After Alabama claimed its 26th SEC title in December, Jalen Hurts was asked to describe the season up until that point.

"It's been a fun ride," he said.

A slight smile spread across his face at that moment-- implying that he may have left out a few details.

As the freshman quarterback has steered the Crimson Tide to a 14-0 record and guided it to the cusp of another national championship, he's sidestepped his share of drama along the way. The latest bombshell to rock Alabama was the sudden departure of offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin on Monday, a move that affects the Tide's 18-year-old star more than any other player.

Hurts will have to deal with a regime change within the offense he commands, as Steve Sarkisian will now call the plays. It's an adverse situation, but it's not like Hurts hasn't dealt with difficult circumstances in the past.

In fact, he's faced them from the outset. Go back to the season opener and Hurts found himself smack dab in the middle of a quarterback controversy that played out on live television. In a 52-6 victory over USC in September, he relieved Blake Barnett on Alabama's third possession and promptly fumbled the ball away on his first snap.

Hurts recovered and accounted for four touchdowns, wresting the starting job away from Barnett. Later that month, Barnett withdrew from the university -- a dramatic episode for an Alabama program that tries to curtail distractions and does its best not to create them.

"They teach us not to look at the scoreboard, worry about the outside," Hurts later said.

Hurts absorbed that advice. Throughout the season, he showed preternatural composure for a player his age. As the narrative about Hurts was starting to gestate, Alabama coach Nick Saban said, "He doesn't get all discombobulated. He has a lot of poise. I think he has a lot of inner confidence."

Days later, Hurts helped engineer a comeback against Ole Miss. Then, in November, he scored the only touchdown in a 10-0 win over LSU in a game that was tense until victory had been assured.

Afterwards, Kiffin sidled up to Hurts and told him, "Jalen, you just went into Tiger Stadium at night in an Alabama-LSU game and won and really made the most significant play on offense."

Hurts performed well in spite of the fact he had an inkling Kiffin wouldn't be his offensive coordinator beyond this season. Hurts revealed last week that his father, Averion, told him, "[Kiffin's] going to leave in a few weeks." It took a little bit longer than that. But Kiffin eventually accepted another job when he was hired as Florida Atlantic's head coach on Dec. 12 -- 19 days before Alabama was set to play Washington in the College Football Playoff semifinal. As Kiffin's future was being mapped out, Hurts' backups -- David Cornwell and Cooper Bateman -- were planning their departures.

Through it all, Hurts seemed unfazed. He was unconcerned about Kiffin's impending departure and dispassionate about Sarkisian's appointment as the new offensive coordinator, saying last Wednesday, "I think we'll be fine."

It was just one more thing he'd have to handle.

"If you know Jalen, he don't get anxious," left tackle Cam Robinson said last Saturday after Hurts authored his worst statistical performance of the year.

In many ways, his composure has been his best attribute during a season in which it has been tested from start to finish as he attempts to become the first true freshman quarterback in 31 years to lead his team to a national championship.

At Alabama, Hurts said, "It takes a special person to come here and play well."

Monday's shocking events reinforced why that really is the case.