Alabama vs. Notre Dame
Let’s be clear: The difference is in the dudes. The Tide simply have more elite players and dynamic athletes than the Irish.
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly believes the talent gap has shrunk since the Irish lost 42-14 to Alabama in the 2013 BCS championship game. He is right. But is it enough to dramatically change the outcome eight years later?
A way to bridge the chasm could start with Notre Dame’s tight ends.
Freshman Michael Mayer is likely a future first-round draft pick and Tommy Tremble is a versatile athlete who lines up at several positions. The Irish will also use three tight ends at times.
It’s not so much that the tight ends can dominate the game with their pass-catching and playmaking. Cubelic said Notre Dame can use them in varying formations and motions to make it difficult for Alabama to identify who is doing what.
“The way you’re going to have success against (the Tide) is basically to not sit still and to get them to line up incorrectly,” said Cubelic, who played offensive line at Auburn.
The Irish offensive line is excellent and should hold up just fine against Alabama’s defensive front, which could give Notre Dame the opportunity to run the ball, milk some clock, let quarterback Ian Book make plays with his legs and limit total possessions.
That’s important, because on the other side of the ball, nobody is slamming the brakes on Mac Jones, DeVonta Smith, Najee Harris and a Tide offense that averages almost 8 yards per play.
The Irish need to find a few stops to have a chance. Cubelic and McElroy disagree on the best way to go about getting them.
Cubelic said Notre Dame should take Arkansas’ approach, drop seven or eight into coverage, focus on taking away the deep throws and force the Tide to be patient. Of course, the Razorbacks lost 52-3, but Jones averaged only 8.7 yards per pass. On the season, he was up over 11.
McElroy said Notre Dame defensive coordinator Clark Lea should throw every pressure he has at Alabama.
“I think the best way for them to neutralize the throw game is to overload pressure and force the ball out of Mac Jones’ hand earlier than he would like it to be forced out,” said McElroy, a former Alabama quarterback.