ARLINGTON, Texas – Yes, Notre Dame took another big game beating. But do you know what? Just like everyone else.
Everyone except maybe Clemson or Ohio State – and whoever wins the College Football Playoff semifinal is better prepared for January 11th, or may be the next victim of the Alabama explosion. The Crimson Tide 2020 thresher can be so powerful that no one has a chance against it.
The first three possessions of this transplanted playoff game were a jaw-dropping display by the Alabama attack – this may have been a fake Rose Bowl, but Tide is real. They scored 21 points in 18 plays, tearing up Fighting Irish with lethal speed and precise execution. It was Najee Harris flying, DeVonta Smith running, Mac Jones giving out – and Notre Dame chasing. And never catching.
Final score: Alabama 31, Notre Dame 14. What seemed inevitable before the game became inevitable soon after the game started.
Najee Hariss’ big day included a fight against an Irish defender.
Kirby Lee / USA TODAY Sports
Alabama needed seven moves to reach 79 yards for its first touchdown, never facing a third down and only twice having a second down. His next possession was a 97-yard cut through the Irishman in just five moves, with Harris standing out against Notre Dame cornerback Nick McCloud in a 53-yard run. “That’s what he does regularly,” said Smith of Harris.
This move was emblematic of the talent gap between the two teams – the Crimson Tide flying at a higher plane than the Irish. Before the game completed 11 minutes, it was already 14-0 and was essentially over.
After their second possession, Notre Dame never had a chance to draw or take the lead again. Even after a long, slow run to score a touchdown, the Irish defense immediately yielded another tank destroyer. This was a speed mismatch outside and a talent mismatch in the quarterback.
“They made the moves today,” said Irish coach Brian Kelly. “They made them at the perimeter. The skill of the players appeared today, as well as the whole year. We just didn’t make enough moves ”.
Kelly was as irritated as a post-game wire brush when media inquiries alluded to Notre Dame’s repeated shortcomings in relation to elite competition. He had to know that the questions were coming, and he was ready to push hard on the first two.
“The margin is not the problem,” said Kelly. “To lose is to lose. I don’t really know what the inference is. This football team fought. And they made a few more moves on the perimeter. I’m not sure what the question is. When you lose football games, you know, there are a few more moves you need to make.
“We had the opportunity. You watched the game. I watched the game. … It was not a question of losing the ball or not having enough players to compete against Alabama. … And I’m sorry if you didn’t like it or if the national media didn’t like it, but let’s get back to work. We will continue recruiting and we will put ourselves back in this position. “
We all watched the game. And it was more than just a few moves here or there. Alabama has much better and faster players in playing positions. While Notre Dame barely tried to throw the ball to its pedestrian wide receivers, Jones was aiming for the best wideout in years and a lot of other sure-fire athletic freaks in the open.
“We thought we could go out and fight a little better,” said Kelly of the defensive game plan. “And it didn’t happen. (…) We were a little hesitant. We close our feet. And you can’t do that against highly qualified players. You have to be aggressive and attack the skilled players in space. If you hang up your feet for a second, they’ll be gone. “
This is what happens when the other team recruits at a higher level. Notre Dame players are good; Alabama players are better. This certainly includes the position of defender, where Ian Book had a very good career, but he had no chance to match the shots that Jones is capable of making.
And then this result, combined with being hit by 34–10 by Clemson in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game, definitely says that Notre Dame remains a cut below the best. But while killing the Irish may seem good for a large part of America, it also leaves out the big picture – whoever was fourth in the College Football Playoff ranking would be eliminated in this game.
Kevin Jairaj / USA TODAY Sports
The first team outside this field of four teams was Texas A&M, and the Aggies were eliminated by Alabama as well. His score: 52–24. Do you want to see a rematch of that?
Should Cincinnati be offended? Absolutely. The Bearcats deserved much more respect and consideration than they received from the selection committee and did well in the Peach Bowl, despite losing many of their most important players. But let’s face it, does anyone think Cincinnati wouldn’t be beaten by this Alabama team too?
Oklahoma? The Sooners improved a lot at the end of the season, but losing two games – one to a Kansas State team that finished 4–6 – eliminated them from serious consideration. And it should have.
The fact is that this remains a sport of three teams. This is a serious and chronic problem that has undermined part of the national interest – many programs have no legitimate hope of competing for a national title, or even for a playoff spot. The lack of diversity and depth creates boredom.
But in 2020, this can be a team sport. Alabama simply can be a cut above everyone else. The Tide will be solidly favored in the January 11 national championship game.
Between now and then, one of the Alabama players may well win the Heisman Trophy – Smith and Jones are two of the four finalists in the award, which will be handed out next Tuesday. A reporter asked them if they would set aside time in the next few days to work on acceptance speeches, and Jones gave an answer that warmed Saban’s overconcentrated soul.
“This is a matter of rat poison,” said Jones, echoing Saban’s term for media praise that can create complacency.
Jones went on to say that Alabama’s offensive goal is “to score one point more than the other team”. But honestly, it has never been closer to this group. The SEC championship was a six-point game against Florida, but the Gators never had a realistic chance of winning after losing to 18 at halftime. Bama’s average winning margin was 30 points from entering this game.
Thus, the Irish surpassed the average opponent of Alabama and also exceeded the expectations of punters. This was a spread of 20 points, the largest in the history of the CFP, and Notre Dame managed to score a late touchdown to cover that. Compared to many Irish Fighting flops in recent years, this was a better performance.
That doesn’t mean it was a competitive game, though. This was not a game situation here, there. This was Alabama being much better than Notre Dame, and now Tide is yet another undefeated national championship victory. Maybe they’ll finally have to sweat it out in the end – but maybe not.