With the scoreboard reading ":48", down 12-10 and the ball on the Alabama 28-yard line with no timeouts left, Lane Kiffin was faced with a game-changing decision.
Look to continue the drive and move the ball for a shorter field-goal attempt -- if not score a touchdown -- or play go uber-conservative and milk the clock against the No. 1 team in the nation and take your FG shot from the current field position.
Kiffin chose the latter option. A draw play kept the clock running and UT clocked the ball with four ticks left, setting up a 44-yard field goal. And we all know what happened next.
As a result, how he handled the last seconds of the game is eating at Kiffin.
“I’ll go back over that a million times,” Kiffin said. “I’m already killing myself for it. You’d like to think you can kick a field goal to win the game.”
Such is the life of an SEC head coach.
Personally, Kiffin made the right call. Run another play, you risk a penalty that might’ve taken away an attempt at a game winner. Or a turnover that would’ve stripped you of any chance at a game winner.
The fact that the field goal was ultimately blocked doesn’t change the fact that the end of the game was played perfectly by the Volunteers.
And now I’m going to need to go take a shower for being so complimentary of the Kiffster. And because I just willingly typed the word “Kiffster”...