(CNN) — Shortly after Alabama’s rout of Notre Dame there was one word that many on the field seemed not to want to broach.
Dynasty.
But why not? Alabama’s 42 to 14 thrashing of Notre Dame in Monday night’s BCS National Championship game was the Crimson Tide’s second in a row. It is also Alabama’s third national title in the last four years.
Isn’t this a dynasty, a reporter asked Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron, moments after he led his team to the win?
“You can call us whatever you want but this was a total team effort,” McCarron said.
Alabama coach Nick Saban also shied away from the D- word during a news conference after the game.
“I don’t think words like dynasty are words that I have much interest in. That is for other people to speak about,” Saban said.
And many on social media were.
“I really believe that this is, in my lifetime, the best dynasty that I’ve ever seen in college football,” ESPN personality Kirk Herbstreit tweeted about Alabama.
Herbstreit’s comment was retweeted thousands of times.
In fact, “#Dynasty” was trending in many regions in the United States early Tuesday morning as Crimson Tide fans partied in the streets of Tuscaloosa.
With the win, Alabama joins college football royalty. The team joins Nebraska, in the 90s, and Notre Dame, in the 40s, as the only teams to win three championships in four years. When Nebraska did it, they shared the 1997 championship with Michigan.
And to add to Alabama’s legacy, none of the championship games were really close.
In 2010, Alabama stomped Texas 37 to 21. Last year, the Tide blanked LSU 21 to 0.
And this year, the championship game felt like it was over at halftime.
The No. 2 Crimson Tide scored on drives of 82, 61 and 80 yards against the top-ranked and undefeated Irish in its first three drives of the game. They drove 71-yards and scored with 31 seconds left in the half to take a dominating 28-0 lead.
By that time, despite the fact that half of the game was yet to be played, many of those commenting on Twitter were jokingly wondering if Notre Dame would come out of the locker room for the second half.
The Irish did, but it did not get much better for them.
In fact, one of the biggest hits of the game on Alabama’s quarterback McCarron came from his own teammate, Barrett Jones.
The two teammates disagreed on a play call and had to call a timeout to get it cleared up. McCarron got in his lineman’s face and Jones pushed him some three yards back, a feat that Notre Dame could never do throughout the game.
Notre Dame also couldn’t stop Alabama’s running game. Crimson Tide runners Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon both ran for more than 100 yards.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly said his team had a lot to learn from Alabama.
“We are not there yet,” Kelly said. “Alabama showed us that in the way they played the game. We got a lot of work left to do to get back here.”
But there was one player from Alabama who was ready to put the crown on.
“I think I can use the word dynasty now,” said linebacker Nico Johnson, shortly after the confetti fell on the field. “Three titles in four years, that is a dynasty.”
CNN’s Steve Almasy contributed to this report.
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