saturday's game against Auburn shaking up the Southeastern Conference, Tigers coach Gus Malzahn shared his condolences for his counterpart.

"First of all, I want to say I'm sorry to hear that Coach Saban tested positive for coronavirus," Malzahn said on the SEC coaches teleconference on Wednesday afternoon. "I hope his symptoms are not severe. I hope he makes a speedy recovery. It's gonna be a really weird deal playing an Iron Bowl without Nick being there.

"It's another sign of a very unusual season."

Saban's first positive coronavirus test, just days before the Georgia game back in October, eventually was deemed a false positive but with the Crimson Tide coach dealing with minor symptoms, he will not be patrolling the sidelines this weekend. 

As if 2020 couldn't get any stranger, Alabama will be without its leader and six-time national champion for the first time since the 2006 season. 

"It's been that kind of year," Malzahn said. "As a coach, you gotta prepare for different things, whether it's your guys coming down with the virus or something else. It's just been really weird. The Iron Bowl is a special, special deal and for me coaching against Nick is a really big deal and him not being there is going to feel weird. 

"Like I said, this is a lot bigger than football."

While the Crimson Tide might miss Saban's presence on the sideline, the Tigers will potentially be without both starting tackles alongside the offensive line, Brodarious Hamm and Austin Jackson, and freshman running back Tank Bigsby.

Bigsby is Auburn's leading rusher with 527 yards and five touchdowns. 

"We're hoping," Malzahn said. "The answer is no they didn't practice yesterday, but we're hopeful. Towards the end of the week, we'll hopefully know their status but as of right now it is questionable for all three."

The 85th Iron Bowl will kick off at 2:30 p.m (CT) on Saturday afternoon and will be broadcasted on CBS.