Lane Kiffin out, Steve Sarkisian in could be just what Alabama offense needs
When measuring by results, Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin had a great relationship. They made it to the College Football Playoff three straight times.
However, from a personality perspective, the two of them couldn’t be more different. Saban is wound tighter than a snare drum. It’s all about The Process. Kiffin is a bit more loosey goosey. He likes to poke the bear.
The two needed each other. Saban needed Kiffin to take his offense into the 21st century and help balance the program — playing defense has never been a problem for the Crimson Tide on his watch. Kiffin needed Saban to help resurrect his career. He’s still Public Enemy No. 1 in Knoxville, plus he’s far from popular in Oakland and Los Angeles.
But one too many straws finally broke the camel’s back. Seven days before the national championship game, Saban and Kiffin parted ways.
That leaves Steve Sarkisian, who was last seen drinking himself out of a job at USC, to coordinate the ‘Bama attack. Just an “offensive analyst” a few days ago, he wasn’t even technically part of the coaching staff until this week.
His first assignment? A rematch with Clemson. Well, it’s a rematch for the Tide. For Sarkisian, he was unemployed when Alabama tangled with the Tigers this past January. He was in the middle of a $30 million wrongful termination lawsuit — his battle with the bottle was (allegedly) long and distinguished — against Southern Cal.
Despite all the “ass chewings” on the sideline from Saban, Kiffin (below) deserves a lot of credit for what the Crimson Tide have done offensively.
‘Bama is the No. 1 scoring offense in the SEC at 39.4 points per game. While all those defensive and special-teams touchdowns have inflated that number, the Tide are also fourth in the conference in total offense at 460.9 yards per game.
Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Frankly, a middle-of-the-road offense would be good enough for Saban since his defense is beyond suffocating on an annual basis. For the fourth time in the last six years, Alabama is No. 1 nationally against the run. The Crimson Tide are also first in the nation — well ahead of No. 2 Michigan — allowing only 11.4 points per game.
As a result, ‘Bama is undefeated and has looked positively unbeatable at times. The Tide are 6.5-point favorites Monday.
That being said, there have been hiccups here and there. At his core, Saban is a ground-and-pound guy offensively. Kiffin, on the other hand, is a former quarterback. A lot of his coaching résumé involves slinging it around on the West Coast.
There have been stretches this season — the previous two years, as well — when Kiffin has called passing plays a little more often than Saban would like. Nothing makes Kiffin happier than dialing up a downfield strike from Jalen Hurts to Calvin Ridley or ArDarius Stewart, putting his hands in the air in celebration even before the catch is made.
But occasionally that means forgetting about the ground assault, even when a back like Bo Scarbrough is running like a man possessed.
Therefore, it’s possible that Sarkisian at the controls instead of Kiffin means a more Saban-like approach to the offense. Kiffin’s leash got progressively longer in Tuscaloosa. Sarkisian doesn’t have as much freedom yet.
Even if Sarkisian understands the system like the back of his hand, translating that knowledge into a game plan — not to mention play-calling duties in the heat of the moment — is easier said than done. Hurts and Kiffin have been working together for the better part of a year now. Sarkisian only has a few days to get on the same page.
Call me crazy, but I actually think that could be a positive for Alabama. A simpler approach might be a better approach with this group.
Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
“It’s been excellent, very positive, very upbeat,” Saban (above) told reporters Wednesday when asked about the transition, according to ESPN. “Practice has been good. The energy level has been really good. The attitude has been really, really good.”
While this will be Sarkisian’s first game calling the shots, he’s been part of the game-planning since he arrived in September.
“The guy has been with us the whole year, the whole football season,” Saban said. “He knows the offense. He knows the players. He’s worked on the game plans every week and knows the system inside and out and knows the terminology.”
Kiffin was clearly focusing on his new gig at FAU. Sarkisian, like Kiffin three years ago, still needs Saban to help put himself back on the map.
“I just feel like I have to make decisions about what’s best for the players to have the best chance of being successful,” Saban said. “We made the decision, and we’re not talking about it anymore. We’re moving forward. We’re looking forward, and everybody is doing everything they can to support the people that are here now to make it work.”
With Scarbrough finally healthy and living up to his five-star billing, look for a healthy dose of the 6-foot-2, 228-pounder between the tackles. Saban likes to go with the hot hand, but Scarbrough can be Derrick Henry 2.0 when he’s feeling it.
As for Hurts, it’s no secret that the true freshman — SEC Offensive Player of the Year or not — hasn’t thrown the ball particularly well in his last two outings. Kiffin spent a good portion of the national semi-final against Washington passing to set up the run. Expect Sarkisian to flip that script and run to set up the pass.
That doesn’t mean we won’t see another ass chewing from Saban, though. That’s one part of Kiffin’s offense Sarkisian doesn’t want to emulate.
John Crist is the senior writer for Saturday Down South, a member of the FWAA and a voter for the Heisman Trophy. Send him an e-mail, like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.
