SEC’s struggles against the pandemic continue

Mizzou is back in action this Saturday against Georgia, a game that probably wouldn’t be considered marquee for much of the conference. However, there’s a chance more people will be watching on Saturday — mostly because many fans won’t have games to watch! Thanks a lot, COVID!

An outbreak in Starkville has put the Bulldogs’ date with Auburn on pause.

“Based on positive tests and those considered as close contacts, along with non-COVID injuries, we do not have the minimum number of scholarship student-athletes available for Saturday’s game against Auburn,” MSU director of athletics John Cohen said in a statement.

The two teams are now scheduled to play on December 12, the league’s catch-all COVID makeup week.

Auburn vs. MSU isn’t the only game that could be postponed. In fact, one of the SEC’s biggest rivalries could be on the rocks because of COVID-19 positives.

Multiple players, including starters, will be unavailable, coach Ed Orgeron said on Monday. Some have tested positive, while the majority are out as a result of contact tracing.

Testing has left the program thin at quarterback, and the number of quarantined players includes starters on offense, defense and special teams, a source told ESPN.

And while the Texas A&M vs. Tennessee game isn’t in jeopardy at the moment, the Aggies are dealing with a mini-outbreak of their own.

Aggies athletic director Ross Bjork told ESPN’s Heather Dinich there are “over a dozen” players who will be out for 14 days because of contact tracing protocols, with “no way out of it.” Injuries and opt-outs also will impact whether or not the Aggies can field a roster with 53 scholarship players.

As of this moment, there aren’t any Mizzou players out with positive COVID-19 tests or contact tracing purposes... that we know of. I suppose we’ll find out as the week progresses.

Yesterday at Rock M

• Midterm Grades!
• RECRUITING: An Update on the 2021 Class

More Links:

• Sean Williams wrote up his traditional post for PowerMizzou subscribers following Mizzou recruits who played their weekly high school games. Gabe also jotted out his 10 thoughts for Monday morning (also for subscribers only.)
• We have an update to yesterday’s weekly, “Mizzou in the NFL,” recap!

Hall made the most of his time, too, logging six tackles, which ranked tied for second on the team. Congrats, Terez!

• Really tough news for Albert Okwuegbunam, who will miss the rest of the 2020 season with a torn ACL he suffered against the Falcons. The rookie was finding his old connection with Drew Lock over the past few weeks, putting up 121 yards and a touchdown in his last four games.
• It’s only been half a season since his firing, and Barry Odom is already getting another chance at the top job at an SEC school.

OK, it’s a technicality. Sue us in front of a landscaping company.

• Mizzou has a tough battle on Saturday, but Georgia will be entering already wounded: they’ll be missing all manner of starters according to Kirby Smart.
• I don’t know much about golf, but I feel like this is pretty good!

• If you’re looking to sign up for ESPN+, Rock M Nation now has an affiliate link: click Here for ESPN+ Now!
• If you’re looking to sign up for a new streaming service, you can try FuboTV: click HERE for FuboTV access — FuboTV now has ESPN, CBS, FS1 and more sports channels.
  (** RockMNation has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though RockMNation may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.**)