The Lane Kiffin-Nick Saban marriage had to end now

It might seem like awkward and awful timing, but the Lane Kiffin-Nick Saban marriage had to end before the title game

We were lulled into a false sense of reality by thinking the Nick Saban-Lane Kiffin marriage was going to end so simply as the latter just taking a new job in Boca Raton. If anyone of us believed that –which most of us probably did, be honest– then we’re pretty gullible.

Just two days after Alabama defeated Washington 24-7 in the Peach Bowl as part of the 2016 College Football Playoff, Saban and the school announced that Kiffin will not be present for his last day of work. The Alabama offensive coordinator has been relieved of his duties effective immediately, and Steve Sarkisian will be running the show next Monday night in the title game against Clemson.

On the surface, this seems like some of the worst timing in the world, as you generally don’t see this; Kirby Smart stayed on with Alabama last season for their title run, as did Tom Herman the year prior with Ohio State. But really, this is a split that needed to happen sooner rather than later.

Despite some success with one another –which includes two College Football Playoff appearances and one title win– the relationship between Lane Kiffin and Nick Saban was rather contentious, and that’s maybe putting it a tad lightly. For as many instances that we saw Kiffin throwing his arms up in the air signaling a touchdown before the receiver even caught it, we saw more where Saban put it right out there for everyone to see that he was having a hard time living with the Lane Kiffin offensive philosophy.

Or, as Saban more appropriately noted, those particular instances were called “ass-chewings.”

This split happening right now raises a lot of eyebrows and may conjure up some concern in Tuscaloosa amongst the rabid fan base, but in reality, it’s not as terrible of timing as some may make it out to be.

For starters, Kiffin’s mind is already in another place as he gets set to take over at FAU. Sure, Smart’s and Herman’s were as well, but they were leaving their respective bosses on good terms. When you throw in the tension that Saban and Kiffin share with one another, that’s one of the ultimate recipes for disaster. Now, Saban doesn’t have to deal with the annoyance as he looks to capture yet another national title and Kiffin can get set to start selling some recruits on the idea of chilling with him in Boca for a few years as he tries to prove he can be an effective head coach once again.

Also, it’s not as if the person taking over for Kiffin as offensive coordinator doesn’t know what the hell is going on. This season, former Washington and USC head coach Steve Sarkisian was given a second chance in the big-time college football world, as he was hired as a special offensive assistant by Saban and the Tide. He’s been around the unit all season, and with it being common knowledge since the season began that this would be Kiffin’s last in Tuscaloosa one way or another, you’d have to imagine that the genius that is Saban made sure Sark was aptly prepared to take the reins. It just so happens that he’ll have to perform those duties a little earlier than expected.

Saban now can work on the offense this week ahead of one of the biggest games of his illustrious career with someone he probably enjoys being around more than Kiffin. He can also work with someone who was once one of the most respected offensive minds in college football in Sarkisian.

In reality, everyone sort of wins with this untimely ending.

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This wasn’t the way this marriage was expected to end, especially since it was already determined that Kiffin was leaving to become the FAU head coach. But remembering their awkward relationship from the start through Monday’s news, there was really no other way these two could officially perform the breakup — it had to be out of the norm, because nothing with these two together was normal to begin with.