Alabama Claims Third BCS Title In Four Years

MIAMI (AP) — College football's national champions still reside in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

The Crimson Tide breezed to their second straight BCS championship and third in four seasons with a convincing 42-14 rout of Notre Dame.

AJ McCarron and Eddie Lacy highlighted an Alabama offense that scored touchdowns on its first three drives and led 35-0 before the Irish reached the end zone. McCarron completed 20 of his 28 passes for 264 yards and four touchdowns, two to Amari Cooper. Lacy rushed for a 20-yard touchdown less than three minutes into the game and finished with 140 yards on 20 carries. Lacy also caught a scoring strike that put the Tide ahead 28-0 just before halftime.

Alabama finished with 529 total yards, including 265 on the ground. T.J. Yeldon padded the Tide's ground attack with 108 yards and one TD on 21 carries.

Notre Dame was shut out until Everett Golson rushed for a two-yard touchdown late in the third quarter. Golson also threw a short scoring pass to Theo Riddick and was 21-of-36 for 270 yards and one interception.

Alabama finishes 13-1 after becoming the third team to win three national titles in four seasons since polls started being used to crown champions in 1936, and the first since Nebraska from 1994-97. It's the fourth championship for Nick Saban, two behind all-time record-holder Paul "Bear" Bryant of Alabama.

The Irish had allowed just two rushing touchdowns heading into the game. The Tide matched that by the four-second mark of the second quarter and controlled the ball for 38 minutes to turn the well-hyped matchup into a lopsided game.