What 'We Want Bama' says about Alabama

Every college football team wants a shot to take down Alabama. Just ask the two Oregon students who made a small fortune selling green and yellow 'We Want Bama' t-shirts after a Ducks' victory.

"It was only three words," Grant Otter, one of the students who made and sold the shirts, told USA Today's George Schroeder. "But everyone understood what it meant."

This year's Crimson Tide squad is arguably nowhere near as talented as some of head coach Nick Saban's previous teams - they lost to Ole Miss, and have occasionally struggled to eek out games. Yet the allure of beating one of the most dominant programs of the past decade have many teams envious of Ohio State's Sugar Bowl matchup against Alabama. 

"Wherever you are in the country, you know what Alabama is as a football team, and what they do," said Eric Simons, the author of "The Secret Lives of Sports Fans: The Science of Sports Obsession". "Whether you are in Oregon or Columbus or in the South, it doesn't matter. It's the same touchstone when it comes to Alabama. Regardless of where you are, it means sort of the same thing."

Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston has gone on record claiming that he and the 'Noles want to face Alabama. The Ducks have made it clear that they think they can win a National Championship this year.

So what does that mean for the Crimson Tides' perception amongst their peers? 

"It really compliments Alabama," said Otter. "It's putting them up on a pedestal that we want (to play) the unstoppable team of Alabama. And also, it was just kind of a shout-out to Oregon: We can play with the other big teams."

On Jan. 1, the Buckeyes will have a chance at upsetting the No. 1 ranked team in the nation. If they fail, the 'Noles or the Ducks will finally get their wish.