National Football Foundation

The Crimson Tide won its second consecutive national championship with a 42-14 victory against Notre Dame (12-1) in the Discover BCS National Championship Game before 80,120 fans, a record crowd for Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Coupled with the Crimson Tide's 2009 and 2011 national championships, yesterday's title victory marks the third for Alabama during the BCS era, which began in 1998, and the fourth for Coach Nick Saban who led the LSU Tigers to the BCS crown in 2003. Saban is the only coach in the AP Poll era, which began in 1936, to win national titles with two different schools, and he is the only coach to win more than two titles during the BCS era. In addition to the 2012, 2011 and 2009 championships, Alabama claimed the MacArthur Bowl in 1961, 1978, 1979 under Hall of Fame Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and in 1992 under Hall of Fame Coach Gene Stallings. The national title represents seventh straight for the Southeastern Conference.

With the win, Alabama becomes the first school to win the trophy seven times, extending its lead by two over the school with the second most claims on award, Notre Dame with five. Saban ties Hall of Fame inductee John McKay from USC as the head coaches to accept the trophy the most with four titles each. With this year’s win, he eclipses College Football Hall of Fame coaches Paul "Bear" Bryant, Ara Parseghian and Darrell Royal, who each claimed the trophy three times.