BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Five days from now, teams representing the University of Alabama and the University of Notre Dame butt helmets in the

in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Over each of the remaining days leading up to Monday night’s epic showdown, though, we hope to decide how the two institutions of higher education compare not on the football field, but in the arena of popular culture.

Each program has been celebrated in books and movies, and each school has its share of famous alums and former students who have gone on to become TV stars, best-selling authors and Super Bowl heroes.

So, in the spirit of the BCS, we proudly present the Alabama-Notre Dame Pop Culture Championship. And we want you to pick the winner.

We kick things off today in the category of Famous Movie Characters.

Competing for the Crimson Tide is Forrest Gump, the slow-witted but fleet-footed idiot savant (portrayed by Tom Hanks) whose shifty football moves caught the eye of the legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant and earned him All-American honors in the Oscar-winning 1994 film "Forrest Gump." Not incidentally, the movie is based on the same-name novel by UA graduate Winston Groom.

Lining up for the Fighting Irish is Rudy Ruettiger, the undersized overachiever (played by Sean Astin) who walked on to the Notre Dame football team and lived out a fantasy when he got to run through the tunnel and play for the blue and gold. His impossible-dream story was immortalized in the inspirational 1993 film "Rudy."

The obvious difference here is that Rudy is real and Forrest is fictional, but let’s not quibble over minor details.

Which is your favorite character? Who best represents his respective university, and, with the clock running down and the game on the line, who would you rather have on your side?

Cast your vote for Forrest or Rudy here. If you need a refresher course, check out the "Forrest Gump" and "Rudy" movie clips below.

And if you are so inclined, be sure to include your comments.

The Alabama-Notre Dame Pop Culture Championship continues through Sunday. On Monday, BCS Championship Game day, we will recap the winners in each of the five rounds.

Coming Thursday: Alabama alum Jim Nabors of "The Andy Griffith Show" and Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C." takes on Notre Dame dropout George Wendt of "Cheers" in the Battle of the TV Sitcom Stars.

Email Bob Carlton at bcarlton@al.com