Honestly, it’s kinda wild how one or two games can completely warp an entire generation's perspective on a rivalry. If you ask a casual fan about Notre Dame vs Alabama today, they probably bring up the 2013 BCS National Championship—the game where the Tide basically treated the Fighting Irish like a scout team. Or maybe they think of the 2021 Rose Bowl during the "COVID season" when Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith were just too much for Clark Lea's defense to handle.
But if you actually look at the history, the "dominance" isn't nearly as one-sided as the recent highlights suggest. For decades, Notre Dame was the one program that Nick Saban’s predecessors simply couldn’t crack.
Even now in early 2026, as both programs navigate a post-Saban landscape and a massive 12-team playoff system, the shadow of these two titans remains the biggest thing in college football. Alabama is trying to find its soul under Kalen DeBoer after a rocky 2025 season and some significant transfer portal departures, while Marcus Freeman has Notre Dame looking like a legitimate national title favorite heading into this year.
The dynamic has flipped. Again.
The Shocking Reality of the All-Time Series
Most fans think Alabama has been beating up on the Irish since the dawn of time.
Nope.
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Before that 2013 blowout in Miami, Notre Dame actually led the series 5-1. Think about that for a second. The Crimson Tide—the program that usually eats everyone for breakfast—went nearly 40 years without being able to figure out the Fighting Irish.
The series kicked off in the 1973 Sugar Bowl, which is widely considered one of the greatest college football games ever played. It was #1 Alabama vs. #3 Notre Dame. Bear Bryant vs. Ara Parseghian. The Tide lost 24-23 after a missed extra point and a gutsy 3rd-and-long pass by Irish QB Tom Clements that basically iced the game.
Alabama didn’t get their first win against Notre Dame until 1986. That’s a long time to wait for a "Roll Tide" moment in a series of this magnitude.
Why 2013 Changed Everything
If the 70s and 80s belonged to the Irish, the 2010s were a brutal reality check. The 2013 BCS National Championship Game wasn't just a loss for Notre Dame; it was a cultural shift.
Alabama won 42-14, but it felt like 100-0. Eddie Lacy was running through people. AJ McCarron was clinical. It was the moment everyone realized that the gap between the SEC and the rest of the world—especially the independent Irish—had become a canyon.
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"We knew we were better," Alabama linebacker CJ Mosley said after that game. "We just had to show it."
That game created the narrative that Notre Dame "doesn't belong" on the big stage, a stigma that followed Brian Kelly until the day he left for LSU. It’s a narrative that Marcus Freeman is still actively fighting to kill.
The 2026 Landscape: A Power Shift?
Fast forward to right now. The 2025 season was a bit of a wake-up call for the SEC. We saw Michigan and Ohio State take the last two titles, and heading into the 2026 season, the Big Ten and Notre Dame are looking incredibly strong.
The transfer portal has been particularly spicy for Notre Dame vs Alabama lately. In a move that would have been unthinkable five years ago, former elite Alabama recruit Keon Keeley—an EDGE rusher who was a centerpiece of the Tide's future—is now at Notre Dame.
While Alabama struggled with a "mixed bag" portal season in early January 2026, losing guys like Jordan Renaud and Isaiah Horton, Notre Dame has been a massive winner. They didn't just get Keeley; they landed massive interior help like Tionne Gray from Oregon and Francis Brewu.
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Current State of the Programs (As of Jan 2026)
- Notre Dame: Entering 2026 as a projected top-5 team. The defense is loaded, and the portal additions have addressed their historical lack of "SEC-level" size in the trenches.
- Alabama: In a transition phase. Kalen DeBoer is facing "make-or-break" pressure. The talent is there, but the "Bama Mystique" has definitely taken a hit following a 4-10 bowl record for the SEC as a whole last season.
Comparing the Traditions
You can't talk about these two without mentioning the numbers. It's like comparing a Ferrari and a Lamborghini—they both do the same thing, just with different vibes.
Alabama claims 18 national championships. Notre Dame claims 11.
The Tide have the most AP poll appearances in history; the Irish have the most Heisman winners (tied with a few others at 7).
One big difference that still riles up fans? The schedules. Alabama fans will always point to the "SEC gauntlet," while Notre Dame fans point to the fact that they play a national schedule from coast to coast without the benefit of a "cupcake" week in November.
What Really Matters Moving Forward
If you're looking at Notre Dame vs Alabama through the lens of 2026, the old "SEC vs. Everyone" trope is dying. With the 12-team playoff, these two are likely to see each other much more often than once every decade.
The Irish have fixed their biggest weakness: depth. In those 2013 and 2021 losses, Notre Dame’s starters could hang for a quarter, but they eventually got worn down by Alabama's "B-team" of future NFL starters. With the current NIL and portal era, Notre Dame is finally recruiting the same pool of athletes as the Tide.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
- Watch the Trenches: If these two meet in the 2026 playoffs, don't look at the QBs. Look at the Notre Dame defensive line vs. the Alabama offensive line. For the first time in 20 years, the Irish might actually have the size advantage.
- Portal Tracking: Keep an eye on the "secondary" portal window in the spring. Alabama needs to recoup some of the EDGE talent they lost to the Irish and others if they want to survive the new SEC.
- The "Freeman Factor": Marcus Freeman is proving to be a much more aggressive recruiter than Brian Kelly ever was. This narrows the talent gap significantly.
- Schedule Strength: Note that Notre Dame's independence is now a massive tool for seeding in the 12-team playoff. They don't have a conference championship game, which is a double-edged sword—they can't get a top-4 bye, but they also don't have that extra "loss" opportunity.
The days of assuming Alabama will steamroll Notre Dame are over. The talent is evening out, the coaching has changed, and the 2026 season is shaping up to be the year the Irish finally prove they can handle the Crimson Tide on a neutral field again.
Next Steps:
- Check the updated 2026 AP Preseason Poll (dropping later this summer) to see where the committee slots the Irish relative to the new-look SEC.
- Monitor the health of the Alabama offensive line during spring ball; that unit's development will determine if DeBoer can survive the 2026 season.