We’ve been waiting well over a month, but it’s finally here! Will it be worth the wait?
8:30 p.m. EST, Jan. 7
From: Miami, FL
On: ESPN
When Alabama Has The Ball: Quarterback A.J. McCarron has thrown 26 touchdowns this season and a mere three interceptions. Because defenses have to be ready to stop two quality running backs, McCarron is often able to get his receivers in one-on-one coverage downfield and hit them accurately. The depth Nick Saban has stockpiled at the skill positions- ok, at every position- is just ridiculous. Amari Cooper is by far the leading wideout, with 895 yards and nine touchdowns, but three others have at least 300 yards and either three or four touchdowns, and running backs Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon each have over 100 yards and a receiving touchdown. They also each have 1,000 yards rushing, to go along with 16 touchdowns for Lacy and 11 for Yeldon. The offensive line is a huge strength for the Tide- literally. Barrett Jones, Chance Warmack, and D.J. Fluker in particular are among the best in the country. If any line can keep linebacker Manti Te’o from wreaking havoc, it’s this unit.
Notre Dame’s run defense is excellent- they allow under 100 yards per game on average, and have conceded just TWO rushing touchdowns all year. Goal line stands to preserve wins vs Stanford and USC really show the strength of this front seven. However, they haven’t faced a tandem like Lacy and Yeldon, simply because no one else has a tandem quite like Lacy and Yeldon. The Irish pass rush is solid, with 34 sacks; Defensive End Stephon Tuitt leads the team with 12. Te’o leads the team with seven of the Irish’s 16 intercptions. The young secondary may be vulnerable against a powerhouse like Alabama, but the rest of the defense has been strong enough to mitigate that to this point in the season.
When Notre Dame Has The Ball: Everett Golson didn’t exactly set the world on fire early, but he’s made steady progress since September. He’s thrown 11 touchdowns, five interceptions, and for 2,135 yards. The Irish spread the ball around nicely, with 11 different players on the roster having at least one rushing or receiving touchdown. Tight end Tyler Eifert and wide receiver T.J. Jones lead the receiving corps with four apiece, and running backs Theo Riddick and George Atkinson III each have five rushing, as does Golson. You also cannot overlook the running game contribution that Cierre Wood provides. Riddick is also used to catch short passes out of the backfield. The 6’5”, 251-lb. Eifert is likely to be the toughest for Alabama to cover due to his size advantage over most defensive backs. Like the Tide, the Irish have a talented and experienced group of players on the offensive line.
Like Notre Dame, Alabama’s defense has been excellent against the run, limiting opponents to just under 80 yards per game rushing, and 2.5 yards per carry. However, they haven’t faced an offense with three starting-caliber running backs like Theo Riddick, Cierre Wood, and George Atkinson III, plus a mobile quarterback like Golson. C.J. Mosley is a stud Linebacker, and 320-lb. Jesse Williams is an immovable object at the nose guard spot. As a whole, the defense is giving up an average of 10.7 points per game, good for 2nd in the country, and has a respectable 33 sacks. It’s the run defense that should concern Notre Dame, though. Golson hasn’t been in a game remotely like this one, and he’s only a sophomore- if the Tide can force the Irish into repeated third-and-long situations, will he be able to handle it?
Prediction: This is a game between two teams that are similar to each other in a lot of ways. I expect it to be reasonably close, but ultimately I like Alabama simply due to their greater level of experience in big games. Alabama 20, Notre Dame 17.
