Lane Kiffin appeared on Paul Finebaum's show Monday to give his side of the story on why he will not call plays for Alabama in next Monday's national title game. And Kiffin's story, on the record, is the same as Alabama's.
"Coach and I spent some time together last night and again this morning, just kind of bouncing some things around, on the preparation for the game and trying to do both jobs. I think I thought it would be easier than it was," Kiffin said. "It wasn't anything about in-game, I was wondering, was I always there?
"I don't know that, for the players, you can do 100 percent. You can try, but your mind's thinking, 'Okay, here's a guy I've got to interview tonight, a list of players I need to watch tonight.'
"Sark and I are so similar," Kiffin continued. "We speak the same language, call plays the same way. It's the best thing for the players at this time for Sark to call the game and lead the meetings all week long."
Asked if this episode was a "bad look" for his image, Kiffin said, "I can't worry about that. This was something 10 years ago I don't think I would've come up with. I had to really think about the best thing for the players."
Finebaum asked Kiffin to respond to this Brett McMurphy tweet, which Kiffin said was incorrect.
"That's not true," Kiffin said. "I was doing every interview that I was supposed to do, walked straight out of there and the bus was gone. There was no distractions as far as that. As you look at the game, I said all week leading up (Washington's) a really good defense."
Kiffin closed the interview stating his three years in Tuscaloosa was completely positive, citing a statistic that Alabama produced three SEC Offensive Players of the Year at three different positions. "It's really been an awesome run," Kiffin said. "Three SEC championships, hadn't been done in so long, to be part of that with three different quarterbacks. When we signed the paper three years ago I don't know that anybody could imagine it would go this good."
Kiffin then signed off. His last words, officially, as a representative of Alabama's football program: "Roll Tide."