Alabama always ready with a comeback

• Tide's rally to reach another BCS title game began following loss to Texas A&M
• Team again exhibits "I would not be denied" attitude, according to Saban
• QB AJ McCarron: Title game vs. Irish "gonna be a fun experience"

ATLANTA — Trailing by 11 points in the second half of the Southeastern Conference championship game, Alabama players said they never flinched. Why would they? Their comeback began weeks earlier.

The No. 2-ranked Crimson Tide are back in the BCS championship game, favored to win their second consecutive national title and third in four years, because of what coach Nick Saban called an " 'I-would-not-be-denied' attitude." And also some luck. After a home loss to Texas A&M on Nov. 10, Alabama needed two of the remaining three unbeaten BCS title contenders to lose. When two did, the Tide's path to Miami was straightforward.

With a 32-28 victory against Georgia in the Georgia Dome, Alabama cemented a college football traditionalist's dream matchup with No. 1 Notre Dame.

"For those two teams to play in a national championship game makes it even more special," Saban said in a teleconference Sunday night. "I think this is one of the more great (BCS championship matchups)."

Saban said he watched several Notre Dame games this season, including the victory over USC in the season finale, and pronounced himself "impressed" by a "real good, all-around football team."

But echoing several teammates, Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron said he didn't know much about either Notre Dame's tradition or its current team. In the moments after the SEC championship, Saban said he didn't even know the date of the BCS championship game — and he didn't seem to be joking (it's Jan. 7, in Miami). The talking points were clear: Celebrate before moving on. As they were asked about the Irish, Alabama players kept coming back to the comeback — against Georgia, and in the season.

The SEC championship game featured six lead changes. Alabama (12-1) overcame that 11-point, third-quarter deficit only to trail again before McCarron's 45-yard touchdown pass to freshman receiver Amari Cooper with 3:15 left put the Tide on top for good. It completed an inconsistent performance by the junior quarterback. Earlier, he had tossed an interception at the goal line that was reminiscent of a critical mistake against Texas A&M.

"We fought back," McCarron said. "That's the motto. We've been through a couple of those this year. Against LSU, and then against Texas A&M (when) we fell short. It's really no different."

The end result isn't much different, either, even from last season when the Tide also lost at home in November. LSU's 9-6 victory in Tuscaloosa ultimately didn't matter. Alabama made its way back up the standings, then exacted revenge on the Tigers in an all-SEC showdown for the BCS title.

Turned out, Texas A&M's shocking 29-24 victory Nov. 10 didn't hurt the Tide, either.

"It was a hard loss," junior linebacker C.J. Mosley said. "We had to make sure we bounced back and stayed strong and gave ourselves as much chance as we could to win a championship."

To be fair, the remaining schedule (Western Carolina and Auburn) wasn't that difficult, at least until Atlanta. And certainly, the Tide felt a little bit lucky when just a week after the loss to the Aggies, Kansas State and Oregon lost. And also when Georgia careened quickly downfield in the final seconds.

It took a fluky tipped-pass completion to seal victory. When time and the Bulldogs' chances expired 5 yards shy of the end zone, Alabama players exhaled before celebrating.

"I had to take a knee for a minute and get myself back together," said Tide tight end Michael Williams of the sequence.

As usual, Alabama has mostly been fueled by defense. The Tide rank No. 1 nationally in total defense, allowing an average of 246 yards, and rushing defense (79.8 yards a game). The Tide are No. 2 in scoring defense at 10.7 points a game, just behind Notre Dame (10.3). But in narrow victories against LSU and Georgia and in the loss to Texas A&M, the Tide got pushed around and gave up big plays.

"Defensively, we are probably not as good and talented as we have been in the past," Saban admitted after the SEC championship game.

But the Tide's trademark remains extremely physical play, on both sides of the football. Behind a formidable offensive line, running backs Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon pound, pound and pound some more, setting up McCarron's occasional passing.

The familiar combination remains extremely effective. For the second consecutive season, the end results seem to be nearly the same, too — at least, so far.

"It's definitely awesome," McCarron said. "It's not worth it unless we go there and win it."