2013 BCS National Championship Game
| 2013 Discover BCS National Championship Game | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| BCS Bowl Game | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 7, 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | Network ESPN Deportes | | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Eduardo Varela and Pablo Viruega | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2013
Alabama was the defending champion and represented the Southeastern Conference, which had participated in and emerged victorious from every standalone BCS Championship Game (since the format was introduced in the 2006–2007 season). Notre Dame did not belong to a conference and was the first independent team to play in the National Championship game since the start of the BCS.
The National Championship game between Alabama and Notre Dame was anticipated as an historical matchup with a rich tradition[7] in college football. Going into the holiday season after Alabama was assured a spot in the National Championship after beating Georgia in the SEC Championship, sportscasters from both sides weighed in on who was most likely to win. Despite the historical record of, at the time, 5–1 in favor of Notre Dame[8] many sports betting centers had Alabama as a heavy favorite[9][10] with point spreads favoring Alabama as high as ten points over Notre Dame. Many prominent sports writers predicted Notre Dame to win based on several factors including strong overall defense,[11][12] an inconsistent Alabama team (often cited as being "exposed" against LSU and Texas A&M), and various intangibles such as destiny and generalized fatigue from the dominant performances of the Southeastern Conference.[13]
In the aftermath of an Alabama 42 to 14 victory (with the score being 35 to 0 at one point in the game), the BCS National Championship game was considered by Sports Illustrated's Michael Rosenberg to have failed to live up to its hype[14] despite dominating television ratings.[15] Mark Schlabach of ESPN expressed the wish that a playoff system had been in place wherein Oregon or Florida would have played against Alabama.[16] Tom Coyne of Associated Press concluded that Alabama was more talented and physical with better preparation and execution of its game plan than Notre Dame.[17] Specifically, inconsistent tackling, blown coverages, and porous defense were cited by Aaron Ellis of Forbes.com as major detriments to Notre Dame's efforts.[18]
With the win, Alabama won their second straight BCS championship, their third championship in four years, and their ninth AP championship overall.[19][20] Alabama was the last team to become back-to-back champions until the Georgia Bulldogs in 2021 and 2022.
Point spread
While Notre Dame came into the game undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the country, as of January 3, 2013, the point spread on the game according to leading Las Vegas casinos projected Alabama to win by between 9.5 and 10 points. Two billion dollars were expected to be wagered on the game.[21]
Teams
It was the seventh meeting between Alabama and Notre Dame, but the teams' first since 1987. Heading into the game, Notre Dame led the series 5-1-0, which included two bowl victories. The two teams first met in the 1973 Sugar Bowl, with the Irish defeating the Crimson Tide, 24–23. Following the game, Notre Dame was voted national champions by the Associated Press while Alabama had been declared the champion by UPI in a poll taken prior to this Sugar Bowl contest, the last time the final U.P.I./Coaches poll was announced before the bowl games.[22]
Alabama
During the regular season, Alabama led the nation in total defense, giving up 246.00 yards per game, and in rushing defense by allowing 79.77 yards per game.
Notre Dame
During the regular season, Notre Dame was the national leader in scoring defense (10.3 points per game) and sixth in total defense (286.83 yards per game).[24] Key players for the Fighting Irish were freshman quarterback Everett Golson, who passed for 2,135 yards for 11 touchdowns and rushed for 305 yards for five touchdowns; senior linebacker and Heisman trophy finalist Manti Te'o, who had 103 tackles and seven interceptions, his third-straight 100-plus tackle season for a career 427 tackles; defensive end Stephon Tuitt, who ranked seventh with others in sacks/game (1.00) and needed two sacks to become the school's single-season record holder; guard Mike Golic Jr., who helped the team averaging more than 200 yards per game in both passing and rushing; and tight end Tyler Eifert, the John Mackey Award winner who caught 44 passes for 624 yards and four touchdowns.
Starting lineups
† = 2012 All-American
| Alabama | Position | Notre Dame | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offense | |||
| Amari Cooper | WR | T.J. Jones
| |
| Cyrus Kouandjio | LT | Zack Martin | |
| †Chance Warmack | LG | Chris Watt | |
| †Barrett Jones | C | Braxston Cave | |
| Anthony Steen | RG | Mike Golic Jr. | |
| D. J. Fluker | RT | Christian Lombard | |
| Michael Williams | TE | Tyler Eifert | |
| Kevin Norwood | WR | John Goodman | |
| A. J. McCarron | QB | Everett Golson | |
| Eddie Lacy | RB | Theo Riddick | |
| Defense | |||
| Ed Stinson | DE | Kapron Lewis-Moore | |
| Jesse Williams | NT | Louis Nix III
| |
| Damion Square | DE | Stephon Tuitt | |
| Adrian Hubbard | OLB | Prince Shembo | |
| Trey DePriest | ILB | Dan Fox | |
| †C.J. Mosley | ILB | †Manti Te'o | |
| Xzavier Dickson | OLB | Danny Spond | |
| Deion Belue | CB | KeiVarae Russell | |
| Vinnie Sunseri | CB | Bennett Jackson | |
| Robert Lester | S | Zeke Motta | |
| Ha Ha Clinton-Dix | S | Matthias Farley | |
Game summary
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Statistics
| Statistics | BAMA | ND |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 28 | 16 |
| Total offense, plays–yards | 73–529 | 55–302 |
| Rushes-yards (net) | 45–265 | 19–32 |
| Passing yards (net) | 264 | 270 |
| Passes, Comp-Att-Int | 20–28–0 | 21–36–1 |
| Time of Possession | 38:13 | 21:47 |
Notes
- ^ Notre Dame later vacated all results during the season for an official 0–0 record.
References
- ^ Bowl Schedule, Los Angeles Times, January 4, 2013
- ^ "2013 BCS National Championship Bowl: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
- ^ "BCS games rise in attendance and viewership". bcsfootball.org. Bowl Championship Series. January 10, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2013.
- ^ "BCS selection procedures". Bcsfootball.org. July 21, 2011. Archived from the original on December 28, 2010. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
- ^ "2013 Discover BCS National Championship logo unveiled". Bcsfootball.org. January 26, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
- ^ "BCS Group and Orange Bowl unveil 2013 Discover BCS National Championship Game logo". January 26, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2012.]
- ^ Pennington, Bill (December 8, 2012). "Before Computer Rankings and the Superdome, There Was Notre Dame vs. Alabama in the 1973 Sugar Bowl". The New York Times.
- ^ "Alabama vs Notre Dame Series History | College Football Database". Collegefootball.bz. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
- ^ Lassan, Steven. "5 Reasons Why Alabama Will Beat Notre Dame for the National Title". AthlonSports.com. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
- ^ OddsShark on Dec 17 2012, 9:49a + (December 17, 2012). "BCS Championship Game betting: Alabama vs. Notre Dame odds preview". SBNation.com. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Notre Dame Football: Why the Irish Can Beat the SEC". Bleacher Report. December 12, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
- ^ Lassan, Steven. "5 Reasons Why Notre Dame Will Beat Alabama for the National Title". AthlonSports.com. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
- ^ "10 Bold Predictions for Alabama vs. Notre Dame BCS Championship Showdown". Bleacher Report. December 13, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
- ^ Michael Rosenberg (January 7, 2013). "Alabama overmatches Notre Dame in BCS championship game joke - College Football - Michael Rosenberg - SI.com". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
- ^ "BCS National Championship Game 2013: Epic Contest Draws Huge Television Ratings". Bleacher Report. January 8, 2013. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
- ^ "Notre Dame couldn't hang with Alabama, highlighting why a playoff is needed - college football - ESPN". Espn.go.com. January 8, 2013. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
- ^ Greenberg, Chris (January 8, 2013). "Notre Dame Season Loses Luster After Blowout Loss To Alabama In BCS Championship Game". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
- ^ "Why Was Alabama Able To Blow Out Notre Dame?". Forbes. April 18, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
- ^ Solomon, Michael (January 8, 2013). "BCS National Championship: Alabama vs. Notre Dame—as it happened". Guardian UK. London. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
- ^ "Alabama routs Notre Dame, wins 3rd BCS title in last 4 years". ESPN. January 8, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
- ^ Brian A. Shactman, Notre Dame vs. Alabama, Likely Most Wagered BCS Game, CNBC, January 7, 2013
- ^ Pennington, Bill (December 8, 2012). "Epic Battle of Opposites: Irish vs. Tide in 1973". The New York Times. New York, NY. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
- ^ FBS Football Statistics, NCAA.com, December 29, 2012
- ^ Bowl Subdivision (FBS) National Team Report Scoring Defense, NCAA.com, January 5, 2013