Kiffin: I Could Have Coached Title Game If I Wanted To

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Lane Kiffin says he could have remained as Alabama's offensive coordinator through the national championship game if he had wanted to.

Kiffin told ESPN's Mike & Mike radio show Tuesday that "if I wanted to coach this game, I would have coached this game."

The new Florida Atlantic coach and Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban announced Monday that incoming offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian would run the offense and call plays in next week's national championship game against Clemson. Both described it as a mutual decision.

Kiffin says if Alabama had lost the game because he wasn't 100 percent focused on the players, "I couldn't live with that."