Alabama Football: Game prep for Kentucky begins Sunday or not

Alabama Football: Any SEC schedule changes, for week 12 of the CFB season, must be known soon.

The COVID-upheaval of the college football season hit the SEC hard this week. Alabama football and seven other schools were impacted. Two of the games, Auburn at Mississippi State and Texas A&M at Tennessee are expected to be played on Dec. 12.

The postponed Alabama vs. LSU and Georgia vs. Missouri games are in limbo. Shortly after the Crimson Tide and Bengal Tigers cancelation, Louisiana media stated the game might be moved to Nov. 21. Alabama football already has Kentucky on that date.

A couple of days ago, we wondered if Ed Orgeron really wanted the game to be rescheduled. Whether he does or not, a decision must be made quickly if the Kentucky game is moved to make room for the Tide and LSU on the 21st.

Alabama football coach, Nick Saban followed the Crimson Tide bye week with an attempt at a normal practice schedule. On Saturday, Saban said for continuity the Crimson Tide would do something,

"We’ll probably do the same thing. Obviously we won’t have a game, but to keep rhythm, probably have some kind of practice Saturday."

Then Sunday review of the Kentucky game plan will begin. Unless the schedule shifts back to LSU. The SEC cannot wait until the first of the week to flip games on the 21st. Assuming, the Crimson Tide will play Kentucky as planned, there may not be room on the schedule for the LSU game.

Theoretically, there could be room, if the SEC decided to push the Championship game from Dec. 19 to Dec. 26. The SEC is not likely to make that change and certainly will not unless the CFB Playoff schedule is pushed back at least a week.

A day after the Selection Committee stated it had not discussed any delay, it was learned it might consider the option. On Thursday, Big 12 Commissioner, Bob Bowlsby said it had been discussed.

"I am on the CFP operations committee and we spent some time talking about that.  “We have not come to any closure on it, but there is some latitude to postpone it if that need should arise."

In fairness to any planning effort, the situation is so fluid new plans might become unfeasible within days of any change. There is conjecture in the national media, the Playoff semi-finals and the Championship game could be pushed back more than a week or two.

Necessary safety precautions must be maintained, while also limiting the reduction of games played. The Big Ten currently has a small window to get in its games. Wisconsin is a team that might not qualify for a Big Ten Championship because of not competing in the conference minimum of six games.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey simplified the dilemma when he said,

"At some point we have to have a finish line"

At this point, no one knows when that finish line date will be.

Alabama football will wait to learn more, even if that more is only the opponent for Nov. 21. In the current environment, even Nick Saban cannot have a plan for everything.