TUSCALOOSA (AP) -- Alabama and Michigan both hold lofty spots on college football's traditional hierarchy. They've seldom shared the field, though.

Two of the nation's winningest programs will clash in a rare meeting in Saturday night's season opener at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The second-ranked Crimson Tide and No. 8 Wolverines have combined for 1,709 wins and 25 national titles but have only faced off three times. All three meetings came in January bowl games, and Michigan won twice.

Alabama receiver Kevin Norwood has been so looking forward to it he has a picture of the stadium on his phone. Norwood says he's "been looking at that stadium for like months now."

Wolverines coach Brady Hoke believes the game is "a great marker for where we're at as a program and what we can be."

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