The 2013 BCS National Championship Game will take place in Miami, Florida on Monday, January 7th with a start time of 8:30 PM (Eastern). The game will pit the Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs the Alabama Crimson Tide will be televised live on ESPN. Currently the odds for the game have Alabama favored by 9.5 points, while the total sits at 40.5.
Two of the most storied programs in college football history will square off for the national championship when undefeated and top-ranked Notre Dame collides with No. 2 and reigning champion Alabama on Jan. 7 at Miami's Sun Life Stadium. Despite its unrivaled tradition, Notre Dame has not won a national title since 1988 and has not been atop the rankings since 1993. Alabama, meanwhile, will be chasing its third national championship in the past four years under Nick Saban, who has restored the luster to one of the few programs that can stand up to Notre Dame's legacy. The teams have met six times, with the Fighting Irish winning five.
Notre Dame entered the season as an afterthought but slowly climbed up the rankings behind a bruising defense - led by standout linebacker Manti Te'o - that smothered one opponent after another. The Fighting Irish allowed a nation-low 10.3 points per game and withstood a number of close calls as its offense continued to evolve. Notre Dame's formula was similar to the one that brought two championships to Alabama and third-year coach Brian Kelly readily admits he used the Crimson Tide's style of play as a blueprint to get the Irish back into the national picture.
There's something to be said for been there, done that, and Alabama's recent experience on the biggest stage cannot be overlook. Never was that more apparent than in last season's BCS championship game, when the Crimson Tide avenged their only regular season loss with a dominating defensive effort in a 21-0 victory over LSU. And while Notre Dame always plays a schedule dotted with top programs, Alabama is part of college football's best conference in the SEC, which, by the way, has won all six BCS title games since its inception in 2006.
Notre Dame Stat Rankings--- The Irish come in ranked 49th in total offense, 75th in passing, 27th in rushing and 77th in scoring (26.8 ppg). On defense the Irish are 6th overall, 21st vs the pass, 4th vs the run and 1st in points allowed (10.3 ppg).
Alabama Stat Rankings--- The Tide comes in 39th in total offense, 85th in passing 20th in rushing and 15th in scoring (38.5 ppg). On defense the Tide is 1st overall, 6th vs the pass, 1st vs the run and 2nd in points allowed (10.7 ppg).
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College Football Free Picks: Notre Dame vs Alabama Betting
What college football bettors need to know about Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Alabama Crimson Tide on Monday (1/07/13) - a free pick from Pregame.com's Bryan Leonard with Marco D'Angelo and host Scott Spreitzer.