The week began with a devastating defeat to Clemson, the kind not seen around these parts in ages. It continued with an exodus of star players and high-profile assistants. Then there was an arrest of a top reserve and the reported return of a coach reviled for the role he played in a loss to the Tigers two years ago.

In short, it was a wild, crazy seven-day period unlike any Alabama has experienced in the Nick Saban era.

The question is whether it will could derail a program that not long ago seemed to have the momentum of a runaway speed train but came to a crashing halt more than 2,000 miles from Tuscaloosa in northern California.

After suffering a 44-16 defeat to Clemson in the College Football Playoff national championship game and absorbing the impact of the biggest loss during his tenure with the Tide, Saban downplayed the significance of it all.

“One game doesn’t define who you are,” he said last Monday.

Perhaps. But in this instance it precipitated dramatic upheaval. In the days that followed, wide receivers coach Josh Gattis left to become Michigan’s offensive coordinator and Dan Enos — the assistant who won praise for his work overseeing the Tide’s quarterbacks — left for a similar promotion at Miami. Those dominoes fell as line coach Brent Key made a quick getaway to Georgia Tech that doubled as a lateral move. Their exits followed the departure of Mike Locksley, Alabama’s play-caller who had been hired as head coach at Maryland.

The shakeup within Saban’s staff reverberated after Alabama adjusted to the influx of six new assistants last offseason. It defections also coincided with the team’s most-heralded backup, Jalen Hurts, entering the transfer portal and a wave of starters with remaining eligibility declaring for the NFL draft. They included left tackle Jonah Williams, nose guard Quinnen Williams, tight end Irv Smith Jr., running back Josh Jacobs, safety Deionte Thompson, linebacker Mack Wilson and cornerback Saivion Smith.

“It does our program a tremendous amount of positive recognition when we have guys that have tremendous careers here and are going to be top draft picks,” Saban said Friday.

But it also has the potential to hurt Alabama on the field. When factoring in the seniors who are leaving, ten of the Tide’s 22 starters against Clemson will not be on the team. Alabama has major gaps to fill along its offensive line and in its defensive front. Among the players in line to fill one of those vacancies is LaBryan Ray.

The former five-star recruit was one of Alabama’s most reliable reserves, buttressing the pass rush. But he ended up in the police blotter Friday after he was arrested for public intoxication at an establishment in Midtown Village.

It wasn’t a significant offense, yet it only added to the climate of unrest that has developed in wake of the loss to Clemson.

Fans moaned about the misfortune that had befallen their beloved Tide.

Then, they roared with disapproval when ESPN reported Steve Sarkisian had decided to rejoin the Tide.

Sarkisian is still viewed as a scapegoat for the 35-31 loss to Clemson that Alabama suffered in the national championship game two years ago, having concocted a game plan that contributed to a substantial time of possession deficit and the resultant collapse of the Tide’s dominant defense. As is the case now, Sarkisian became inextricably linked to a tumultuous period in Alabama history. He rose to prominence in Tuscaloosa after his predecessor, offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, was suddenly fired a mere week before that showdown with the Tigers.

Sarkisian was thrust into an unenviable position, but he struggled nonetheless in his one and only game as an on-field assistant. Alabama’s 13.3-percent third-down conversion rate was horrific. So too were the seven three-and-out possessions. But perhaps the ultimate sin was Sarkisian’s curious decision to abandon the run when Alabama held a ten-point lead over Clemson in the fourth quarter.

Upon hearing Sarkisian was on his way back to Tuscaloosa, former outside linebacker Ryan Anderson reacted on Twitter by posting a thumbs-down emoji.

The icon summed up a bizarre, chaotic week Alabama fans will surely remember but would rather forget.

Rainer Sabin is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin