One coach who is familiar with running an offense and what it’s like changing a program’s offensive playbook, not to mention in the SEC West, is Florida Atlantic coach Lane Kiffin, of course, a former Alabama offensive coordinator.

In a radio interview with 104.5 FM in Baton Rouge, Kiffin described facing the LSU offense when he was at Alabama as a unit that was 10 or 15 years behind.

“I really think Ed did what Coach (Nick) Saban did however many years ago, seven years ago, when he said I want to change,” Kiffin said. “I’m tired of defending this stuff. I don’t like it, but I want to change.”

Kiffin said Saban told him when he brought him in that it’s time to change and evolve.

Kiffin said he hasn’t watched a lot of LSU this season, but have talked to people who have, including people at Alabama. He said the difference is the Tigers go faster in some areas, and don’t run a million plays.

“That’s really what true tempo is, is you can’t have a million plays like you used to,” Kiffin said. “You can’t get it all done, you can’t get it all called and it takes too long.”

He added that the coaching change to bring in Joe Brady as passing game coordinator from the New Orleans Saints completely changed the program.

Kiffin said he’s not surprised with how Alabama coach Nick Saban has described QB Tua Tagovailoa’s availability, as he said the “game-time decision” label was designed to answer fewer questions.

“(Tua) could have been 100 percent or zero percent,” Kiffin said, “and it still would have been ‘game time decision’ two weeks ago.”

Kiffin said that if President Donald Trump wanted to talk to the Alabama team in the locker room before the game, he would have a hard time getting Saban to allow it.

“Not a chance,” Kiffin said. “No way.”

Kiffin didn’t make a prediction in the LSU-Alabama game, but said there would be a lot of points scored, and winning in Tuscaloosa is difficult, but if there was ever a year to do it, it seems like everything is aligned the right way for it to happen.