Tide, Irish confident but cautious

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Ahead of Miami’s Orange Bowl, 2013 BCS National Championship media day began Saturday morning as they so often do, light-hearted and fun.

“It feels like I’m in a dunk tank,” Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly said at the podium. “There’s nothing out there I hope.”

Alabama defensive lineman Jessie Williams was asked how it feels to look out at the Orange Bowl field and see nothing but cameras.

“It’s pretty crazy,” Williams said.  “I don’t know why they’re here; it’s just a football game.”

After the humor wore off, it was down to business, as both teams addressed their opponent in the midst of a media frenzy.

“They’re the king of the hill,” Irish linebacker Manti Te’o said. “They’ve been there, they’ve done that. They’ve obviously been so dominant in the past couple of years and this season, as well.”

Bama center Barrett Jones likes the aura of dominance, not just for his Tide team, but the whole Southeastern Conference.  The SEC has won seven straight national titles.

“We enjoy being the top dog and enjoy having that target on our back,” Jones said.

Mobile’s AJ McCarron knows the challenge of facing Notre Dame’s top-ranked defense.

“It’s going to be a tough match-up the whole game, no matter where we are on the field. They’re in the top three in every category in the nation in defense, and it’s for a reason,” McCarron said.

Te’o says it’s just an honor to play in this game against an opponent like Alabama.

“What better way to finish this year than to play in the biggest game in college football, and to be going against the best team in college football, and that’s Alabama," Te'o said.

Te’o's comments showed respect for the Tide there, especially considering that it’s his team ranked No. 1 in the country, not Bama. Regardless, one thing is for sure, this media day, neither team wanted to give the other any ‘bulletin board material’ for the big game on Monday.