Alabama Football: 5 bold predictions for CFP semifinal
By Dakota Cox
What can Alabama football expect against Notre Dame?
The College Football Playoff is on the horizon, and Alabama football is preparing to play against Notre Dame in the Rose Bowl. The Crimson Tide are heavily favored to win in Arlington, but we will have to wait to see how the game plays out.
Predicting that the Tide will make it to the national championship is far from a hot take. Alabama has the best offense in college football and two Heisman finalists. Their offensive line is up for the Joe Moore Award, and the defense has looked better as the season has progressed.
Because of this, let’s stick with bold predictions for the Rose Bowl. We’ll start with Notre Dame’s running game.
5. Kyren Williams will be the only thing that hurts the Tide
Williams is a hidden gem at running back. In all of Notre Dame’s best games, he has thrived in both the running and passing game. He is an all-around back who will see the field on every down. Because of this, he is the only true threat to the Tide defense.
Alabama has a history of mistakes when it comes to stopping the running back. Whether it is miscommunication or a bad play, running backs seem to get open more often than they have in the past. Georgia effectively used them against Alabama football, and other teams have tried to use that template. Notre Dame will try to use Williams in a variety of ways to break down Alabama’s defense.
Will it work? While it won’t lead to a Notre Dame victory, they will likely see their best plays run through Kyren Williams. He is the only offensive weapon that truly scares me.