Is Nick Saban's Alabama dynasty in peril? Depends if you ask Lane Kiffin or Paul Finebaum | Toppmeyer

Find someone who loves you the way Lane Kiffin loves cozying up to Nick Saban.

Kiffin is forever grateful to Saban for how Alabama’s coach took in Kiffin when his career was at its lowest. After Southern Cal fired Kiffin, Saban hired him to be his offensive coordinator.

It wasn’t a charity act. Saban needed someone to modernize Alabama’s offense. Kiffin delivered, and, in the process, he rebooted his career.

Kiffin spares no opportunity to praise or defend his former boss. A couple of weeks ago, Kiffin dunked on Jimbo Fisher after Ole Miss beat Fisher’s Aggies, 31-28.

Fisher had called Kiffin “a clown act” in the offseason, and the Aggies coach later hosted a scorched-earth news conference in May in which he dubbed Saban a despicable narcissist and a false god, in response to Saban accusing A&M of buying every player on its roster.

Fisher's offseason comments didn't sit well with Kiffin, whose zingers put Fisher in his place. But making fun of Fisher is easy pickings these days.

Kiffin upped the ante this week when he took on talk-show host Paul Finebaum of the SEC Network, the "Mouth of the South."

Finebaum recently dubbed Saban’s dynasty an endangered species.

“The window on the Saban dynasty is closing,” Finebaum said on ESPN after Alabama’s 32-31 overtime loss to LSU.

Finebaum later said “college football has caught up to Alabama.”

Kiffin isn’t buying it.

While saying he understands Finebaum's role as a pot-stirrer, Kiffin refuted the notion that Saban's dynasty is waffling.

"It's ridiculous," said Kiffin, whose No. 11 Rebels (8-1) will host No. 9 Alabama (7-2) on Saturday

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As Kiffin correctly put it, Alabama is two plays away from being undefeated. If Will Reichard makes his 50-yard field goal in the closing seconds against Tennessee, Alabama wins that game. If Alabama stops LSU’s two-point conversion, it wins that game.

However, Alabama is not playing like a well-coached team. Alabama is frequently penalized, and special teams gaffes have piled up. Coverage busts and tackling woes flare up, too.

If not for stars like quarterback Bryce Young and linebacker Will Anderson, Alabama may have more than two losses.

For the second straight year, Georgia’s Kirby Smart assembled the most talented roster, not Saban.

So, is Saban’s dynasty in peril, or is this simply a hiccup?

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That depends on your definition of dynasty.

To Kiffin’s point, Alabama remains a super-talent compared to much of its competition, and it is a couple of plays away from an undefeated record. Alabama continues to sign top recruits.

However, the way Smart is recruiting and developing talent, Georgia is positioned as the most formidable program at present and into the future. Meanwhile, Brian Kelly’s LSU Tigers are on the rise.

Plus, NIL and immediate eligibility for transfers offer avenues for other programs to assemble top talent. Those evolutions in the sport make it more difficult for one program, like Alabama, to stockpile talent.

Because of the freedom of player movement, college football appears headed for a future with more year-over-year fluidity among the top 30 or so programs.

No longer will every top prospect want to play for Saban if that prospect believes he can secure a better NIL deal elsewhere.

If Saban coaches another five seasons, I think he’ll win another national title, and Alabama will remain a perennial playoff contender. But if Saban wins one title in the ensuing five seasons, that would mark one championship in a seven-year span, following its 2020 national championship team.

Smart’s Bulldogs are trending toward a dynastic run.

Alabama is trending toward being a perennial contender and an occasional champion.

A check on the College Football Playoff

About a dozen teams remain in playoff contention.

From the SEC, that includes Georgia, Tennessee, LSU, Alabama and Ole Miss. Alabama or Ole Miss are the ultimate longshots. Both would be eliminated Saturday if LSU beats Arkansas to clinch the SEC West. The winner of the Alabama-Ole Miss game would seem like a more realistic contender for a New Year’s Six bowl.

Georgia is in the driver’s seat for a playoff bid. Likely, it could suffer one loss and still qualify.

Tennessee will need a touch of help to qualify – namely, Georgia winning the SEC championship and TCU losing at least once.

LSU would need to run the table and beat top-ranked Georgia in the SEC Championship Game to have hope of qualification.

Other than the SEC, the Pac-12 has the most playoff contenders. The Pac-12 has not produced a playoff qualifier since the 2016 season, but No. 6 Oregon, No. 8 Southern Cal and No. 12 UCLA are legitimate candidates.

Email of the week

John writes: I will not be surprised if I see Alabama, Tennessee and Clemson in the mythical national championship. Do not mess with their minds or their fantasy. They really believe this stuff.

My response: I'm chuckling over the idea of Alabama, Clemson, Tennessee and let's throw in Notre Dame (the Irish have an SEC-sized ego) in a four-team NIT of sorts to determine the "true" champion.

Jest aside, I believe an 11-1 Tennessee team would have a reasonable shot of making the playoff.

Three and out

1. Missouri awarded third-year coach Eliah Drinkwitz a two-year contract extension, upped his salary to $6 million and increased his buyout. This for a coach whose Missouri record is 15-17. No one flushes money better than higher-education administrators. Well, maybe politicians.

2. Billy Napier has Florida one win away from bowl eligibility in his first season, but he says the Gators have “bigger aspirations” than just making a bowl. Hey, don’t poo-poo the Liberty Bowl. Texas A&M should be so fortunate as to play in such a prestigious game.

3. Auburn will host Texas A&M in a matchup of 3-6 teams. Given AU’s coaching vacancy, Tigers fans may be more interested in Liberty’s game against Connecticut. Hugh Freeze’s Flames (8-1) are up to No. 19 in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches poll. As Freeze put it recently to 247Sports: “I have won everywhere I've been.” Including in the SEC.

Blake Toppmeyer is an SEC Columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

If you enjoy Blake’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it. Also, check out his podcast, SEC Football Unfiltered, or access exclusive columns via the SEC Unfiltered newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Nick Saban dynasty in trouble? Lane Kiffin, Paul Finebaum can't agree