It’s not uncommon to have a common opponent or two with a semi-final, but of course there is nothing common to this college football season.
The conference-only schedules and, yes, the fact that Notre Dame is not in a conference at all are proof enough of that. In the absence of the comparisons between apples and apples, film study becomes even more important in the construction of Alabama-Notre Dame in the Rose Bowl (played in Texas).
Several Irish players, coach Brian Kelly and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, gave their impressions of Alabama during interviews on Monday morning with video conferencing that led to the kick-off at 3pm on Friday in Arlington.
At least one comparison was made with a former common opponent who shared a style with the Crimson Tide achieving the best position. The fact that Notre Dame played in Georgia in 2017 and 2019 was not lost on Rees.
“There are some similarities,” the Notre Dame OC said. “It’s not the same defense. And if you go back and study what Alabama was like in the past, you’ll see a lot more similarities to what Georgia was like in ’17 to ’19. There is definitely some transfer. I’m not saying there is. But it’s funny you mentioned, because it’s kind of what I expected to go play, hey, it’s going to look a lot like Georgia. ”
That said, he noted that it would by no means be a mirror image. Notre Dame also lost both games with the Bulldogs, 20-19 in 2017 and 23-17 last fall. Quarterback Ian Book said he also sees similarities in how Alabama’s defense plays compared to that of Georgia.
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Clemson is another peer that both teams have seen in recent years. Alabama last faced the Tigers in the national title game to close out the 2018 season – an embarrassment of 44-16. The Irish faced Clemson twice this year with a 47-40 victory at home, followed by a 34-10 loss in the ACC title game.
Alabama likes it a little more. I do not want to say simple, but Clemson has some exotic schemes, ‘said Notre Dame receiver Ben Skowronek. So you never know what you’ll get for every third point. But obviously both have excellent players in defense. They have many future benefits for defense. The talent level is therefore quite similar to a Clemson team and an Alabama team. ‘
Kelly gave the basic reconnaissance report, saying they follow the Nick Saban model by building a large, physical defensive front with athletic lineouts. Patrick Surtain is “probably the best angle we’ve seen,” Kelly said.
Offensively, he called Alabama ‘electric’ and remarked that he earned a number of bushels and bushels of points. ‘The Irish play something different when they have the ball.
“So I think we are not committing the Princeton quadrilateral offense, but we are trying to run our offense, which has traditionally been a ball control,” Kelly said. “So it has to be in our minds, because we can not come into this game and change who we are, but the nicest part of it is that it was our DNA this year.”
Kelly also mentions the fact that Georgia and Ole Miss were able to run the ball on Alabama, and that they were two of the three teams that kept up with the Tide.
“We want to run the ball,” Kelly said. “We have to manage football. Based on who we are and how we operate this year, we will need to manage the ball more effectively than we played the previous time. ”
The Irish ran 30 times for 44 net yards against Clemson in the rematch in Charlotte. It was the lowest chase total of more than 100 meters for a ground match that is 20th in FBS.
Given Alabama’s average 49.7 points per game, does that place a burden on Notre Dame’s stormy attack?
“I do not think it is very busy,” said Kyren Williams. ‘We just play the game and stay true to who we are, as a transgression to complement our defense and give them more breathing space – more breathing space to make plays.
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The defensive speed in Alabama impressed Skowronek, the receiver. Surtain’s film stood out.
“I think it starts with his feet,” Skowronek said. “He has very good feet and can reflect routes. But if you combine that with his height and more athleticism, it will make him a prospect for the upcoming NFL draft. He has all the tangible things. I’m excited to go there on Friday and compete against him. ”
Rees, a rugby quarterback when Notre Dame lost to Alabama in 2012, said he sees a well-coached Alabama defense.
“They are structurally very healthy,” Rees said. “Their players play with an exceptionally high IQ and are able to adapt and perform checks if they look different, which is a sign of a well-coached team. Approach very well, as well as everyone we have played, which shows how attuned they are to the basics. Staff-wise, it’s probably starting for me (Surtain) just as good an angle as I’ve seen in college football every year, to be honest with you. We played them in ’12, and they had a great corner, Dee Milliner. ”
That Notre Dame team lost 42-14 in the BCS title game after entering the top rankings. The Irish are three points behind this time as the number 4 seeded in the play-offs with low outside expectations.
Williams, the fullback, said it was motivating.
“Not everyone in the world believes in us. And that’s good, because we do not want anyone but us to believe in us, ‘he said. “As long as we as a team and the coaching team, like everyone in the building, believe in us, we know what we can do. We will go there on Friday and do what we do best and play according to the Notre Dame football standards.
“It’s nothing new for us to be the underdog. We’re just going to keep proving to the world who we are. ”
Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or to Facebook.