A classic game? Nope, just classic Alabama domination
Touchdown, Alabama! And there were a bunch of those Monday night. (AP photo by John Bazemore)
UPDATED WITH NICK SABAN QUOTES
Miami Gardens, Fla. – For a minute, this felt like a real event. That was the minute before kickoff, when the stadium was alive and both sides lived in hope. Then the game began, and it got …
Ugly? If you’d hoped for a competitive BCS championship game, yes. But in another way, what came after was a kind of brutal beauty. A great football team played at the peak of its power, and how often are we privileged to witness such brilliance? If this wasn’t quite UCLA beating No. 1 Houston 101-69 in the 1968 Final Four, it was pretty darn close.
Alabama led by seven points after three minutes, by 21 four seconds into the second quarter. At that moment, the Crimson Tide had outgained No. 1 Notre Dame 203 yards to 23 and had scored more points than the vaunted Irish defense had allowed in four quarters this season. It’s easy to say now that Notre Dame stands revealed as a fraud, but this is what Alabama does. It takes big-shouldered No. 1 teams — LSU last January, Notre Dame this time — and renders them puny by comparison.
Again we were reminded that there is no other league like the SEC, which has won seven BCS titles in succession and might win the next 77, but now we know that, even among the SEC’s array of heavyweights, there’s no program like Alabama and no coach like Nick Saban. This was once seen as the least of the past five Tide teams – afterward, Saban said his men “certainly exceeded every expectation we had for them” — but it was again the best in the land.
Three of the past four BCS title games have been won by Alabama, and four of the past 10 championships have been taken by Saban. What began as domination by a conference has yielded to the singular excellence of one driven man. College football has its Krzyzewski, meaning a coach who isn’t just the best but the best by such a distance as to make it seem unfair.
Said Saban: “A world like ‘dynasty’ is not one I’m much interested in. I’m more interested in ‘accomplishment’ and ‘consistency’ and ‘performance.’ ”
SEC zealots will insists Notre Dame wouldn’t have gone unbeaten against an SEC-caliber schedule, and it probably wouldn’t. (Even Alabama didn’t.) But the Irish arrived as a proud and strong team that had beaten Stanford, which won the Pac-12, and Oklahoma, which finished tied atop the Big 12, and other Brand Names. But it was clear after one drive that Notre Dame at its best couldn’t touch Alabama, and rarely does Bama allow any opponent to look its best.
Eddie Lacy burst through holes as as broad as an airport runway, and those few times he encountered Irish resistance he shrugged it aside. The decorated Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o was made to look ordinary, and the Irish lineman couldn’t lay a pinkie on AJ McCarron, who found receivers running free and easy. And when Alabama dazzles you with offensive footwork, you’re in for a long night.
Early in the second quarter, there came a moment when the difference in class was made manifest. The fleet Irish quarterback Everett Golson shook free on a third-down scramble and had a clear path to the first down. C.J. Mosley, whose tip of Aaron Murray’s final pass decided the hairbreadth SEC championship game, ran down Golson and stopped him short.
Only moments earlier, Irish coach Brian Kelly chose to try for a first down on fourth-and-five at the Alabama 39. The play failed, and it underscored how quickly Alabama can drive a sound coach to desperation. (Fun fact: When Notre Dame scored late in the third quarter, it marked the first points Bama had yielded in the 108 minutes and seven seconds in the BCS title game, a span over which it had outscored three opponents — Texas, LSU and now Notre Dame — 69-0.)
This game was 28-0 at the half — it would end 42-14 — and 28-nil wasn’t from the famous 31-0 halftime spread Alabama had amassed against No. 3 Georgia in Athens on Sept. 28, 2008. That game stands as the first watershed victory of Saban’s Bama, and almost everything since has been a consolidation of gains, and who out there seems apt to stem the raging Tide?
Said Saban, quibbling: “We got here by five yards. Georgia was five yards from scoring (to win the SEC title).”
Before Monday night, no school had repeated as BCS champion. Alabama now has two in a row, and three of four, and the belief in Tide circles is that next year’s team will be even better. Just as the SEC has lapped the rest of the collegiate field, Alabama has lapped the mighty SEC. Even within the only conference that matters, there’s only one team that matters. Nick Saban’s team.
“This was really special,” he said, “and someday when I’m sitting on the hill watching the stream go by, I might think even deeper thoughts. But what about next year’s team? Somebody’s got to think about that.”
By Mark Bradley
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
414 comments Add your comment
crimson1
January 8th, 2013
10:54 am
You Jawja fans need to stop fooling yourselves. You are not that close. At your very best you could not beat Bama. News flash, Bama will be much better next season. This year was our luck year. Number one and number two losing on the same weekend. Now these number one recruitment classes will start having serious playing time. Roll Tide Roll!
monty
January 8th, 2013
10:55 am
There are 6 SEC teams that could handle Notre Dame on any given Saturday.
shankit
January 8th, 2013
10:56 am
Like the comment on another blog, “Kentucky AD is trying to schedule Notre Dame for their homecoming next year.”
monty
January 8th, 2013
10:57 am
“You are not that close”
What game were you watching? 5 Yards is pretty close. Ask ole Lou.
Peter
January 8th, 2013
10:57 am
Where the hell is Lou Holtz?
Great comment……. guy lisps his way to baloney each week.
Notre Dame is not a top 10 team.
shankit
January 8th, 2013
10:59 am
@Title 15 – Bama needs to be better next year, cause they open up against “Johnny Football” at
A & M, who also will be better next year. NC championship may be played first game of the year.
Peter
January 8th, 2013
10:59 am
All the ESPN pundits gave such man-love to the Irish all year. It was sickening.
I agree and the guy who finished #2 in the Heisman…. Wow he was wonderful last night !
Tech Fan
January 8th, 2013
11:00 am
UGA will be third in BCS ratings behind Bama & Oregon. There are at least a dozen linebackers in the South better than Te’O, and that many Southern teams better than ND. Heck, Tech beat Southern Cal worse than ND did. Tech would beat ND if the defense played half way decent.
Alphare
January 8th, 2013
11:01 am
Alabama’s 42-14 rout over Notre Dame drew a 15.7 overnight rating Monday on ESPN, the network said Tuesday. That’s up 14 percent from last year’s game, another blowout Crimson Tide victory, 21-0 over LSU. But it’s down from the 16.1 for ESPN’s first BCS championship two years ago, Auburn’s win over Oregon that was decided in the final seconds.
The matchup between traditional powerhouses in Alabama and Notre Dame created the potential for a record-setting audience. But once the Crimson Tide went up 28-0 by halftime, viewers had reason to skip the second half.
The first half had an 18.2 overnight rating this year, significantly higher than the 16.6 for Auburn-Oregon. Typically viewership increases throughout a game if it is competitive. But on Monday, the rating peaked between 9 and 9:15 p.m. EST – midway through the first half – and decreased from there as Alabama pulled away.
Dawg77
January 8th, 2013
11:02 am
Dawgs should go after Bama’s OL line coach and make him the highest paid OL coach in the conference. Besides excellent instruction, he nows how to pick them.
Dawg77
January 8th, 2013
11:04 am
knows
DawginLex
January 8th, 2013
11:04 am
Bama comes to Lexington in 2013
That should be pleasant
Nick Superior
January 8th, 2013
11:06 am
Saban is wired differently than 99% of college coaches. He is a respected leader and expects excellence from himself and everyone he works with. Players know if they do what he asks that he’ll take them to the promised land and in the process, he’ll work harder than they do to ensure success. When asked what he’s most proud of after last night’s game, Saban said the way his team represents the school and football program both on and off the field.
Other coaches- including Richt- don’t have the same drive and passion to win NCs that Saban has. Saban showed more passion and moxy last night in the 4th qtr up 30 points than Richt showed all year.
Additionally, you rarely hear about off-field problems with Saban’s players yet Richt’s players find trouble at every turn. This shows that Saban’s players respect him while Richt’s players like him. Big difference.
In the end, Nick Saban is in a league that Richt and most other coaches will never know. While Saban seeks his 5th title, Richt still trying to connect the dots on his first. I’d be willing to bet that Saban could have won multiple titles with the talent Richt has had at UGA. Richt’s mismanagement of UGA’s talent is very similar to Cox’s mismanagement of the Braves in the 90’s. Difference being Cox lucked into one title.
crimson1
January 8th, 2013
11:08 am
Hopefully next season we can avenge our lost to the Aggies by running the damn ball between the tackles. Keep Johnny Football off the field. LSU is a program that is going down with the nutty professor as its coach. Jawja will have problems with the Gamecocks. Florida is back. Bama and the Gators in the SEC Champinship.
shankit
January 8th, 2013
11:10 am
Good thing Bama lost their game earlier than Oregon or Kansas State,
else A & M’s thrashing of Bama, would have put Bama in Sugar Bowl.
Good team, but luck played a good part in their championship this year,
and McCarron’s passes to Cooper against LSU and Georgia after they
were down.
DawgNole
January 8th, 2013
11:11 am
Gene
January 8th, 2013
9:05 am
Did Dr; Lou really say that ND would win the game? He is in the category of McCarver and Buck, only older.
___________________
And Corso, who also picked ND–then disgraced himself by prancing around in that leprechaun get-up.
Johnny Football
January 8th, 2013
11:12 am
Can’t hardly wait til the opening game next year. National Championshp played first game of the season.
DawgNole
January 8th, 2013
11:13 am
01HAWK
January 8th, 2013
12:21 am
Here’s to LOU HOLTZ, URBAN CRYIN MEYER, and LEE CORSO……………………..Thanks for picking the PEDIPHILES.
________________________
Corso looked like a “pediphile” in that absurd leprechaun outfit.
Alphare
January 8th, 2013
11:15 am
I am afraid once playoff is in place, the NC games will always feature 2 SEC teams.
Flo- Ri - Duh
January 8th, 2013
11:15 am
Simplify the BCS Bowl system – make the SEC championship game be for the BCS championship and get it over with. Notre Dame was an over hyped over rated embarrassment.
Mad Dog One
January 8th, 2013
11:17 am
Did anyone else see granny clampet last night I thought he was going to cry. Congrats Bama one heck of a good old fashion (SEC) but kicking. I hope those —- ——– on Fox sports saw this game and saw what a real team can do to a fair team ( 3 OT TO BEAT PITT.????)this wasn’t the P12 this was the SEC. GO DOGS & GATA
rat man
January 8th, 2013
11:19 am
not much to say from a dawg fan———except—-Roll Tide——-
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
January 8th, 2013
11:20 am
#shankit…suck it sport….there is much luck in football and if your team has none then you will be on page 2 football news! Notre Dame was nothing more than the yankee MSM doing what they do best and that is talk a good game.
Mobile Homers 42 Golden Domers 14….Lou Holtz,Mike Golic,Tim Brown, and Regis…Humble Pie being served warm just for you. As Lou says ….Come Home Catholics and hurry before Bama takes the wife and children!
This just in….Obama has requested congress allocate 10 million to build an addition to the White House for the Bama football team.
Flo- Ri - Duh
January 8th, 2013
11:22 am
Notre Dame would be a 14 point dog to Vandy. And I am serious!
GTBob
January 8th, 2013
11:22 am
I am afraid once playoff is in place, the NC games will always feature 2 SEC teams.
That will eventually kill college football.
Jaw Jaw Idiot
January 8th, 2013
11:25 am
I’ve hated Jaw Jaw since my 8 year old son had a beer thrown on him in Athens years ago while wearing a Bama shirt. I want them to lose bad every game. But…… this years team was great, they had Bama by the nads, up by 11 in the 3rd qt, and almost shocked the world. I was very proud of the way the played Neb., and feel different about them now. BUT, Bama is a team the whole SEC fan base should be proud of, and Saban is the standard for excellence.
Alphare
January 8th, 2013
11:31 am
Bob,
I think if that happens, NCAA will come up with some parity formula, in recruiting or scholarship or facilities etc. to force an equal playing ground among all colleges.
DawgNole
January 8th, 2013
11:34 am
Dave
January 8th, 2013
10:06 am
I’m dreading Saturdays without football and looking forward to August of 2013 already.
______________________
Co-sign!
AltamahaDawg
January 8th, 2013
11:41 am
I’ll tell you what is not fair.
After the gators let them down, the tech trolls have found comfort in being Bama fans now…..and THEN some of you go and ruin that by stating complementary things about Georgia.
I mean, come on. Do you know how hard it is to find a home team at another man’s school.
GTBob
January 8th, 2013
11:43 am
Alabama’s 42-14 rout over Notre Dame drew a 15.7 overnight rating Monday on ESPN, the network said Tuesday.
So a third straight year of poor ratings. Yeah, everyone loves what is happening to college football.
Wooooo
January 8th, 2013
11:46 am
After reading the comments here I can feel comfortable saying that uga fans are the most pathetic and delusional in America.
I guess when you haven’t won a title in 30 years you just start rooting for the entire south. You fans, especially the graduates should stop it, you look like morons and devalue your uga degree.
Alphare
January 8th, 2013
11:46 am
Bob,
NCAA can restrict the # of scholarships when a school wins an NC in the previous year.
NFL assigns draft picking order based on previous year’s accomplishment, NCAA can do something similar.
DawgNole
January 8th, 2013
11:46 am
Moist Dawg
January 8th, 2013
10:42 am
After reading these comments I am disgusted to be a Dawg fan. You Dawg “fans” are running around like a bunch of fairies celebrating nick satans win when the realty is that our recruiting just got harder. You people make me sick. The truth is we have a long way to go in the offseason if we want to be that good. I really hope CMR was game planning last night and not celebrating some other teams victory like some of you losers. Sickening
____________________
Disgusted? Sickening?
Your pitiful comments have fast elevated you to your unenviable status as one of the most disgusting and sickening posters on these blogs. Give us all a break, and make yourself scarce. You’re an embarrassment.
HawksFanSince'89
January 8th, 2013
11:47 am
Alabama 2009 Champions
Auburn 2010 Champions
Alabama 2011 Champions*
Alabama 2012 Champions
Notice the asterisk, next to Alabama 2011 Champions*, you can’t play a team from the same Conference and Division, and call that a National Championship game, sorry Tide you are not a real Dynasty.
WOOF
January 8th, 2013
11:51 am
Wooo….sorry your soccer team lost and you are upset at everyone or you are a GT guy/boy.
LawDawg
January 8th, 2013
11:54 am
The Richt haters are relentless (and relentlessly stupid). We got one joint on Moseley’s middle finger away from playing for the NC (and likely winning) and somehow the #4/5 team in the country is a “failure”? Good lord you people are insane.
Half Century Dawg
January 8th, 2013
11:55 am
Jaw Jaw Idiot
January 8th, 2013
11:25 am
“I’ve hated Jaw Jaw since my 8 year old son had a beer thrown on him in Athens years ago while wearing a Bama shirt.”
It’s ashame your son had to endure that, as a Georgia fan for over 50 years, I apologize for ignorant portion of our fan base.
drsoul
January 8th, 2013
11:55 am
so call ‘HawksFan’… it is the team that matters, not the conference… if it so happens all of the good teams are in the same conference, then that is where you find the NC… a dynasty is based on consistent winning programs; has nothing to do with conference reference…. pretty shallow…stay a basketball fan…???
DawgNole
January 8th, 2013
11:57 am
crimson1
January 8th, 2013
11:08 am
Florida is back.
____________________
Back where?!
After that Sugar Bowl display, you have to wonder.
LawDawg
January 8th, 2013
11:57 am
The best thing about the game last night: Not having to hear 9 months of how the SEC is overrated after UF and Les Miles baffling decision to pass at the end of the game made that a real possibility.
LSU is going to be way down next year with all its talent leaving early.
GTBob
January 8th, 2013
11:59 am
NCAA can restrict the # of scholarships when a school wins an NC in the previous year.
Hmm. That is an interesting idea.
LawDawg
January 8th, 2013
12:00 pm
Jaw Jaw Idiot: I have a hard time believing that someone old enough to have an 8 year old son uses the term “nads”. I have a hard time believing that happened anywhere outside of Baton Rouge.
LawDawg
January 8th, 2013
12:01 pm
“NCAA can restrict the # of scholarships when a school wins an NC in the previous year.”
And then the NCAA will lose an anti-trust lawsuit.
Alphare
January 8th, 2013
12:11 pm
LawDawg,
don’t we have lots of rules in place in the name of parity with similar effect?
HawksFanSince'89
January 8th, 2013
12:11 pm
drsoul,
A dynasty is a Team that wins at least 3 championships out of a 4 year time period, and the point I was trying to make that the 2011 championship was an illegitimate championship, due to the fact you cannot have a team from the same Conference and Division in a Nat’l Championship game and call that crap a National Championship game, that is like having the Falcons play the Saints in the Super Bowl.
DERP
January 8th, 2013
12:17 pm
I’m just glad I’m not banned.
drsoul
January 8th, 2013
12:44 pm
HawkFan…I can understand your argument, but I do not think that it is logical… the Championship is about the top 2 teams, perceived by the current rules of play today. The fact that they both come out of the same conference does not really mean anything… and, especially if from the SEC …they are the best conference today.. does not take away anything… If the Falcons and Saints had the best records in the NFL, I would welcome a Super Bowl match.. There are no real rules that support your argument…
bullwinkle
January 8th, 2013
12:57 pm
2013, logic has nothing to do with it. It’s just wishful thinking. The Dawgs had a big lead against Bama that they could not hold, even on an off night for Bama’s QB. (Except for one bomb he was awful in that game.) The fact is Texas A&M is the second best team in the SEC right now and should be ranked higher than UGA.
azdawg
January 8th, 2013
1:01 pm
Saban and AL won the NC and will win in recruiting the best GA HS talent the state has to offer. Cannot blame these kids for wanting to go there. They get the best players in the south and a few from planet Mars and make them better. Their S&C program is the best in the country. What Saban has forgotten about coaching and how to make a winner CMR hasn’t learned yet. Not that CMR is a bad coach, he just isn’t the winner Saban is or wants to be. So, say so long to the 5 star HS recruits from GA because they’re going to play 4 AL.
T&AM
January 8th, 2013
1:07 pm
@ Nick Superior
Now that you have explained his college superiorty. Can you explain his lack of success in the NFL… Thats the league you really prove your coaching ability. The talent is drafted and not recruited…. I will save your the response. Nick Saban is a great recruiter and has more superior atheletes than other programs. There was only one guy on ND that could have made the second string depth chart…. Imagine if the NFL would allow teams to recruit players versus drafting. The Cowboys and Steelers would win every championship…. Simple put he was not able to coach up the the talent in the NFL.