Notre Dame and Alabama have met a total of six times, with Notre Dame winning five of those meetings. Despite being ranked No. 2, Alabama will be the favorite to win this game. But as we have seen over the years, being the favorite does not always ensure victory.
Notre Dame went 12-0 this past season with significant wins over Michigan, Michigan State, Stanford, Oklahoma and what was left of USC. I have heard so much disrespect about Notre Dame all season, but I’m here to tell you the Fighting Irish is legit and will not be a pushover in this game.
Many people say the Irish will not be able to move the ball on Alabama’s defense, and that is a fair assessment. Bama was second in the nation in defense, only allowing an average of 10.7 points per game on the season.
But people need to realize Bama is not going to just run rugged on Notre Dame. Only one team was better defensively than the Tide on the year, and that team was Notre Dame. The Irish only allowed 10.3 points per game and have a great defense in its own right. The Fighting Irish is led by Heisman candidate Manti Te’o, who I believe is the best defensive player in the nation.
For Notre Dame to win this game, here are some things it must do. First, the Irish D-line has to win the line of scrimmage battle against Bama’s O-line.
Second, the Irish must win the turnover battle. On paper, Alabama is a better team than Notre Dame, and to win this game, the Fighting Irish players cannot beat themselves.
Notre Dame must also force turnovers. The Irish most likely will not be able to score very many points on Bama, so forcing some turnovers, getting extra possessions and shortening the field will help the offense tremendously.
Thirdly, Notre Dame must pressure A.J. McCarron. McCarron leads the nation in passer rating and has been the most efficient QB in college football all year. He’s only thrown three interceptions and has made very few mistakes all year.
If you let him sit back and have all day to throw, he can pick you apart. But as Georgia showed in the SEC Championship game, if you successfully put pressure on him, you can rattle him and force him to make mistakes.
For Alabama to win, the Tide must first stuff Notre Dame’s running attack early and force the Irish offense to become one dimensional. Everett Golson is a young QB, and if Bama forces the Irish to throw more, the odds go up Golson will make mistakes.
Secondly, Bama must throw the ball effectively. Notre Dame possesses a great defense, but it is most vulnerable in the secondary. If Bama can throw the ball down the field with success, it can loosen up the Notre Dame defense, making the run easier.
That was the approach the Tide used last year in the title game, and it really took the LSU defense by surprise.
Thirdly, Alabama must remain disciplined and contain Golson. Alabama has only lost three games the past three seasons, and those losses have one thing in common: the opposing team had a mobile QB.
Ultimately, I believe Alabama is going to win this game. Offensively, the Tide is going to be able to attack the Notre Dame secondary. Also, Bama will be able to run more effectively than other teams Notre Dame has played.
Bama’s O-line does a great job of getting to the second level, and those guys will be able to use combo blocks to neutralize Notre Dame’s talented D-Line and then get up to their LBs and disrupt their pursuit.
Defensively, I think Bama will stop Notre Dame’s run game and force the Irish to throw, and I believe Golson will make mistakes and throw a couple of interceptions that will ultimately be the Irish undoing. I predict Alabama winning 20-13.