The big game features college football¿s top two teams and millions of dollars to go around.
The intersection of dreams and reality finally crossed Monday night when No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 2 Alabama met for college football's national championship at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Alabama was seeking its third title in four years, while Notre Dame sought its first championship since 1988.
Alabama made it 42-7 witih 11:27 to play in the game.
Trailing by five touchdowns, Notre Dame finally got on the board on a two-yard TD run by quarterback Everett Golson to make it 35-7 with 4:08 to play in the third quarter.
Alabama had increased its lead to 35-0 with 7:34 left in the third quarter as AJ McCarron hit a wide-open Amari Cooper for a 34-yard touchdown pass. It gave the Crimson Tide 406 yards of offense, an average of eight yards per play.
Alabama roared out to a 28-0 lead shortly before halftime when McCarron hit Eddie Lacy on an 11-yard touchdown pass. It capped a nine-play, 71-yard drive and the Crimson Tide led by four touchdowns at intermission.
Notre Dame's vaunted defense was ineffective in the first half, missing numerous tackles. Meanwhile, McCarron found all of the holes in the Irish secondary. Lacy had 96 yards rushing in the first half. Alabama was credited with 73 yards after contact in the first half.
McCarron completed 12 of 18 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. Golson was 8 for 16 for 93 yards.
Alabama had 309 total yards at the intermission, compared to 124 for Notre Dame. The Tide had 15 first downs to Notre Dame's five.
Alabama scored on its first three possessions, as T.J. Yeldon finished off an eight-play, 80-yard drive with a one-yard run on the first play of the second quarter to put the Crimson Tide ahead 21-0.
Notre Dame's defense yielded 202 yards in the first quarter. The Irish gained only 23 total yards in the quarter.
Alabama boosted its lead to 14-0 on a 3-yard TD pass from McCarron to tight end Michael Williams with 6:14 left in the first quarter. It capped a 10-play, 61-yard drive.
Alabama struck first on a 20-yard touchdown run by Lacy to cap a five-play, 82-yard opening drive with Jeremy Shelley tacking on the extra point.
More than bragging rights were at stake for both teams. Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly knew he had an opportunity to permanently etch his name in the already-rich lore of Irish football, along with coaches such as Ara Parseghian and Lou Holtz.
Alabama coach Nick Saban is already in the conversation with Bear Bryant. Another title could cement that notion.
Despite all of the exotic pregame analysis, the outcome of the game figured to come down to the winner at the line of scrimmage, where Alabama featured one of the most formidable offensive fronts in the nation. The Fighting Irish countered with one of best front seven defenses in all of the land.
3rd Q: Alabama 35, Notre Dame 7
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3rd Q: Alabama 35, Notre Dame 7
