HOOVER, Ala. — Had it been a press conference in a movie, the question would have been followed by a record scratch and dead silence. A reporter grabbed the mic and asked Alabama coach Nick Saban this:
How has Lane Kiffin improved you as a coach?
Lane Kiffin? Improve Nick Saban? As a coach?
The jokes flew around the room and the Twitterverse. Even Saban seemed shocked. "I'm sorry?" he said before beginning his answer. But as the question sunk in, it didn't seem as far-fetched as it did on the first listen.