Brian Kelly says his Notre Dame coaching position is a ‘dream job.’
 Mandatory Credit: Paul Sakuma

I grew sick to my stomach hearing everyone saying “If Notre Dame is going to have a chance, Everett Golson has to play a near perfect game”…The disturbingly ironic thing about that statement, is that he did. What nobody predicted, was the Irish defense getting shredded from the opening drive.

The missed tackles were surprising, but what threw me off even more was the desperation and lack of communication that was prevalent from the beginning. On Alabama’s first drive they predictably opened with a run, and then went play action on 2nd down with Mccarron hitting Norwood for a big gain and a first down. What worried me immediately about that play is that it was clear, early on, that the Irish were scared of Bama’s ability to run. Practically the entire secondary bit on the play-action, leaving Kenny Norwood wide open. If the Tide had hit the Irish 4 or 5 times in a row, I can see being a little jumpy to stop the run and getting beat, but it was the second play of the game. Alabama has been getting chunk yardage in the passing game off play-action all season, it’s what they do, and it seemed like the Irish weren’t ready for it. Several times Mccarron had receiver’s wide open from biting on play-action or miscommunications in the secondary. While it seemed as though there were guys in place to make plays, they also seemed overwhelmed.

At the end of the day, the Irish just got a good old fashioned beat down.

Besides Brent Musburger fantasizing about AJ Mcarrons girlfriend, what kept me interested was the play of Everett Golson.

The play calling was curious. Golson was poised and in control for the most part throughout the game; making good decisions. The one play in which Clinton-Dix made picked Golson off, Everett was a little hand-cuffed by the situation and was simply trying to make a play. It was great seeing Golson direct traffic while rolling out of the pocket and throwing with accuracy on the run. This should give Irish fans a ton of confidence going into 2013.

What I and many others thought was a solid head coach that would be around for a while has reportedly interviewed with the Philadelphia Eagles, according to Chris Mortensen. In this day and age, I guess we shouldn’t be surprised. It’s disappointing after a season like this when the development of the program to national prominence seems to be taking shape. Why would Kelly be looking to leave after such a great run in 2012? His play calling from the beginning was odd. On 3rd and 2, on the first drive of the game, Kelly calls what was basically a jump ball to Eifert on the sideline against one of the best cover corners in the country. That’s a desperate play call down just 7 in the 1st quarter; was his head elsewhere? Looks like we’re going to find out shortly.

Jamaal Williams (21) of BYU rocked by Stephon Tuitt, Louis Nix III and Manti Teo in the Fighting Irish 17-14 win over the Cougars on Oct. 20.(Photo: Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images)

The key to the Irish winning this game is to slow the running game of Alabama, which few teams have been successful doing this season. If there is one team capable of doing it, it’s Notre Dame, and here’s why.

Alabama’s offensive line is the best in the nation, even with an injured Barrett Jones (expected to play). Much of the success the Tide has had on the ground this year is because of this massive lines ability to knock opposing d-linemen off the ball and get to the 2nd level. When they can do this to a defense, it makes life easier for the powerful Eddy Lacy and elusive TJ Yeldon, leading to results like the 350yds rushing they had against Georgia. Don’t forget, the Bulldogs had Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogletree (heading to the NFL) and Bama still managed to gash the dogs on the ground.

There is no doubt that if the Irish want this game, Golson and the Irish offense will have to make a play or two, but the same holds true for AJ Mcarron and the Bama offense. This will come down to the Irish D-lines ability to handle the push from Barrett Jones, Cyrus Kouandjio, Chance Warmack, Anthony Steen and DJ Fluker.

It all starts with the matchup between NT Louis Nix III and center Barrett Jones. I would pay good money to see these two face-off for a little “Bull In The Ring” and that’s basically what its going to look like for much of the game. Jones gives up about 24lbs to Nix and will surely have his hands full. Nix ability to clog the middle gaps will play a vital role in Te’o and the rest of the Irish LB’s being able to slow Lacy and Yeldon.

On the outside, Kouandjio and Fluker present their own set of issues. DJ Fluker is 6-6 and 335lbs and is about as athletic as possible at that size; Kouandjio is a little less huge at 6-6, 311lbs. The Irish defensive ends aren’t exactly undersized themselves however, with both going well over 6ft and about 305lbs. Both Tuitt and Lewis-Moore present a tough matchup for Fluker and Kouandjio and with Diaco moving them around, it will be tough for the Tide to get a beat on either guy. With Tuitt’s versatility, he can also be moved into the d-tackle position when Prince Shembo puts creeps up to the line of scrimmage. The combination of size, speed and strength the Irish bring up front should keep the Bama offensive line occupied long enough to allow the rest of the Irish defense to fly to the ball like they have all season.

Slowing the run game may force Bama to commit to the pass a little more than they might like too, and this could be where the game is won. The top 3 sack leaders for Alabama are all linebackers and it’s well documented that they don’t have a true pass rusher. Notre Dame does with Stephon Tuitt and his 12.5 sacks. If both defenses are able to slow the run game, the Irish have the advantage because of their ability to rush the quarterback, allowing their linebackers to drop into pass coverage. Neither secondary is stellar, but there is reason to have faith in the young secondary for the Irish and they will have plenty of help if ND can get pressure without blitzing too often.

Pressure on AJ McArron would disrupt timing in the passing game and could force a couple turnovers. Alabama has only thrown 3 interceptions all season, but 2 of them came in a loss to Texas A&M and the other in a nail biter against LSU. The Irish have 16 interceptions on the season and many of these can be credited to their ability to rush the passer.

At the end of the day, this game will come down to the offensive and defensive lines for both teams. If you thought the Stanford game was physical, you haven’t seen anything yet. Outside of the Florida Gators; Notre Dame and Alabama are two of the most physical teams in the country. Watching the best front seven in college football take on the best O-line will be fun. When it’s all said and done, however, the Irish have the edge because a great front seven almost always beats a great offensive line…right? GO IRISH!

SOUTH BEND, IN – OCTOBER 13: T.J. Jones #7 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish catches the game-winning touchdown pass in overtime in front of Terrence Brown #6 of the Standford Cardinal at Notre Dame Stadium on October 13, 2012 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated Stanford 20-13 in overtime. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) Photo: Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images / SF

Going into the 2012 season, it was apparent the Irish needed another option through the air to go along with Tyler Eifert. All-American receiver, Michael Floyd left for the NFL draft and so did his 1147 yards receiving, and with the expectation of first time starter, Everett Golson behind center, someone had to step up.

Jones is no stranger to playing in the shadows of a future first round draft pick. In his sophomore season, Michael Floyd was the primary target for Tommy Rees, and this season, Eifert was the guy everyone was talking about. While the Irish passing game wasn’t exactly dynamic, Jones still managed to significantly improve upon his 2011 numbers, becoming a staple of the offense this season.

Jones and his 559 receiving yards (366 in 2011) were good for 2nd on the team, right behind the all-American tight end (Eifert). With 43 receptions, Jones finished his junior year just 1 reception from behind Eifert for the top spot. Jones only added 5 receptions to his 2011 total, however, his yards per catch jumped from 9.6 to 13, adding 193yds to his season total.

Jones athleticism is the biggest reason he was able to add nearly 200yds from the previous year. He’s a quick, shifty athlete who is able to make plays in the open field after the catch. Jones is also a great route runner. Eifert and Jones being able to run quick, crisp routes will be important as Kelly will be looking to get Golson going early with some quick, easy throws. Alabama is not known for their pass rush, their top 3 sack leaders are all linebackers; this shows they get pressure from blitz packages. If Bama has to blitz linebackers to get pressure, this could leave holes in the first level of the Tide secondary, giving a guy like TJ Jones a little room to make a play or two in the open field.

Eifert is clearly the star of the Irish receiving core, but sometimes it’s the unassuming co-star that makes the biggest splash. I expect TJ to have a big game as Alabama’s secondary isn’t what it has been in the past. If “The Rock” can hold down the Bama d-linemen and force Kirby Smart (Alabama’s D-Coordinator) to blitz, TJ might have a little day light from the slot and steal the show. GO IRISH!