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By Jeff Frank, Sports Analyst
College Football Regular Season Record: 40-23-2; Percentage: 63%
Bowl Record: 25-14; Percentage: 64%
Monday, January 7, 2013
BCS CHAMPIONSHIP BOWL
ALABAMA (12-1) VS. NOTRE DAME (12-0) in Miami, FL, 8:30 PM (ET)
JUST THE FACTS
Stadium - Sun Life Stadium
Capacity - (76,100)
Surface - Grass (PAT)
Series Record - Notre Dame (5-1)
Series Streak - Notre Dame has won five of the six meetings
Last Meeting - November 14, 1987 (Notre Dame, 37-6 at Notre Dame)
Television - ESPN
TRENDS, HISTORY AND HINTS
Alabama - 1-3 ATS L4... Alabama - 3-0 ATS L3 bowl games... Alabama -
1-3 ATS L4 as favorites... Alabama - 4-2-1 to the OVER L7... Notre Dame - 3-4
ATS L7... Notre Dame - 2-1 ATS L3 bowl games... Notre Dame - 2-0 ATS L2 as
underdogs... Notre Dame - 3-0 to the UNDER L3.
WHO'S HURTIN
Alabama - WR Chris Black (shoulder) is doubtful. WR Kenny Bell (leg), LB Denzel
Devall (knee), CB John Fulton (toe), and S Jarrick Williams (knee) are
questionable. C Barrett Jones (foot) is probable.
Notre Dame - T Tate Nicols (knee) and K Nick Tausch (groin) are questionable.
GAME ANALYSIS
Notre Dame has beaten nine other bowl-bound teams and it could have been 10 if
Miami (Fla.) did not self-impose a bowl ban. On the other hand, the Tide played
just seven bowl-bound squads winning six, with an average margin of victory of
16 points. However, after they demolished the first four clubs by an average
score of 37-9, they defeated the other three by an average score of 26-25. It's
true the final three teams were top-notch squads (LSU, Texas A&M and Georgia)
but so is Notre Dame.
The Irish have played one of the toughest schedules in the country and have
escaped unscathed. Defensively, they ranked No. 1 in Football Bowl Subdivision
(FBS) play allowing just 10.3 points per game. Take away the triple-overtime
win over Pittsburgh and they did not give up more than 17 points in a single
contest!
Alabama finished just behind Notre Dame in scoring defense at 10.7 ppg.
Nevertheless, the Irish were No. 1 in rushing touchdowns allowed with two while
the Tide were tied for sixth with nine. The two teams wound up tied for fourth
in passing touchdowns allowed with seven.
Do not expect many points (or total yards for that matter) in this contest as:
(1) both clubs are dominant against the run and (2) both teams use the run to
set up the pass. Alabama runs the ball almost 64 percent of the time while
Notre Dame does so at a 58 percent clip.
Look for Notre Dame to come out with the upset victory in a low-scoring
contest.
SPORTS NETWORK CHOICE: Take the Irish plus 10 points and under 40.5 points.
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