By Wendell Barnhouse | wendell@big12sports.com
Big 12 Sports.com Correspondent

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - Forrest Gump, Alabama's fictional All-American kick returner, followed his momma's philosophy: "Life is a box of chocolates … you never know what you're gonna get."

There's no cinematic evidence of Gump ever playing in a bowl game. But bowl season is a bigger box of chocolates with even more surprises with every selection. And the BCS National Championship Game is the biggest confectionary since Willie Wonka (apologies for the second film reference.)

Texas and Alabama each bring 13-0 records into Thursday night's BCS title game. Each team had its dominant efforts and its narrow victories. Each team has proved that it belongs in this season's ultimate game. And each team will take the Rose Bowl field facing a great unknown.

"The first game of the season is a real unknown but usually you're playing someone that you've got a really good chance to beat," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "A bowl game, you're playing a good team. In the national championship you're playing a great team."

In the investment game, there's a saying that past performance does not guarantee future success. Ditto bowl games. TCU quarterback Andy Dalton had thrown five interceptions in his team's 12 victories; in the Fiesta Bowl, he threw three picks. And Houston quarterback Case Keenum threw six picks in the Cougars' bowl game after throwing nine in 13 previous games.

The Longhorns and the Crimson Tide last popped pads for real on Dec. 5 in their conference's championship games. Since then, awards have been presented and finals have been taken. Coaching staffs have studied the opponent to search for weaknesses and tendencies. Game plans have been designed. Each team practiced on campus and then traveled to Southern California where there have been more practices and more functions and probably too many news conferences.

"I think by the time you get to this point, the kids are tired of the talk. They just want to play," Brown said.

Brown and Nick Saban, his Alabama counterpart, have been down this championship road before. The Longhorns won the national title in 2005. LSU, coached by Saban, won the 2003 national title with a victory over Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. Both understand that handling the 32 days between a big game and The Big Game is crucial.

"How much do you hit, how much do you run," Brown said. "You have to go back and worry about ball security, you have restart your season. You've got a one-game season, three and a half hours to win a national championship. It's a difficult thing."

Two words are crucial to the process of winning a BCS national title: Motivation and execution. Playing for the national championship should provide plenty of motivation but each team is seeking any additional edge. Both Brown and Saban have turned to the Olympics for inspiration.

Former UT sprinter Sonya Richards spoke with the Longhorns last month. She related how she lost a 400 meter gold medal because she was too focused on the idea of winning that event and not on preparing to win it. She didn't hydrate and lost sleep before the race, which she lost in the final meters. Richards won gold in a relay race two days later because she returned to her training routine.

"We've told our players it's about the process it's not about the game," Brown said. "Trust the process."

Alabama last won a national championship in 1992. A year ago, the Crimson Tide lost to Florida in the SEC championship game and the Gators went on to win the national championship.

Saban wants to make sure that his players understand winning this year's SEC title game is one step short of the ultimate goal. To get his point across, he referenced the U.S. hockey team's "Miracle on Ice" gold medal in the 1980 Olympics.

"Probably one of the greatest victories of this century by any team was when they beat the Soviets," Saban said. "Do you know what people don't remember? That didn't win the gold medal (in that game); they had to win the next game against Finland to win the gold medal.

"(To beat the Soviets) they made a commitment and everybody had a single-minded purpose and I-won't-be-denied kind of attitude. And then they had to go play another game."

Motivation is part of preparation. Execution occurs during the game. Both teams have benchmarks that must be met.

Texas needs to shut down the Alabama running game, force quarterback Greg McElroy into passing situations and squeeze turnovers out of a team that has committed only 10 all season.

Alabama will try to limit the Longhorns' yards after catch on short passes, keep Texas from significant gains on first and second downs so that quarterback Colt McCoy will be under duress to make plays on third and long.

"We haven't played a complete game - offense, defense, special teams - yet," Brown said. "We understand we've got our hands full with another great defense. We're gonna have to play great. A friend of mine who's a great golfer told me we're gonna have to hit a lot of fairways and make a lot of putts."