ATLANTA — The national championship could be decided with a match up between two of college football’s most storied programs: Notre Dame vs. Alabama.

Of course, Georgia might have something to say about that.

The third-ranked Bulldogs are eager to wake up some echoes of their own.

Coach Mark Richt’s team will take on No. 2 Alabama in a SEC title game that essentially serves as a national semifinal. The winner of today’s game at the Georgia Dome will surely land a spot against top ranked Notre Dame in the BCS title game at Miami on Jan. 7.

While Alabama (11-1) is favored to remain on course for its third national crown in four years, Georgia (11-1) wants to carve out its own legacy, something beyond the teams of the early 1980s led by Herschel Walker.

“We respect and honor those guys that played ahead of us, but we really need to give the fans something else to talk about,” linebacker Christian Robinson said. “If that’s all we have to talk about, we must not be doing anything special.”

Georgia won its only Associated Press national title in 1980, Walker’s freshman year. The Bulldogs were in position to win another two years later, the running back’s final season, but Penn State knocked them off in the Sugar Bowl.

All those who’ve come along since Walker will be cheering on this team, including Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey. He played at Georgia in the late 1990s and planned to give the Bulldogs a pep talk by phone.

“We can’t let this one slide,” Bailey said. “This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities because I’m tired of people talking about Herschel Walker. That was 30-something years ago. There’s been a lot of things happen between now and then, but no championships. That’s why they still talk about him.”

Indeed, even though Georgia finished No. 2 in the AP rankings in 2007, this is the best shot at finishing No. 1 since the Walker era. If the Bulldogs win the next two games, they’re the champions.

“We’re hungry,” Robinson said. “We’ve got something to prove.”

So does Alabama.

A year ago, the Crimson Tide didn’t even make it to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game - LSU won the Western Division - but Alabama got a do-over against the Tigers for the BCS title. Even with a 21-0 victory, there are still those who think the Tide didn’t deserve a second chance after losing to LSU in the regular season.

If Alabama beats Georgia and Notre Dame, no one can say the Tide didn’t earn it, despite an upset loss to Texas A&M.

“There is a lot more pressure, but that is what we like,” running back Eddie Lacy said. “You come to Alabama to be in situations like this and play in games like this.”

The SEC finalists are remarkably similar on paper.

Georgia’s Aaron Murray is the nation’s top-rated passer, just ahead of Alabama’s AJ McCarron.

The Crimson Tide have a standout running back duo with Lacy (1,001 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns) and freshman T.J. Yeldon (847 yards, 10 TDs). So does Georgia with freshmen Todd Gurley (1,138 yards, 14 touchdowns) and Keith Marshall (720 yards, eight TDs.)

Each squad has lost a couple of key receivers to injuries.

Alabama leads the nation in points allowed (9.2 per game) and total defense (233.7 yards). Georgia has been just as stout since senior safety Shawn Williams called out his defensive teammates before a big game against Florida, accusing them on playing “soft.” Over the past five weeks, the Bulldogs have surrendered just 43 points.

“This match up is right on,” Georgia receiver Tavarres King said. “These are two great teams, two physical teams, that get after it every Saturday. It should be a fun game.”

Alabama has played in plenty of epic games over the past five years, and Coach Nick Saban is one of the best at preparing his players for these sort of pressure-packed settings.

In fact, from the way the Crimson Tide was talking all week, this is no big deal.

“Just another game,” McCarron said. “That’s the biggest thing everyone just needs to remember. Don’t make the game bigger than what it is. Just another Saturday.”

This is still rather new for the Bulldogs.

Over Murray’s first two seasons as the starting quarterback, Georgia failed to beat a team in the AP Top 10. That streak continued in the only loss this season, a 35-7 blowout at South Carolina. But a17-9 victory over then-No. 3 Florida propelled the Bulldogs to the top of the SEC East, and a favorable schedule helped keep them there.

“Before that Florida game, nobody thought we could win a big game,” Robinson said. “Well, we did that. So we can mark that off and go on to something else - winning a championship.”

BIG TEN

Changing luck?

INDIANAPOLIS - Nebraska’s Will Compton may never forget the agonizing details of his first two conference championship game.

A third one could finally put those nightmares to rest.

Tonight at Lucas Oil Stadium, No. 12 Nebraska will rely on some of the lessons from losses in the 2009 and 2010 Big 12 title games as they try to claim their first Big Ten crown.

“We’ve been there a couple times and we’ve even tasted winning a championship because we ran out there the first time against Texas before we got that called back. So we’ve tasted the winning,” Compton said. “We’ve got to do everything necessary to not be in those positions again and get it done this year.”

Despite being one of only seven schools with 800 victories (856), appearing in 34 consecutive bowl games from 1971 to 2003 and winning 43 conference championships, the Cornhuskers (10-2, 7-1) haven’t claimed a conference crown since 1999.

Wisconsin (7-5, 4-4) comes into the game after back-to back losses to Ohio State and Nittany Lions, three losses in overtime this season and two by a field goal, including a 30-27 defeat Sept. 29 at Nebraska.

But the Badgers do have Montee Ball, a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2011 and the new career touchdown leader in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and a long history of performing well with titles at stake. Wisconsin has been to the past two Rose Bowls and is trying to become the first Big Ten team to make three consecutive trips to Pasadena, Calif., in more than two decades. Michigan last achieved the feat following the 1987-1989 seasons.

CONFERENCE USA

Familiar foes

ORLANDO, Fla. - It seems that Tulsa and Central Florida have reserved slots in the Conference USA Championship Game.

Since the inaugural contest in 2005, the Golden Hurricane and Knights have met for the league’s football crown twice, splitting both match ups. Tulsa blew out Central Florida 44-27 and the Knights returning the favor 44-25 two years later.

Now, with Central Florida and others set to depart at season’s end as part of massive realignment, Conference USA’s two most decorated teams will compete for the title one final time today.

“It is kind of funny if you look at it that way,” Knights defensive lineman Victor Gray said. “It’s like a farewell party and may the best man win in the end. So it’s going to be interesting.”

This will be the second meeting between the teams in three weeks, following Tulsa’s 23-21 regular-season victory in Oklahoma.

The Golden Hurricane’s top-ranked rushing offense had their way with the Knights’ defense in that Nov. 17 match up, racking up 209 rushing yards while holding Central Florida to just 66.

Tulsa also sacked quarterback Blake Bortles four times and were 8 for 17 on third down, helping keep the Knights off the field.

“They’re talented across the board. They know we beat them the first time but it doesn’t matter,” Tulsa quarterback Cody Green said. “They will come out firing on all cylinders, trying to get the best of us this week.”

Sports, Pages 22 on 12/01/2012