Notre Dame football must try to contain Alabama’s three-headed monster
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team has a tough task ahead on New Year Day, as they will try and stop Alabama’s three-headed monster on offense.
The Notre Dame football team will take on the No. 1 team in the country next Friday, as they head to Texas to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Tide have made quick work of every one of their opponents this season but was given a scare against the Florida Gators in the SEC Championship Game.
Going into this matchup, the Irish are big underdogs, and many feel they should not even have been included in the College Football Playoff. The truth is, this is one of the top-four teams in the country no matter how you look at it, and they rightfully deserve to be one of the four teams vying for a national title.
To beat the Tide, the Irish are going to need to play their best game on the defensive side of the ball, as Alabama has the best three-headed monster on the offensive side of the ball in college football.
Beating teams on the ground and through the air
Alabama quarterback Mac Jones is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, as he has thrown 32 touchdowns against only four interceptions this season. He lost an elite target in Jaylen Waddle early in the season, but luckily for Jones, Nick Saban has a plethora of weapons in the passing game, including star wideout DeVonta Smith.
A first-round talent, Smith has caught more than half of Jones’ touchdown passes this season, hauling in 17, and giving him 31 over the past two seasons. He is as good as it gets in college football, but he is not the only elite weapon the Irish defense needs to be aware of next week.
Running back Najee Harris has rushed for over 1200 yards for the second straight season and has a video game number of touchdowns with 24. He can run over, or around defenders, and could give this Irish defense major headaches if the Tide gets the run game going.
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The key for Notre Dame will be making sure Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah can roam around and make plays all over the field. He is arguably the best pure linebacker in college football and will need to have the best game of his collegiate career if the Irish have any chance of winning this one.