~STORY OF THE WEEK~NEW DECADE, NEW CHAMPIONS

Finally, Alabama could breathe a sigh of relief. After the Crimson Tide defense thwarted a fourth-quarter Texas comeback, the scoreboard read 37-21. As confetti shot from cannons, the stadium roared. 'Bama is officially back, winning the Bowl Championship Series title, its first in 17 years and eighth overall. Alabama's Heisman Trophy winner, Mark Ingram, secured the Crimson Tide's win Thursday night with a 1-yard run with 2:01 left in the game. "That's all we worked for. We deserve it. I don't think anybody worked harder than us," said Ingram. After Ingram crossed into the end zone, he fell to his knees. It was probably mostly in relief. After dominating for much of the first half, the Tide allowed the Longhorns back into the game until the final moments. However, after Gilbert was intercepted on the ensuing series, the game was out of reach. Alabama running back Trent Richardson added another score with under a minute left to make the game seem more of a mismatch than it really was. Alabama coach Nick Saban became the first coach since the Associated Press poll began in 1936 to win a national championship at different schools. (He won at LSU in 2003.) It's also the Southeastern Conference's fourth consecutive BCS title and the first time Alabama has beaten Texas in the series' nine-game history. (USA Today)