It’s been 24 years since the #1 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-0) won a college football BCS National Championship. That was in 1988 when the Irish won the title under head coach and current ESPN analyst Lou Holtz.
Tonight Notre Dame has a chance revive their championship caliber status when they face the current defending champions, the #2 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1), who have won two out of the last three BCS title games.
Both Notre Dame and Alabama are incredibly storied franchises, with histories that include such iconic figures as Lou Holtz, Joe Montana, Bear Bryant, and Joe Namath. Irish fans have been anxiously awaiting a chance to rise to the top once again, and Alabama fans hope to continue the winning legacy that head coach Nick Saban has fostered in recent years.
Notre Dame is led by quarterback Everett Golson, a sophomore who passed for 2,135 yards, 11 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, with a 58.9 completion percentage. Alabama’s signal caller is junior AJ McCarron, who threw for 2,669 yards, 26 TDs and only 3 INTs, with a 66.8 completion percentage.
Both teams are backed by incredibly tough and physical defensive units. Alabama has become a factory for defensive NFL players, and Notre Dame has a slew of havoc-wreaking defensive players.
The game kicks off tonight at 8:30 pm ET in Miami, Florida, and will be broadcast on ESPN. If you aren’t able to watch the game, you can also tune in on your radio and listen to the game live.
Which team are you pulling for to take home the BCS trophy tonight?