Tide, Irish all about defenses, tradition

Alabama Coach Nick Saban has the Crimson Tide playing for the BCS National Championship for the third time in four years, while undefeated Notre Dame is making its first appearance in the big BCS game. The Fighting Irish last won a national championship in 1988.
Alabama Coach Nick Saban has the Crimson Tide playing for the BCS National Championship for the third time in four years, while undefeated Notre Dame is making its first appearance in the big BCS game. The Fighting Irish last won a national championship in 1988.

— Notre Dame and Alabama bring star power and power football to the BCS championship.

The match up became official Sunday night when the final standings were released, and, to no one’s surprise, the Fighting Irish were first and the Crimson Tide was second.

Unlike last year when Alabama and LSU were pitted in a rematch from the regular season, there was little controversy about No. 1 Notre Dame against No. 2 Alabama in Miami this year.

“The tradition of Alabama and Notre Dame brings special attention to it, but we’re just trying to the best team on Monday, Jan. 7,” Notre Dame Coach Brian Kelly said. “All of that tradition, what’s happened in the past, is not going to help us Jan. 7, but we do respect the traditions.”

The Irish (12-0) clinched their spot a week ago in Los Angeles by defeating rival Southern California.

Alabama earned its spot Saturday, beating Georgia 32-28 in an SEC title game that ended with Georgia driving but out of time at Alabama’s 5-yard line.

Coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide are on the verge of one of college football’s greatest runs. Alabama would become the first team to repeat as champs since the BCS was implemented in 1998, and it would be the 11th time a team has won consecutive AP titles since the poll started in 1936. Alabama is already one of seven programs to repeat. The Tide have done it twice. Notre Dame is another.

Alabama also won the 2009 BCS championship under Saban. The last team to win three major national titles in four seasons was Nebraska, which went back-to-back in 1994 and 1995 and finished No. 1 in the final coaches’ poll in 1997.

Alabama is a bastion of traditional football in a world full of spread-the-field, hurry-up offenses.

The Tide put their no-frills muscle on display Saturday, mashing Georgia with 350 yards rushing.

But Alabama’s offense is not quite 3 yards and a cloud of dust. Its backs average more than 6 yards per carry, behind an offensive line anchored by All-American center Barrett Jones.

And quarterback AJ McCarron has thrown for 26 touchdowns with only 3 interceptions.

The Tide has been more potent offensively this season than last to make up for a defense that has slipped, but only a bit. Alabama leads the nation in total defense (246 yards per game) and is second in points allowed (10.7 per game).

When Brian Kelly was hired at Notre Dame three years ago, he looked at Alabama and the SEC, which has won six consecutive BCS titles, and decided the Irish needed to play like that.

Kelly built his reputation and winning teams at previous stops on fast-paced spread offenses. In South Bend, Ind., he has put the fight back in the Irish, who have won eight AP national titles - only Alabama has as many - but none since 1988.

Notre Dame has allowed the fewest touchdowns in the country (10) and is sixth overall in total defense (286 yards per game).

“It’s clear that the formation of any great program is going to be on its defense,” Kelly said. “If you play great defense you’ve got a chance. For us to move Notre Dame back into national prominence we had to develop a defense.”

BCS matchups

Rose Bowl

WISCONSIN VS. STANFORD WHEN Tuesday, Jan. 1 WHERE Pasadena, Calif.

TIME/TV 4 p.m. Central/ESPN

Orange Bowl

FLORIDA STATE VS. NO. ILLINOIS WHEN Tuesday, Jan. 1 WHERE Miami TIME/TV 7:30 p.m. Central/ESPN

Sugar Bowl

FLORIDA VS. LOUISVILLE WHEN Wednesday, Jan. 2 WHERE New Orleans TIME/TV 7:30 p.m. Central/ESPN

Fiesta Bowl

KANSAS STATE VS. OREGON WHEN Thursday, Jan. 3 WHERE Glendale, Ariz.

TIME/TV 7:30 p.m. Central/ESPN

Championship game

NOTRE DAME VS. ALABAMA WHEN Monday, Jan. 7 WHERE Miami TIME/TV 7:30 p.m. Central/ESPN

Sports, Pages 13 on 12/03/2012

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