Lane Kiffin no longer Crimson Tide OC: How mutual was the decision?

Don’t expect the questions about Lane Kiffin to end now.

The College Football Playoff National Championship game is Monday. We now know that the Alabama Crimson Tide will be playing it with Steve Sarkisian as the offensive coordinator. Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban has already made the announcement that Lane Kiffin is no longer the team’s offensive coordinator. He defined the move as a mutual agreement, but the question on the minds of many is whether or not there’s any truth in that statement.

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Saban, a constant proponent of dedication and focus, may have had some questions as to whether or not Kiffin was able to juggle the task of being the head coach of the Florida Atlantic Owls and being the Tide’s offensive coordinator simultaneously. What’s certain is Saban hasn’t ever shown the trait of being a fan of distractions.

Alabama’s win over the Washington Huskies was diminished slightly by an up and down performance offensively and by Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts completing a grand total of seven passes in the semifinal round. Saban at one point was even seen yelling at Kiffin on the sideline. That’s not going to do it against an offensive juggernaut like the Clemson Tigers.

The Tide rolls on. They do so by making a move that we expected to see eight days later, but they’ll still walk into the title game as the favorites. They still have an excellent chance to win, and for those who may be unaware, Sarkisian is no offensive slouch.

Debate will now rage as to whether or not Kiffin has learned from past mistakes. Everyone’s saying the right things, but there will be talk about Saban endorsing Kiffin in the first place. This probably won’t be remembered as a “mutual decision”. Talk of Kiffin’s past will resurface. For now, this is what we have. Kiffin gets to start fresh. The Crimson Tide has eliminated the distractions.

The game is January 9th.