Why Alabama Will Win The Rose Bowl Game
– Can Notre Dame handle the firepower? Even in the Trevor Lawrence-less win over Clemson back in early November, the Irish were hit for 439 passing yards from DJ Uiagalelei and needed overtime late to get by. The secondary hasn’t faced a whole lot of big passing teams, but it allowed over 200 yards through the air six times and over 300 in both games against Clemson.
If it was easy as covering DeVonta Smith, everyone would’ve done it – he has 98 catches for 1,511 yards and 17 touchdowns in just 11 games. The Irish secondary couldn’t handle the Clemson receivers, and now it has to deal with Smith, John Metchie, and the other parts of the passing game puzzle. And then there’s …
– Najee Harris. QB Mac Jones and Smith are the Heisman finalists, but Harris is the unsung – at least by the Heisman types – main man who makes this thing go. It’s not as exciting to pound for yards as it is to hit Smith with a 65-yard touchdown pass, but it all gets set up by the ground game from the veteran who averages close to six yards per carry and scored 24 times.
The Irish run D has been great all year, and then it gave up well over 200 rushing yards against Syracuse and Clemson to close things out.
– There can’t be even a blip when dealing with the nation’s most efficient passing game and most dangerous offense, and Notre Dame isn’t going to be air-tight. Part of Bama’s maddening consistency includes its mistakes. You know it’ll get hit with a six penalties, because that’s what it does, and you know it’ll then the ball over once, because that what it did in all 11 games this season. One. One turnover in each game.
On the other side, the defense has been great at forcing mistakes with two or more takeaways seven times. The Irish don’t have a giveaway problem, but if they’re not at least +2 in turnover margin, uh oh.