Alabama Football: Sarkisian looking for redemption in title game

Steve Sarkisian is looking for redemption for Alabama football

When Steve Sarkisian came to Tuscaloosa, his career was in shambles. No one would consider him for a serious job. However, he got a sudden promotion when Lane Kiffin left before the National Championship game against Clemson. He started his Alabama football coaching career with a National Championship game, and he will end it with one as well.

Sarkisian has been on a roller coaster since that loss to Clemson. He immediately took a job as the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons before coming back to Alabama. He now has a successful record with stars at every position and the best offense that Alabama has ever seen. He was bound to find another head coaching job, and he just did. Sark will be on his way to Texas at the end of the season.

Thankfully for Alabama football fans, things could be a lot worse. Sarkisian will stay with the Tide and coach in this year’s National Championship against Ohio State. That gives him the opportunity to get redemption for himself after losing in his first title game.

Sarkisian has not coached in the National Championship since that one loss. In that game, he let his foot off the gas in the second half and had a conservative game plan. This led to Clemson’s comeback. That is not to say that Sarkisian was to blame. Bo Scarbrough got injured, and Alabama football scored on their final drive of the game. The Tide needed one stop to win, and the defense failed to get it. Still, Sarkisian could have done more offensively to put this game out of reach.

What has Sarkisian learned since this loss? His playcalling has gotten more advanced. The Tide have more weapons now than they did in 2016, and Sarkisian finds a way to give them all the football.

Sarkisian also is better at managing the game. He won’t take his foot off of the gas until the final play. This College Football Playoff game could turn into a shootout, and Sarkisian will use his entire bag of tricks against the Buckeyes.

While this game won’t impact Sarkisian’s coaching career, he still has a chance to end his Alabama football tenure on a high note. Fans will hope he can do just that.