This season, Alabama will face six schools who will be coming off their bye weeks, a total that is far and away tops in the SEC.
The school’s been traveling down various avenues in an attempt to somewhat alleviate what is an inequitable scheduling situation, whether it be through the SEC itself or working with their opponents. Thus far, they have swung and missed at every attempt, leaving head coach Nick Saban resigned to the fact that half the schools on deck for the season will seemingly have the advantage of two weeks to prepare for the defending national champs.
“I don’t see any changes right now that are going to affect it in any way,” Saban told the Mobile Press-Register during a stop on the Crimson Caravan Tuesday. “It is what it is.”
While Saban was not ready to admit five of the schools would have an advantage -- “nobody knows for sure if a bye week helps your team or not.” -- he once again reiterated his desire to rectify the situation leading up to this year’s Iron Bowl.
The Tide will face Georgia State on a Saturday, then turn around and face the Tigers the following Thursday. Meanwhile, Auburn will have an open date the weekend before the bitter in-state tussle.
Some have viewed the Tide’s game with Georgia State -- a Div. 1-AA program in their first year of existence -- as nothing more than a glorified scrimmage. That may be the case to those on the outside, but Saban’s not looking at it through the same pair of glasses.
“We would definitely like to have a full week to prepare against every team that we play. Right now we have one team that we play on a short week (Auburn), and we’d like to get our schedule fixed around so that’s not an issue for us,” Saban said.
‘Bama officials have reportedly undertaken internal discussions in regard to moving their game with GSU but, as of a couple weeks ago, had not spoken to officials at the school about such a move.