Put two title-winning competitors on the same field and at some point, differences in the heat of battle are bound bubble over.

Former Alabama great AJ McCarron, for the first time, detailed what started a heated confrontation with All-American teammate Barrett Jones in the final moments of the Crimson Tide's 2012 national title game win over Notre Dame that surprised commentators when TV cameras panned to the Alabama huddle.

One snap away from a championship and leading 42-14 against the unbeaten Irish, the two teammates began jawing back and forth, leading to a shove from Jones.

“We had known for weeks that Notre Dame likes to stem or move their defensive line at the last second to make you have to call a timeout or be confused,” McCarron said Saturday at a youth camp in Mobile, Ala. according to AL.com. “So we decided in practice that once I called out the mike (middle linebacker) we were not going to change it no matter if they shifted or not. In the first quarter, I called out the mike and Barrett changed it at the last second. I told him not to do that.

"The same thing happened in the third quarter and I told him again. Then, in the fourth quarter and we were winning big he did it again and I had to call a timeout with one second left. But the ref still called me for a delay of game penalty which made me even more mad. I said some things that I wouldn’t say here today. That’s when Barrett pushed me and screamed “stop cursing me!”

The confrontation was quickly forgotten as McCarron jumped in the arms of one of the program's greatest blockers of all-time after the ensuing snap, celebrating Alabama's third national title in four years and second straight.

“Everyone is freaking out about that,” Jones said after the game. “We were trying to bleed the clock a little bit. So, we got up to the line of scrimmage and there wasn’t much time left on the (play) clock. I had to recall (the blocking assignment), and he got a little bit frustrated and went to the nearest person, which happened to be me. It was no big deal. That’s how our relationship is. We’ve gotten in several group altercations like that in practice.”

At the time, Saban said the skirmish between two of his captains can be expected between competitors.

“That’s just AJ,” Saban said. “That’s the kind of relationship I have with him, too. AJ is a leader, a competitor. He’s a fiery guy. He lets his personality come out, and I think people respect that. I don’t think he does it in a negative way, and I think there’s probably nobody in the world that respects Barrett Jones and what he’s accomplished more than AJ does.”