Few programs transcend a sport, and few rivalries are able to incite the masses outside of its own backyard.
For these two teams, though, it’s different, even personal. Two of college football’s most storied programs are set to collide, and national supremacy is on the line. The ultimate prize is the BCS National Championship, but for those of these fan bases who remember the previous six meetings, it’s about pride.
It doesn’t get more compelling than Notre Dame and Alabama. It’s Touchdown Jesus going toe-to-toe with the Heart of Dixie.
“It’s kind of like Lakers/Celtics or Yankees/Red Sox,” said ESPN.com’s Notre Dame blogger Matt Fortuna. “The rivalry may not be as intense, but when you think about college football, these are the two programs that come to mind.”
Both teams found a way to get it done when it mattered most, taking two completely different paths to the national championship game.
Fighting adversity
Despite losing eight starters from its 2011 national championship run, the BCS-or-bust expectations were the same in Tuscaloosa as they have been for the last several years. The most glaring holes were on defense, but a new crop of leaders emerged to reinvent the Alabama defense as something possibly less dominant but more stingy. The Tide created more takeaways and sacks than a year ago, and practiced a bend-but-don’t-break mentality in the biggest games.
The Crimson Tide opened the season with what was billed as a top-10 showdown but quickly turned it into a beat down of Michigan. The Tide steamrolled its next seven opponents in similar fashion, setting up a showdown with LSU.
LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger torched the Tide’s secondary and had the Tigers in position to win, but Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron executed one of the most dramatic drives in Alabama football history to keep the Tide undefeated.
The emotionally and physically draining victory against the Tigers cost the Tide, though, which slipped up against Texas A&M in Bryant-Denny Stadium the following Saturday. Heisman Trophy finalist Johnny Manziel and the Aggies jumped out to a 20-point lead, ultimately knocking off the vaunted Alabama team.
The talks of repeating halted for seven whole days. For the second year in a row, Alabama needed help to make it back into the top-two of the BCS and got it. This time, Kansas State and Oregon lost in the upset chaos that ensued on Nov. 17.
“You have to look at what they learned from that loss and how it helped them refocus,” Alex Scarborough, reporter for ESPN.com’s TideNation, said. “Also, just the luck of having teams fall and lead the way for Alabama to get back in the national championship game.”
Re-motivated and refocused, Alabama’s final opponent of the regular season, Auburn, stood very little chance. The result was the most lopsided Iron Bowl in 60 years. After that came the Georgia Bulldogs and an SEC Championship clash for the ages. The Tide was able to hang on to its 32-28 lead by stopping Georgia 5-yards away from the goal line as the clock showed zeroes.
“I don’t know what it is about this team, but we always find a way to respond to adversity,” wide receiver Amari Cooper said after the game.
If Alabama is ultimately able to defeat Notre Dame, its season will be defined by three key moments: “The Drive” against LSU, “The Loss” to Texas A&M, and “The Stop” in the SEC Championship against Georgia.
Alabama is looking to become the sport’s first consensus back-to-back national champion since Nebraska in 1994 and 1995. USC claims to have won in both 2003 and 2004, but there was a split with LSU in 2003. Alabama had a shot, but couldn’t do it in 2010. However, the Tide is one of just four other programs to claim back-to-back titles since 1960 (1978 and 79). The win would give Alabama its third national championship in four years.
Luck of the Irish
It’s been a long time coming for the Fighting Irish to return to national prominence. Off-season injuries, a murderous schedule and uncertainties at quarterback appeared to doom the Irish’s season before it started. Now, Notre Dame has gone from being unranked in the preseason to the only bowl-eligible team without a blemish in its loss column.
Head coach Brian Kelly ditched his flashy spread offense he showcased at Cincinnati in favor of an SEC blueprint, featuring a strong run game and a stout defense. Kelly’s flexibility, coupled with a few breaks throughout the season, has the Irish back atop the college football world for the first time since Lou Holtz roamed the sidelines.
Kelly has history on his side. The previous Notre Dame coaches to win national championships all did so in their third season. Kelly hopes to do the same this year, his third at the head coaching position.
Defense was the Irish’s calling card throughout the season, particularly at the start when Kelly searched for his starting quarterback. A defining moment for Notre Dame came against Stanford in overtime when the Irish stuffed the Cardinal trying to run it in from a yard out. The goal-line stand kept the Irish’s undefeated hopes alive, but it was the win against Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., that made pundits seriously consider the Irish as a title contender. The unit was led by Heisman Trophy finalist Manti Te’o. Te’o, despite the tragic deaths of his girlfriend and grandmother, played every game for the Irish.
“Like Derek Jeter of the Yankees or Bill Russell of the Celtics, it’s hard to measure his value to the program in stats,” Fortuna said. “He means so much to this team. He’s the real deal.”
On the other side of the ball, Everett Golson was finding his way at quarterback. Golson, who was pulled several times for his performance, slowly gained the confidence of his teammates and, more importantly, of Kelly. Golson’s development has fueled the Irish’s rise.
“He’s got a lot of poise and moxie,” Fortuna said. “I don’t think he’ll be bothered by the bright lights or the big stage.”
Even with wins over Stanford and Oklahoma, some still questioned if the Irish were legit. A triple-overtime struggle with Pittsburgh turned those whispers to shouts as the Irish narrowly escaped with a three-point victory. But a win over rival USC in the regular season finale quieted critics.
The Collision
Historically speaking, college football couldn’t have gotten a better matchup. Both teams have eight Associated Press National Championships, making this a tie-breaker for the ages.
Alabama is trying to become a modern-day dynasty. Notre Dame hopes to reclaim some of the magic it had before 1990.
In one corner, there’s the luck of the Irish surging back into national prominence. In the other corner, there’s the tenacity of the Tide, taking everyone’s best shot and still managing to fight through adversity and remain standing in the end.
“You can’t ask for much more in terms of tradition, name recognition, fan bases and the love/hate dynamic between America and both of these programs,” Fortuna said. “Everyone wants to see the SEC’s reign come to an end, but I’m not sure if they want Notre Dame to be the team to end it.”
