So far, Notre Dame has been able to prevent the complete annihilation many said Alabama would deal it. But with this being the Rose Bowl and College Football Playoff Semifinal, moral victories don’t count for much. The actual winner of this game gets to play for the whole thing, and that’s all that matters. That being the case, the Irish will have to figure out how to erase their 28-7 after three quarters quickly.
When the Tide took the ball to begin the second half, many expected them to play similar to how they came out in the first quarter. Surprisingly, they ended up punting for the second straight possession, only getting as far as the Notre Dame 37-yard line. That gave the Irish a chance to eat the clock en route to a key touchdown drive. Instead, Ian Book threw a rare interception to Christian Harris while still in Irish territory.
Alabama only was too pleased to take advantage of a short field. They overcame a holding call, the first penalty for either team, and found themselves with a first-and-goal at the 7-yard line. Mac Jones only needed one more play to hit DeVonta Smith for his third touchdown of the game. Those two are not Heisman Trophy finalists for nothing.
The Irish’s comeback chances took a major hit on their next drive. Book was sacked by the 6-foot-5, 310-pound Christian Barmore for a 14-yard loss. Worse yet, he was injured on the play. With their starting quarterback headed to the medical tent, the Irish were forced to turn to Drew Pyne, who surely did not want to have to enter the game in this situation.