It is not uncommon to have one or two opponents in common with an opponent in the semifinals, but of course, there is nothing common about this college football season.
Conference only times and, well, the fact that Notre Dame is at a conference is proof of that. In the absence of these identical comparisons, the study of the film becomes even more crucial 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 the Monday morning videoconference interviews that preceded Saturday’s 3 pm start in Arlington.
There was at least one comparison made with a common ex-opponent who shared a style with Crimson Tide, who is at the top of the ranking. The fact that Notre Dame played in Georgia in 2017 and 2019 was not lost on Rees.
“There are some similarities,” said Notre Dame OC. “It is not the same defense. And if you go back and obviously study what Alabama was like in the past, you will see a lot more similarities to what Georgia was in 17 to 19. There is certainly some remnant. I’m not saying no. But it’s funny that you mentioned that, because when you get into the game, that’s what I predicted was, hey, it’s going to look a lot like Georgia. “
That said, he realized that it would not be a mirror image at all. In addition, Notre Dame lost both games with the Bulldogs, 20-19 in 2017 and 23-17 last fall. Quarterback Ian Book said he also sees similarities in the way Alabama’s defense plays compared to Georgia’s.
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Clemson is another pair that both teams have seen in recent years. Alabama faced the Tigers for the last time in the national title game to close the 2018 season – an embarrassing 44-16 defeat. The Irishman faced Clemson twice this year with a 47-40 overtime victory at home, followed by a 34-10 defeat in the ACC title game.
“Alabama keeps a little more, I don’t mean simple, but Clemson has some pretty exotic schemes,” said Notre Dame recipient Ben Skowronek. “So, you never know what you’re going to get every third of the fall. But obviously both have great players in defense. They have many future defense professionals. Therefore, the level of talent is quite similar between a Clemson team and an Alabama team. “
Presenting the basic Scouting report, Kelly said that they follow Nick Saban’s model in building a great physical defense front with athletic linebackers. Patrick Surtain is “probably the best song we’ve seen,” said Kelly.
Offensively, he called Alabama “electric” and noted that “earns many bushels of points”. The Irish play a little differently when they have the ball.
“So I think we are not executing the Princeton four-corner attack, but trying to execute our attack, which has traditionally been a ball control attack,” said Kelly. “So it still has to be on our mind in terms of not being able to get into this game and change who we are, but the good thing about it is that that was our DNA this year.”
Kelly also mentioned the fact that Georgia and Ole Miss managed to run the ball in Alabama and it was two of the three teams that followed Tide.
“We want to run with the ball,” said Kelly. “We need to manage football. Based on who we are and how we performed this year, we will have to run the ball more efficiently than the last time we played. “
The Irishman ran 30 times for 44 net yards against Clemson in the Charlotte rematch. This was the smallest run total in over 100 yards for a ground game that is in 20th place on FBS.
Considering Alabama’s average of 49.7 points per game, does this weigh on Notre Dame’s onslaught?
“I don’t think it’s a lot of pressure,” said running back Kyren Williams. “We just play the game and stay true to who we are, so that we can complement our defense and give them more breathing space – more breathing space to make moves.
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Alabama’s defensive speed impressed Skowronek, the receiver. Surtain’s film stood out.
“I think it starts with the feet,” said Skowronek. “He has very good feet, capable of mirroring routes. But when you combine that with your length and athleticism, it will make you a cornerback prospect for the next NFL draft. He has all the tangibles. I’m excited to go there on Friday and compete against him. “
Rees, a reserve quarterback when Notre Dame lost to Alabama in 2012, said he sees a well-trained Alabama defense.
“They are structurally very solid,” said Rees. “Your players play with an extremely high IQ and are able to adjust and check when you give them different looks, which is a sign of a well-trained team. Face it very well, just like anyone we’ve ever played, which shows how tuned the fundamentals are. Personally, for me, it starts with (Surtain) probably as good a song as I’ve seen in college football in any year, to be honest with you. We played with them in 12, and they did a really good corner, Dee Milliner. “
This Notre Dame team lost 42-14 in the BCS title game after joining as the best ranked team. The Irishman is a three-point underdog this time as the No. 4 seed in the playoffs with low external expectations.
Williams, the running back, said this is motivating.
“Not everyone believes in us. And it’s okay because we don’t want anyone to believe us but us, ”he said. “As long as we have a team and a technical committee, like, like, everyone in the building believes in us, we know what we can do. We will go there on Friday and do what we do best and play according to Notre Dame football standards.
“Being the underdog is nothing new for us. Let’s just continue to prove to the world who we are. “
Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or in Facebook.