NFL
The NFL’s Chief Medical Officer is offering insight into the data behind the league’s new COVID-19 protocols. Allen Sills tells NFL Network that the data behind the protocols is showing that asymptomatic players are not spreading COVID. Sills says no evidence of asymptomatic players spreading the virus through contract tracing has been found this season. Instead, the league is looking for those that are symptomatic to come forward.
College Football
Thursday’s bowl action saw Miami(Ohio) down North Texas 27-14 in the Frisco Football Classic and Central Florida topped Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl.
The Memphis Tigers won’t be going bowling, but they at least got a trip to Hawai’i. The Hawai’i Bowl was canceled because of recent COVID-19 cases in the Hawai’i program. The game was originally scheduled to be played today. Memphis finishes the season 6-and-6.
Rutgers will be playing in this year’s Gator Bowl after Texas A&M had to bow out amid COVID-19 protocols. NCAA officials had identified a number of teams who would be eligible if teams had to miss their bowls, and each school was ranked based on their Academic Progress Rate score. Among the eligible schools, Rutgers had the highest score. The Scarlet Knights will take on Wake Forest on December 31st in Jacksonville.
Just one week before the start of the College Football Playoff a pair of Alabama coaches have tested positive for COVID. According to the school, offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and offensive line coach Doug Marrone tested positive for the virus. Head coach Nick Saban said both are isolating at home with very mild symptoms. The expectation is for O’Brien and Marrone to be able to coach in the College Football Playoff Semifinal against Cincinnati New Year’s Eve at the Cotton Bowl.