Timing not right for Saban and Alabama: There were a lot of people in the Miami front office, those who still regard Nick Saban as a martinet of sorts, who were hoping the Dolphins' coach would accept the Alabama job. And, truth be told, there were a few people close to Saban who were nudging him in the general direction of Tuscaloosa. Had the timing been a little different and Alabama been able to wait until the end of the NFL season before making its choice, those people might have been able to persuade Saban to at least consider the job. And let's be straight about this: The offer floated to Saban by the Alabama folks was nowhere close to the $57 million that has been reported. It was, though, for 10 years, and at an average more than double what former West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez turned down from the Crimson Tide.