Rose Bowl, Alabama vs Notre Dame: Key matchups, odds, predictions

What to watch for in the College Football Playoff when the Alabama Crimson Tide take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Rose Bowl.

From the uncertainty of not having a college football season to the usual and unusual craziness of the season that took place, we have finally made it to the College Football Playoff. And in the first of two semifinal games, the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide take on the No. 4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Rose Bowl, which will be played at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, not the traditional venue.

There is no argument against Alabama. They are the clear-cut No. 1 team heading into the playoff and have been playing at a historically good level of football in 2020. The Irish on the other hand, have many thinking they don’t belong, in particular, those who yell at midnight and like to give a thumbs up even when things are terribly wrong. Nonetheless, Notre Dame is in, the Aggies are not and that is that.

The general consensus heading into this matchup is that the Crimson Tide will dominant the Irish on both sides of the ball and will have a similar outcome in these two teams’ most recent head-to-head result, which was in 2013 when Alabama beat Notre Dame 42-13 in the BCS Championship game. But head coach Brian Kelly believes that the Irish have come along way since then and deserve to be in the talks of the best programs in today’s college football world.

So, do the Irish have what it takes to keep up and take down the Crimson Tide? Or will Alabama continue to show their dominance and coast their way into the National Championship Game?

How to watch and bet on the Rose Bowl between Alabama and Notre Dame

• Date: Friday, Jan. 1
• Start Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
• Location: Arlington, Texas
• Stadium: AT&T Stadium
• TV Info: ESPN
• Odds: Alabama -19.5, O/U 65.5
• Live Stream: WatchESPN

Rose Bowl key matchups

Alabama defensive line vs. Notre Dame offensive line

The Notre Dame offensive line has one of the best in all of college football this season. They have allowed only 24 sacks this season and are the leading force to their rushing attack averaging over five yards per carry. Alabama’s defensive line is good and has been one of the best in the country when it comes to getting to the quarterback and stopping the run. If the Irish want a chance in this game, they will need to win their offensive battle in the trenches which will break out their run game and allow Ian Book to have extra time to extend plays to push the ball down the field.

Alabama triplets vs Notre Dame defense

Alabama might have the best offensive trio in the history of college football. Mac Jones, Najee Harris, and DeVonta Smith have put up numbers that can only be described as crazy-stupid seeing the fact that all three players are on the same team. This three-headed monster and the rest of the Alabama offense averages nearly eight yards a play and is going to be daring the Irish to pick their poison. Notre Dame will need to eliminate the big plays. How? In defending the run, their linebackers need to hit the gaps quickly and beat the runningbacks on the edge as well. For stopping the air attack, they need to get pressure on Jones and force him to get rid of it early.

Prediction: I believe Notre Dame can make this a game and even win it, but they would have to play perfectly in every aspect of the game. That said, I do not see them outperforming the Crimson Tide on any side of the ball, especially when it comes to defending the Alabama offense. Book will have to have the best game of his life and match every punch the Tide throw. Unfortunately, the Tide’s punches are too many to overcome and the Irish get sent home as Alabama gets back into the National Championship Game.

Score: Alabama 48, Notre Dame 27

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion, and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.