The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame, from left, Elmer Layden, James Crowley, Don Miller and Harry Stuhldreher, pose on the football field in Southbend, Ind., circa 1930. (AP Photo)

Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne stands for a portrait. Before and after Rockne led the Fighting Irish from 1918-30, Notre Dame had great coaches. But none have Rockne's mystique. He died in 1931 in a plane crash at age 43, the year after coaching the Irish to a perfect season. (AP Photo/File)

Notre Dame's Emil Sitko (14) grabbing a pass intended for Army's Bill West, center right, during a game at Yankee Stadium in New York, Nov. 9, 1946. Notre Dame quarterback John Lujack (32), left, holds out hands for a possible lateral. The game ended in a scoreless tie. It was 1946 and World War II was finally over, so it was OK to consider a college football game the biggest thing going on in the United States of America. (AP Photo/Harry Harris)

Notre Dame player John Lattner, winner of the 1953 Heisman tropy and 2nd time winner of the Maxwell trophy, receives congratulations from teammates at practice in South Bend, Ind., Dec. 11, 1953. The players from left are, Joe Heap, left halfback; Ralph Gugliemi, quarterback; Lattner, right halfback; Don Penza, right end and captain; and Neil Wordon, fullback. (AP Photo)

Paul Hornung, quarterback for the University of Notre Dame football team, is seen in this 1957 photo. (AP Photo)

Notre Dame Head Football Coach Ara Parseghian poses with quarterback Joe Theismann (7) and All-America defense tackle Mike McCoy during picture session on their arrival, Dec. 29, 1969 in Dallas, Texas. The Fighting Irish lost to the Texas Longhorns on New Year's Day in the Cotton Bowl, 21-17. (AP Photo)

Notre Dame coach Ara Parseghian is carried off the football field amid shouts of "we're number one" after his Irish beat the undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide, 24-23, at the Sugar Bowl at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, La., Dec. 31, 1973. (AP Photo)

Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz is carried off the field at Tempe Ariz., Jan. 2, 1989 after his team defeated West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl to win the national college football championship. (AP photo/rob schumacher)

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly, second from right, reacts to being doused as the finals seconds tick off the clock to close out the Sun Bowl NCAA college football game against Miami on Friday, Dec. 31, 2010, in El Paso, Texas. Notre Dame won 33-17. (AP Photo/El Paso Times, Ruben R. Ramirez)

Notre Dame running back Theo Riddick (6) and wide receiver Luke Massa (14) celebrate their 22-13 win over Southern California in an NCAA college football game in Los Angeles, Nov. 24, 2012. The rankings say Notre Dame is No. 1 going into the BCS championship against Alabama, two of college football's proudest programs. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok, File)

The starting backfield for the University of Alabama for the Alabama-St. Mary's game, seen Dec. 1, 1932 in San Francisco. From left to right, Millard "Dixie" Howell, Holly, Walker, and Johnny Cain. (AP Photo)

Coach Frank Thomas gives his Alabama football squad last minute instructions on how to beat Southern California in their Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. The team held its final workout Dec. 31, 1945 on the Rose Bowl turf, in Casadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ed Widdis)

Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant gets a ride on the shoulders of his team after Alabama beat Nebraska, 34-7 in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Jan. 1, 1966. Halfback Eddie Propst (43) rushes up to congratulate his coach as others join in the celebration. In the foreground is Donnie Johnson (20). Once again, the Crimson Tide has a program the Bear would be proud of: unbeaten and ranked No. 1. (AP Photo)

Joe Namath, Crimson Tide star quarterback, tries out his arm and aim with the autographed Orange Bowl pigskin as he works out for Alabama's Orange Bowl game against Texas in Miami, Fla., Dec. 27, 1964. (AP Photo)

Paul "Bear" Bryant is shown prior to a home game against Wichita State in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Oct. 6, 1979. (AP Photo/Joe Holloway Jr.)

As an Alabama cheerleader celebrates, Crimson Tide free safety George Teague dances his way into the end zone with a touchdown off an intercepted pass by Miami's Gino Torretta in the Sugar Bowl, Jan. 2, 1993 in New Orleans. Alabama knocked off No. 1 Miami 34-13. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Alabama coach Gene Stallings celebrates with his team after defeating No. 1 ranked Miami 34-13 in the Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans, Jan. 2, 1993. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)

Alabama coach Nick Saban leads his team on the field before the start of their game against Western Carolina in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Sept. 1, 2007. Alabama was willing to pay quite a premium for a long-term investment with a proven track record who could provide healthy returns for years. That's what the Crimson Tide got when it made coach Nick Saban college football's first $4 million man. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

The Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates after winning the BCS Championship against the Texas Longhorns in Pasadena, Calif., Jan. 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

University of Alabama players salute head coach Nick Saban as he lifts the AFCA National Championship Trophy following the Crimson Tide's 21-0 shutout win over the LSU Tigers at the Allstate BCS National Championship in New Orleans, Jan. 9, 2012. The win gives Alabama its 14th College Football National Championship, finishing the season 12-1. (Cheryl Gerber/AP Images for Allstate)