MIAMI — Sometimes, the buildup to a game can overwhelm what actually happens on the field.

Certainly, No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 2 Alabama have a tough time living up to the hype for Monday night’s BCS championship.

Before either team steps on the field in balmy South Florida, this is shaping up as one of the most anticipated games in years, a throwback to the era when Keith Jackson & Co. broadcast one game a week, when it was a big deal for teams from different parts of the country to meet in a bowl game.

The coaches met with the media Sunday morning for the last time before kickoff, with each saying their teams were ready to play.