Happy Monday, everyone. As you know, Alabama is slated to face Notre Dame on New Year’s Day. Vegas consensus has installed the Tide as three touchdown favorites, while Clemson is favored by 7.5 over Ohio State in the other semifinal.
ESPN wasted no time putting out its initial preview.
Matchup to watch: Alabama’s rush defense vs. Notre Dame’s running game. Since being gashed by Ole Miss for 268 rushing yards and 647 yards of offense in a 63-48 victory on Oct. 10, Alabama’s defense had played pretty well, at least until it faced Florida’s high-flying offense in the SEC championship game.