TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- For two practices, it wasn’t clear who exactly was running Alabama’s defense. It might have been head coach Nick Saban, who said, “We’re all kind of filling in where we can,” but he never came out and said whether he or anyone else was serving as Jeremy Pruitt’s stand-in as defensive coordinator.

This much was clear: Pruitt was not there. His slick, bald head and twangy Southern accent were noticeably absent when the No. 4-ranked Crimson Tide began preparation for Clemson on Dec. 15. Having recently accepted the job as Tennessee’s next head coach, Pruitt was preoccupied with recruiting for the early signing period.

So in his stead, analyst Wes Neighbors coached the inside linebackers until the recruiting dead period began Dec. 18. Co-defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi continued coaching the outside linebackers. And Alabama got by until Pruitt returned that Monday.

“It definitely was a little bit different not having him there for a few days,” Alabama senior cornerback Anthony Averett told reporters, “but it feels good having him back calling plays, having the vibe back.”

Players, it seemed, were unaffected. Pruitt continued wearing his team-issued Alabama gear around the facility, leaving his Tennessee orange in the closet for later.

Besides not having a defensive coordinator for a few days, everything appears to be working out perfectly for Alabama as it navigates the College Football Playoff with an outgoing coordinator for the third year in a row.

This time around is going a lot smoother than it did a year ago, when the Lane Kiffin era of offense ended in turbulent fashion.

For the record, Saban never came out and said Kiffin's situation impacted Alabama’s performance in last year’s playoff.

He didn’t have to.

The whole thing pretty much spoke for itself: Kiffin staying on as offensive coordinator after taking the job as Florida Atlantic’s next head coach; Alabama’s subsequent sloppy performance in the semifinal game against Washington; Saban announcing 48 hours later that he and Kiffin had come to a “mutual agreement” to part ways a week before the national title game.

When Alabama lost to Clemson in the championship game, Saban didn’t blame Kiffin’s absence. Rather, he told reporters he thought the “preparation was good” and “players handled it very well.” But talk to enough people in and around the program and they’ll give it to you straight: The whole thing was a bit of a mess.

They’ll tell you how Kiffin was distracted during the lead-up to the semifinal game, how the players felt it, too, and why it took a sloppy win in Atlanta for the truth to become clear. They’ll also tell you that changing horses, while needed, didn’t necessarily help.

Steve Sarkisian had the credentials to take over as offensive coordinator, but he didn’t have the practical experience with Alabama because in his previous role as an analyst with the Tide, he had never been able to work hands-on with players on the field. Creating the kind of chemistry necessary between coordinator and quarterback in a week’s time just wasn’t possible.

When Sarkisian left Alabama to become the Atlanta Falcons' offensive coordinator shortly after the loss, it further illuminated what a difficult situation it had been. While no one would say Kiffin’s departure cost Alabama a national championship, nobody made the argument that it didn’t create a ripple effect in the organization, either.

The good news is that the current situation is different -- more akin to Kirby Smart’s departure two years ago, when he left his post as Alabama's defensive coordinator to become Georgia’s head coach. That doesn’t mean Alabama will beat Clemson this time around, but it should create less of an impact on players and the preparation due in large part to the fact that this essentially is and has always been Saban’s defense.

Granted, Pruitt has control of the defense and calls plays like Smart did, but it’s a playbook Saban created. If something falls through the cracks, he’s going to notice it. What's more, the relationship between Saban and Pruitt is more, shall we say, stable than it was between Saban and Kiffin and less likely to lead to a premature split.

While Saban certainly had influence on the direction of the offense, it was all Kiffin’s vision. And unlike on defense, Saban doesn’t sit in on every offensive meeting, so some things are out of his line of sight.

Does that mean mistakes won’t be made? Does it mean we won’t look back on this a month from now with more information and a different perspective?

There’s plenty of time left for the picture to change.

But what’s clear is that even though this isn’t an ideal situation for Alabama to have its defensive coordinator juggling two jobs at once, it’s preferable to managing the transition on offense.

As Alabama sets up shop in New Orleans for the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, there isn’t a hint of discord. Ask junior defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick about Pruitt coaching Tennessee and he’ll tell you, “I don’t think it’s weird.”

“When coaches come here, you expect them to leave,” Fitzpatrick said. “A lot of coaches want to become head coaches, so you kind of expect them to leave and go somewhere else.”

Fitzpatrick & Co. are also not worried about who their next defensive coordinator will be.

For now, it’s all about beating Clemson and keeping Pruitt around for another game -- and a shot at going out with a national championship.