Notre Dame vs. Alabama: Irish won't feel overwhelmed by SEC

The SEC has ruled college football over the last handful of years, but the Notre Dame Fighting Irish say they will not be intimidated by the task of dethroning both the conference and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Most of the Irish are downplaying the significance of Alabama's conference affiliation, including star defensive tackle Louis Nix III.

"The SEC didn't win it, the certain teams in the game won it. I don't care about the conference thing," the affable defensive tackle said. "The teams that won it the last six years so happened to be in the SEC. Those guys earned the title. I'm happy I'm facing one of those teams that won it twice already. I can't wait to play them, and can't wait for January 7."

(via CSN Chicago)

The last non-SEC school to win the BCS Championship was the Texas Longhorns, who defeated the USC Trojans for the 2005 title in the classic Rose Bowl matchup. In the BCS' first eight years, the SEC only won two titles, but they've collected the next six since then. Notre Dame will also be looking to make Alabama the first SEC school to lose in the BCS Championship game.

Notre Dame, on the other hand, hasn't won a National Title since 1988. The 24-year drought is by far the school's longest period without a championship since it first won a national title in 1924. According to Irish head coach Brian Kelly, the team is welcoming the challenge of taking on the SEC's best in order to snare that elusive ring.