So with that, the the most powerful man in college sports surrendered the power.
Alabama football coach Nick Saban opened his meeting with the media Wednesday by announcing that Maurice Smith had been granted his release, and pending a clearance from the SEC to transfer within the conference, Smith could still wind up at Georgia.
Saban did not answer - or receive - another question about the details of the matter and theoretically passed the entire matter into the lap of the league office. That, in and of itself, had to be like going two weeks without an Oatmeal Creme Pie for Saban, who would rather surrender 400 yards rushing on a fall Saturday than control of anything within his program.
But that's where this has landed, and Saban relented and will let the SEC decide whether Smith can go to Georgia.
The league's decision figures to be all but a rubber stamp, considering it would be under a ton of scrutiny if it denies Smith's quest, especially after the coach at Georgia and the athletic director at LSU have come out supporting the in-conference transfers of graduate students.
This has assuredly been a public-relations nightmare for almost everyone involved.
The continually turning public sentiment on the rigid and inane transfer rules of the relatively unpaid athletes who make it possible for the coaches to get better seven-figure jobs at different locales is taking root and gaining steam. The NCAA feels it. The power conferences feel it.
And now, Saban, the most powerful coach in all of college sports, has felt it.
Saban relenting on anything - and mind you, he has not nor likely ever will admit he's been wrong in this matter - with limited discussion is a paradigm shift. He changes course about as quickly as an aircraft carrier and, barring an iceberg or dry land, about as frequently.
He embraces his process and practices more than anything, and it has allowed him to build the powerhouse program in the powerhouse conference of the powerhouse sport in all of college athletics.
And Smith's request brought enough scrutiny to make him yield.
It was relatively a status quo process until Smith's request to the Alabama appeals board included the details of his locker being trashed and his personal items being thrown into the trash after the transfer request, and that's when his case became beyond a request and struck a cord with even the casual observer.
Never mind that Smith had fulfilled his obligation to his coach and his program by graduating. Because certainly when Saban sat with the Smiths back in Texas several years ago and made his recruiting pitch, getting a degree was high on the list of goals, right?
Graduate transfers have become an issue in which no coach, be he as uber-strong as Saban or as unknown as the head man at any given Division III school, really should have a say. The NCAA in general and the leagues in particular need a policy moving forward, and that would help Saban and UGA coach Kirby Smart and all their colleagues in matters such as this.
Still, the ostracizing of Smith and the distruction of his personal property elevated this.
So when Saban refused to address or denounce the locker and Smith's stuff - and, granted, the fact that the Alabama media still have not asked about any of the details involving Smith's locker is at best a poor attempt at reporting and at worst cowardice - it gave the story credibility and put the shadow of blame on the program.
If we know one thing, the face of that program is Saban, who has without a hint of mea culpa made an about-face. And that may be the best decision he's made in the entire process, because even someone as powerful as Saban is not perfect.
We're certainly not going to wait for an apology, but by relenting, Saban did what all his critics were calling for and gave Smith what he wanted.
It would be easy to bash Saban on this - and I did last week - but piling on now seems pointless. Smith has his release; Saban was forced to change his stance, which is about as frequent as a leap year.
In the end, Saban admitted his position was wrong by relenting, even if he likely never will admit to being wrong.
That's fine, because by the final-outcome, natural measuring stick that covers all sports, the action speaks louder than the words and lack thereof.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6343. Follow him on Twitter @jgreesontfp.