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Lane Kiffin will no longer serve as the offensive coordinator for Alabama as the Crimson Tide look to repeat as national champions on January 9 against Clemson. Steve Sarkisian will call the plays in the title game.

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A major shakeup has happened in Tuscaloosa less than a week before the Alabama Crimson Tide compete for their second straight national championship against Clemson in Tampa.

Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, who has also been serving duties with his new job as head coach at FAU, will no longer be with the Crimson Tide, effective immediately.

“We appreciate all that Lane has done for our football program over the last three years,” head coach Nick Saban said. “We sat down following the Washington game and talked about the time demands of managing both jobs, and we recognized that it is best for our players, and for Lane, that we allow him to turn his full attention to his new head coaching role at FAU.”

Kiffin had served as the offensive coordinator at Alabama the past three seasons, turning the Crimson Tide into fast-paced offense that also relied on a heavy dose of the run. However, in the semifinal win against Washington, the offense struggled at times, and looked lost.

Steve Sarkisian, who joined the Alabama staff this season as an offensive analyst, will take over play-calling duties immediately, including the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on January 9. Sarkisian was named Kiffin’s successor at offensive coordinator when the latter accepted the FAU job.

“This wasn’t an easy decision and we appreciate the way Lane handled this in terms of doing what is best for our team,” Saban said. “At the end of the day, both of us wanted to put your players in the best position to be successful.”

MORE: Alabama vs. Clemson Prediction, College Football Playoff National Championship Preview