What Time Is the BCS National Championship Game?

Will the next BCS national champion be the top-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish or will the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide, the defending national champions, pick up its third national championship title in the past four years?

We'll find out Jan. 7. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. CST on ESPN.

Here are five things to know about this year's BCS matchup:

1. Notre Dame has not won a championship in 24 years, its last coming in 1988. Alabama is the defending national champion and will become the first team to win back-to-back BCS titles if the Tide wins Monday night.
2. Tonight's BCS game will be the first meeting between the Tide and Irish since 1987. The teams have played each other six times, with Notre Dame holding a 5-1 edge.
3. Notre Dame has produced seven Heisman Trophy winners, Alabama has produced one -- Mark Ingram in 2009.
4. If Alabama wins, it will be the seventh consecutive national championship for the SEC -- no other conference has ever won more than three consecutive titles.
5. More than 72,000 fans are expected to watch tonight's title game in person. As of Jan. 6, there were about 4,200 tickets remaining, the cheapest of which was listed in the $900 price range.

Where to watch in Pasadena:

Here are just a few places to watch in Old Town, but if you're watching somewhere else, let us know where in the comments section below.

• Slater's 50/50 (61 N. Raymond Ave.): Home of the half-beef, half-bacon burger patty and self-designed burger concoctions (and a lot of beer), Slater's has seen its fill of patrons since its opening in December. Leave your diet at home.

• 72 North (72 North Fair Oaks Ave.): One of the best spots to catch pro football and UFC pay-per-view events (most recently the Dos Santos/Velasquez title clash), 72 North has a bevy of high-def screens as well as several massive projection screens for your viewing.

• The 35er Bar (12 East Colorado Blvd.): This old standby welcomed lots of fans for the Rose Bowl, carries all Laker and Clipper games, and will certainly be featuring the BCS title game. It's also proven to be another go-to-spot for must-watch sports events, like boxing fights.

• Barney's Beanery (99 East Colorado Blvd.): Huge and colorful with a wall of TVs (along with smaller TVs at your table), Barney's has been popular spot year-round for pro and college football.

• The New York Deli (25 N. Raymond Ave.): This might seem like a dark-horse pick to watch a game, but it's just a few doors down from Slater's, which will be much more crowded, and features a massive selection of beers and soda in a big fridge. If you get a spot at the bar, you'll be able to gaze upon several large TVs perched above it. It's held some events focused around PPV sporting events before, but it comes off as the most "low-key" option for fans who just want food and football without dealing with throngs of people.