MIAMI -- Sometimes, the buildup to a game can overwhelm what actually happens on the field. Roger Staubach Jersey. Certainly, No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 2 Alabama would have to play nothing less than a classic to live up to all the hype for Monday nights BCS championship. Before either team stepped on the field in balmy South Florida, this was shaping up as one of the most anticipated games in years, a throwback to the era when Keith Jackson & Co. called one game a week, when it was a big deal for teams from different parts of the country to meet in a bowl game, when everyone took sides based on where they happened to live. North vs. South. Rockne vs. Bear. Rudy vs. Forrest Gump. The Fighting Irish vs. the Crimson Tide. College footballs two most storied programs, glorified in movie and song, facing off for the biggest prize. "Its definitely not any other game," said Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley. For the Crimson Tide (12-1), this is a chance to be remembered as a full-fledged dynasty. Alabama will be trying to claim its third national championship in four years and become the first school to win back-to-back BCS titles, a remarkable achievement given the ever-increasing parity of the college game and having to replace five players from last years title team who were picked in the first two rounds of the NFL draft. "To be honest, I think this team has kind of exceeded expectations," coach Nick Saban said Sunday. "If you look at all the players we lost last year, the leadership that we lost ... Im really proud of what this team was able to accomplish." That said, its not a huge surprise to find Alabama playing for another title. Thats not the case when it comes to Notre Dame. Despite their impressive legacy, the Fighting Irish (12-0) werent even ranked at the start of the season. But overtime wins against Stanford and Pittsburgh, combined with three other victories by a touchdown or less, gave Notre Dame a shot at its first national title since 1988. After so many lost years, the golden dome has reclaimed its lustre in coach Brian Kellys third season. "It starts with setting a clear goal for the program," Kelly said. "Really, what is it? Are we here to get to a bowl game, or are we here to win national championships? So the charge immediately was to play for championships and win a national championship." Both Notre Dame and Alabama have won eight Associated Press national titles, more than any other school. They are the bluest of the blue bloods, the programs that have long set the bar for everyone else even while enduring some droughts along the way. ESPN executives were hopeful of getting the highest ratings of the BCS era. Tickets were certainly at a premium, with a seat in one of the executive suites going for a staggering $60,000 on StubHub the day before the game, and even a less-than-prime spot in the corner of the upper deck requiring a payout of more than $900. "This is, to me, the ultimate match-up in college football," said Brent Musberger, the lead announcer for ESPN. Kelly moulded Notre Dame using largely the same formula that has worked so well for Saban in Tuscaloosa: a bruising running game and a stout defence, led by Heisman Trophy finalist Manti Teo. "Its a little bit old fashioned in the sense that this is about the big fellows up front," Kelly said. "Its not about the crazy receiving numbers or passing yards or rushing yards. This is about the big fellas, and this game will unquestionably be decided up front." While points figure to be at a premium given the quality of both defences, Alabama appears to have a clear edge on offence. The Tide has the nations highest-rated passer (AJ McCarron), two 1,000-yard rushers (Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon), a dynamic freshman receiver (Amari Cooper), and three linemen who made the AP All-America team (first-teamers Barrett Jones and Chance Warmack, plus second-teamer D.J. Fluker). "Thats football at its finest," said Teo, who heads a defence that has given up just two rushing touchdowns. "Its going to be a great challenge, and a challenge that we look forward to." The Crimson Tide had gone 15 years without a national title when Saban arrived in 2007, the schools fifth coach in less than a decade (including one, Mike Price, who didnt even made it to his first game in Tuscaloosa). Finally, Alabama got it right. In 2008, Saban landed one of the greatest recruiting classes in school history, a group that has already produced eight NFL draft picks and likely will send at least three more players to the pros (including Jones). The following year, the coach guided Alabama to a perfect season, beating Texas in the title game at Pasadena. Last season, the Tide fortuitously got a shot at another BCS crown despite losing to LSU during the regular season and failing to even win its division in the Southeastern Conference. In a rematch against the Tigers, Alabama romped to a 21-0 victory at the Superdome. The all-SEC matchup gave the league an unprecedented six straight national champions, hastening the end of the BCS. It will last one more season before giving way to a four-team playoff in 2014, an arrangement that was undoubtedly pushed along by one conference hoarding all the titles under the current system. "Lets be honest, people are probably getting tired of us," Jones said. "We dont really mind. We enjoy being the top dog and enjoy kind of having that target on our back, and we love our conference. Obviously, wed rather not be a part of any other conference." This title game certainly has a different feel than last years. "That was really kind of a weird national championship because it was a team we already played," Jones remembered. "It was kind of another SEC game. It was in the South, and it just had a very SEC feel to it obviously. This year is much more like the 2009 game (against Texas) for me. Were playing an opponent that not only we have not played them, but no one we have played has played them (except for Michigan). So you dont really have an exact measuring stick." In fact, these schools have played only six times, and not since 1987, but the first of their meetings is still remembered as one of the landmark games in college football history. Bear Bryant had one of his best teams at the 1973 Sugar Bowl, but Ara Parseghian and the Fighting Irish claimed the national title by knocking off top-ranked Alabama 24-23. If youre a long-time Notre Dame fan, you still remember Parseghians gutty call to throw the ball out of the end zone for a game-clinching first down. If you were rooting for the Tide, you havent forgotten a missed extra point that turned out to be the losing margin. Of course, these Alabama players arent concerned about what happened nearly four decades ago. For the most part, all they know is winning. "Theres a lot of tradition that goes into Alabama football," Mosley said, "and our plan is to keep that tradition alive." Daryl Johnston Jersey. went down for the rest of the season in mid-August with inflammation in his left hip. Since then, the four-year veteran has done more than his share to help keep his team in the post-season hunt. Dan Bailey Jersey. In a motion filed Wednesday, Vilma drops his case against the NFLs disciplinary process, now that his suspension has been lifted. However, he continues to pursue damages from Goodell for harm he alleges was done to his reputation by the NFLs bounty probe of the New Orleans Saints. http://www.cowboysofficialteamstore.com/autographed-phil-costa-jersey-ny-18.html... Kurtic levelled in the 87th minute. Earlier, he missed Slovenias best chance by sending a free kick just over the bar. Greece defender Vasilis Torosidis put the 2004 champions in front after eight minutes with a low shot coming in from the right wing. Miles Austin Jersey. That was all the time Alexandre Despatie had to prepare him for his final Olympic qualifying opportunity ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Orlando Scandrick Jersey. The Los Angeles Clippers have a strong group of reserves ready to pick up the slack. Jamal Crawford, Eric Bledsoe and Matt Barnes engineered a big fourth-quarter run to help the Clippers beat the Atlanta Hawks 89-76 on Sunday.It was 40 years ago today that I was in Moscow, having left Montreal on a plane filled with some of the 3,000 Canadians who made the trip. At age 23 and in my first full time sports job, I had been in radio for seven years with stops in Quebec City, Woodstock, Ontario, North Bay and Bathurst. Then I was hired as the first ever sports director of CHNS/CHFX in Halifax, Nova Scotia in August 1972 - less than a month until the soon-to-be-infamous Summit Series took place. How I got sent to Russia is a story of persistence in its own right. Persistence, I am convinced, can also mean pain in the ass if taken to great lengths. From the outset of the series, I bugged my boss Ian Morrison to get me to one game in Canada. "Just one game Ian, you can do it," I begged him each morning. Then, on the day Game 2 was to take place in Toronto, he finally called me into his office. "Okay, Alex J...you will get your wish," he said. "Im going to see a game? Great Ian...thank you, thank you very much! I can make the afternoon flight and make it to Maple Leaf Gardens..." "Ah, we cant get you in for tonight." "Oh, then Im taking in Game 3 in Winnipeg. Cool, maybe I can see a Bomber game at the same time." He continued with his dead panned, accountant-like look. "No," he replied. "Youre not going to Winnipeg. Youre going further." I was going to Vancouver and take in the last game in the series in this country! "Yes, Vancouver here I come! And Ive never, ever, been there! Ian, thank you!" He still had that accountants look and stared at me (hes enjoying this!) and uttered, "No, no Vancouver for you." Im now exhausted."So no Toronto, no Winnipeg and now no Vancouver. Where am I going?" "Pack your bags - youre going to Russia." Wow. I was floored. It was something I never gave consideration to - travelling to Moscow. And off I went. How and why did a radio sports guy, in a city that at the time had a small population and no NHL team, ever end up in Moscow? The answer is a combination of salesmanship, ingenuity and geography - and of course, some luck. I was the flavour of the month back then at CHNS. I was the new sports guy on the block and in August of 1972, the radio station sent me to Edmonton to cover the National Fastball Championship. Back then, softball was big even getting bigger crowds than the Nova Scotia Vees got at the AHL Calder Cup championship. A couple of other radio stations were also sending their men to Edmonton, but backed out at the last second thinking the local team would not do well and there would be no interest. The local team excelled. And for a week this new guy (me) got lots of air time. Will Allen Jersey Now if youre thirsty and you find a store that offers only one kind of brew, youll drink it. That happened with me as the softball team made it to the semifinals losing to Saskatchewan 1-0. That said, the station was pleased because I was already competing against some very big names, two of which turned out to be Steve Armitage and Gerry Fogerty a well known radio man who covered many world juniors. But they were not in Edmonton. For that week I was it. You wanted to find out what was happening with the team, you tuned into CHNS and got reports from the guy with the middle initial! So when the team came back in early September - and I must give the station credit in trying to continue the promotion of their new guy - they thought about sending me to Russia. They also wanted $5,000 in advertising to send me to Moscow - something I knew nothing about at the time. Half of that sponsorship was sold to the local Moosehead Brewery and the challenge was searching for another one. Now I dont know who thought of the next idea, but I am eternally grateful. Apparently, someone called Broadcast News/The Canadian Press in Toronto and asked how they were covering the Series. They were told that the newspaper coverage was taken care of and that they were hoping for interviews and clips and features from some radio guys who were going from Toronto. Hoping was the operative word - because when someone is not committed to them there is no guarantee that things would be done. The Toronto guys had to feed sound their own station first and would focus on the guys from the team they covered - the Leafs, Canadiens and Canucks. Feeding Broadcast News would come next - if they had time. Now this was 1972 - and there was no Halifax or Atlantic news bureau for CP/BN as there has been for the last 30 years. So my boss convinced someone at CP/BN that if they bought the half sponsorship they would basically get a man in Moscow. They would get clips of interviews with the players, Canadian fans that had made the trip and news from practices - the whole enchilada. So that meant filing reports after practices and after the game. And believe me, that was not as simple as it sounded. But The Canadian Press/Broadcast News said yes - and I was on my way to Moscow. And what an experience it was. I got to Moscow a day before Game 5, which Canada lost and trailed the series 1-3-1. So the only way we conceivably could win this thing was by sweeping the remaining three games. But not many thought it could be done. My take on life in Moscow and how the Summit Series transpired from the perspective of yours truly in a column later this week. For TSN.ca, Im Alex J. Walling. Alex J. can be reached via email at: aw@eastlink.ca. ' ' '