President Donald Trump won’t be in the stands for the massive No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 6 Alabama showdown at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday. He scrapped his plans to attend the highly anticipated game, all thanks to Hurricane Isaias. The Tuscaloosa Police Department confirmed to AL.com that the trip was off, with the impending storm making travel impossible for the former President.
A Presidential Trip Derailed
Trump was originally set to be right there in Bryant-Denny, soaking in the atmosphere of one of college football’s biggest matchups. This isn’t his first rodeo with Alabama football, either. He’s been to several Crimson Tide games throughout his tenure, and he’s even got a friendly relationship with legendary coach Nick Saban, who’s been vocal in his support for Trump regarding the Protect College Sports Act. Remember 2018? Trump was in Atlanta for the College Playoff National Championship, watching the Crimson Tide snag the win with those wild overtime heroics from Tua Tagovailoa. And in 2019, he was back at Bryant-Denny for that insane shootout between LSU and Alabama. While this storm might’ve nixed this particular trip, Trump did catch some college ball in person just two weeks ago, witnessing Texas pull off a 20-17 victory over Tennessee in Knoxville.
The Game Goes On (For Now)
Even with all the travel drama, Hurricane Isaias isn’t expected to totally derail the game itself. Both No. 2 Georgia and No. 6 Alabama are still planning to kick off on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa as scheduled. The SEC is keeping a close eye on the storm, though, and that kickoff time could still see a slight adjustment. The forecast for the Southeast this weekend is no joke: locally heavy rain, potential flooding, high winds, and even isolated tornadoes are on the table, although the storm’s exact path is still up in the air. Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer put it straight, according to 247Sports: “Depends on the level of weather you get, it would affect what happens. It’s just, that’s not my area of expertise. I’m just getting our football team ready. It hasn’t affected us much, other than we’re doing wet ball drills and get wet ball involved in some of our team reps, just like we did last week at times, preparing for the rain a week ago. I’m not really involved in too much.” Both coaches are saying they’re prepping like normal because, let’s be real, you can’t control the weather. They’re doing all the wet-ball drills and mental prep they can, and that’s all you can ask for right now.
The teams are ready, the stakes are sky-high, and even with a hurricane threatening and a presidential visit canceled, the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs are gearing up to deliver a classic. Keep an eye on those updated kickoff times, but get ready for some intense football, rain or shine.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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