ARLINGTON, Texas — Alabama is rolling into another College Football Playoff championship game.
DeVonta Smith caught three of fellow Heisman Trophy finalist Mac Jones' four touchdown passes and Najee Harris ran for 125 yards with a high-hurdling highlight as No. 1 Alabama defeated No. 4 Notre Dame 31-14 in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the relocated Rose Bowl.
The Crimson Tide will face the winner of the Sugar Bowl between No. 2 Clemson and No. 3 Ohio State for the national championship at Hard Rock Stadium in South Florida.
Smith was Rose Bowl offensive MVP after hauling in seven catches for 130 yards to go with his Rose Bowl-record three scores.
"It means a lot, but we're not done yet," Smith said after the game, which was moved from Pasadena, California, to the Dallas area because of coronavirus concerns.
Alabama will play in its fifth College Football Playoff National Championship in six seasons when the Tide travel to Miami Gardens on Jan. 11. The Tide's last trip to Hard Rock Stadium was a 45-34 victory over Oklahoma in an Orange Bowl semifinal in 2018.
It was a better showing for the Fighting Irish than their blowout loss to Clemson in a Cotton Bowl semifinal two years ago. But the Irish still lost in a playoff or New Year's Six bowl for the seventh straight time since 2000.
Notre Dame was a three-touchdown underdog and fell behind quickly 14-0.
But the defense improved, and Ian Book had the Irish moving with a chance to get within a touchdown in the second half before throwing an interception.
