No. 1 Alabama (11-0, SEC) vs. No. 4 Notre Dame (10-1, ACC), Jan. 1, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN
LOCATION: Arlington, Texas
TOP PLAYERS
Notre Dame: RB Kyren Williams, 1,061 yards and 12 rushing TDs, 282 receiving yards and 1 receiving TD.
Alabama: QB Mac Jones, 3,739 yards passing, 32 TDs, 4 interceptions.
NOTABLE
Notre Dame: The ACC title game loss to Clemson snapped the Irish’s 16-game winning streak, longest in the FBS. … QB Ian Book has more completions (701) than any quarterback in school history except Jimmy Clausen. … Michael Mayer’s 35 receptions are the most in school history by a true freshman tight end.
Alabama: The Tide are two wins away from Nick Saban’s sixth national championship. … Saban’s teams are 12-5 in postseason games. … The Tide are back in the four-team playoff after missing it for the first time last year. … Held off Florida 52-46 to win Alabama’s 28th SEC title. … RB Najee Harris led the SEC with 1,262 yards rushing, and WR DeVonta Smith led the conference with 1,511 yards receiving. … LB Will Anderson Jr. led the SEC with seven sacks.
LAST TIME
Alabama beat Notre Dame 42-14 in the BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 7, 2013.
BOWL HISTORY
Notre Dame: Second appearance in a College Football Playoff game, 38th bowl appearance in school history.
Alabama: Ninth appearance in a College Football Playoff game, 72nd bowl appearance in school history.
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