Reasons Why Alabama vs. Notre Dame BCS Title Game Needs to Happen

Just like that, the BCS rankings have completely flipped on us and have given us a new national championship possibility. With Oregon and Kansas State suffering upsets last week, the new projected national championship matchup is Notre Dame taking on Alabama.

As long as the Irish and Crimson Tide take care of business the rest of the way, we will likely see these two historic programs meet in Miami, Florida for that crystal football.

Before the season began, this was a matchup that wasn't expected by anybody, as both teams had serious question marks.

Now, this is a meeting that every college football fan should be rooting for because it would provide us with a national championship to remember for quite some time.

Here are a few reasons why an Alabama-Notre Dame matchup needs to take place in this year’s big game.

Notre Dame Is Back!

Whether you love or hate Notre Dame, everybody seems to have an opinion on that school out in South Bend. Regardless of your feelings towards the Irish, you can't deny the fact that having them relevant in the polls is terrific for college football.

Sure, this is one of those programs that will receive hype even if it had an egg in the win column, but having Notre Dame at the top is great for the sport.

The history is simply incredible, as there have been seven Heisman Trophy winners, 11 claimed national championships and 96 consensus All-Americans, which is the most in college football. However, there has been a period of mediocrity of late, with the Irish not reaching a BCS bowl since 2006 and not winning a national championship since 1988.

The NBA is better when the Los Angeles Lakers are winning, the NFL is better when the Green Bay Packers are in the playoffs and the MLB needs the New York Yankees in the World Series. One of the teams that make college football better happens to be Notre Dame.

Regardless of your feelings towards the school, having this program compete for a national title only makes the sport that much better.

An SEC Team Gets a Chance to Defend the Streak

I'm sure you have heard it once or twice, but the SEC has won the last six national championships. It has been without question the most dominating conference of the BCS era and many fans believe that the winner of the SEC Championship should automatically earn a spot in the national championship.

When Alabama lost to Texas A&M a couple of weeks ago, panic began to set in, as fans realized that there was a possibility an SEC team wouldn't be able to compete for a title.

What is the world coming to?

Even with the SEC scheduling FCS opponents as non-conference games, we can all agree that the majority of the schedules in this conference are absolutely brutal. A one-loss SEC champion is still a pretty good football team despite that one loss.

With Alabama possibly returning to the national championship for the second straight season, it gives the SEC a chance to defend the crown and keep the streak alive.

Everything is wonderful again in SEC country.

Tradition of Both Programs

This matchup would create ratings through the roof.

When you combine both of these programs' accomplishments, you end up with eight Heisman Trophies, 25 claimed national championships, over 1,600 all-time victories and 143 consensus All-Americans. These are easily two of the more accomplished programs this sport has ever seen.

One of the main reasons top recruits want to play for either one of these schools is because of the history and the tradition of winning that is carried. You won't find many other matchups that would put two more accomplished teams together than this one.

Regardless of how you feel about either one of these squads, you have to respect the culture and track record of success that both schools bring to the table.

This is one of those matchups where you would be able to feel the magic in the air. A can't-miss game if you are a college football fan.

Defense Wins Championships

Offense sells tickets, defense wins championships.

We have heard the phrase over and over, but if this matchup was to take place, it would be a defensive battle that would prove that quote correct.

Both teams are ranked first in the country, allowing only 10.1 points per game on average. Alabama is ranked second in college football in total defense, while Notre Dame is ranked sixth. They have also created more than 20 turnovers each and have forced at least 28 sacks on the year.

The Irish are considered a defensive team that is only undefeated because of that side of the ball, while Alabama has been a defensive juggernaut that prides itself on stopping its opponents' offense.

This matchup may not be as dominant on the defensive side of the ball as last season’s finale, but it should have enough to please the fans that love seeing great defensive play.

Future Star Players

If you haven't paid much attention to either program this year, both Notre Dame and Alabama have a talented offensive player that will soon take over college football. For the Irish, it is quarterback Everett Golson. Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide have a running back in T.J. Yeldon.

Golson is a first-year starting quarterback that seems to be getting better as the weeks go by. Head coach Brian Kelly has done a terrific job of mentoring the young man and he is making better decisions with the football and becoming more effective as an overall player.

Yeldon is a true freshman that is averaging over six yards on the ground and 13 yards receiving per game. He is always a threat to take it the distance and is fun to watch when he gets his hands on the football.

Both players have the ability to become superstars as early as next season and the experience in a big game should only help them along the way. Seeing both of these players in the same game would not only be fun to see, but should also benefit their careers moving forward, as one of them could walk away with a future Heisman Trophy.

David vs. Goliath

Notre Dame deserves respect for running the table this season and overcoming the odds time and time again. Many believed that the Irish would lose to Stanford, Oklahoma, Michigan State and so on, but the team kept on trucking away.

With that said, unless you are a diehard Irish fan, many aren't even giving this team a chance against an Alabama powerhouse. Although Notre Dame may be undefeated, the close victories against subpar opponents tend to scare people away from hopping on the bandwagon just yet. The reputation of the SEC—particularly Alabama—also doesn't help.

Notre Dame struggles on the offensive side of the ball, while Alabama is as balanced as it comes, ranking No. 1 in scoring defense and No. 19 in scoring offense in the country.

The Irish have played the underdog role for majority of the year and if they were to play Alabama for all of the marbles, they would likely have to overcome those heavy odds once again. Having a considerable underdog in a big game always makes things interesting and provides a good story heading into the matchup.