(Photo: Clutchpoints)
College Football Playoff- Semifinals
(7) Notre Dame Fighting Irish at (6) Penn State Nittany Lions
Notre Dame: Their game against the Georgia Bulldogs was the one I was looking forward to the most. It was a battle of two blue bloods in the sport and a trip to the round of four was on the line. I know entering the game, the Bulldogs would be without Carson Beck who injured his elbow and they were turning to Gunner Stockton. The goal was simple: bottle up the run and dare the second-string Quarterback to beat you and they did just that! One thing Georgia prides itself on is running the football and they were taken out of their element. The same dominance they used against the Indiana Hoosiers in the first round is exactly what I saw in New Orleans last week, but they amped up their efforts. I just saw a Notre Dame team that proved to be more man than their opponent and they showed it more than they said it. I loved how they dominated that game from the first quarter until the last and anytime Georgia moved the football down the field on them and got into the red zone, that’s when you saw the Irish become more stout. After a ranked team loses a football game, they always call for the coach’s job and I’d love to know where those people are who were calling for Marcus Freeman to be fired, I wonder how much they have to say now. They have been rolling and this is the best I’ve seen them look in quite some time. Though the offense has been limited, they’re still controlling things and they are punishing the opponent with defense. Tonight, they will look to punch their tickets to Atlanta.
Penn State: I guess you can say they’ve had an easy path to where they are now, but is anything ever easy in this sport? In their opening round game against the SMU Mustangs, their defense set the tone with two pick-sixes and played ahead throughout that game and in the Fiesta Bowl against the Boise State Broncos, As the case has been all year long, they’ve had some hiccups and I noticed that in the win in the second round as they allowed Boise to hang around after getting off to such a quick start again. Drew Allar only completed 13 of his 25 pass attempts and quite frankly, they don’t need him to win football games which is why the running game is so important for the Penn State Nittany Lions as Kaytron Allen ran for 134 yards. Nicholas Singleton added 87 yards rushing. This offense is built around three guys which are the two Running Backs and the stud Tight End, Tyler Warren and by now, I think you all know the rule by now, you better have game if you have two first names. They have also been very stingy on the defensive side of the football. I know James Franklin has received his share of criticisms over the years, but look where he is now. It’s a game away from playing in the National Championship game. He will look to get his team there tonight when they face the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.
Notre Dame X-Factor: Xavier Watts– Many football players today have the background of playing one position in the sport and converting to another. We can add Xavier Watts to that list as he was once a Wide Receiver and is now playing Safety. Xavier uses his instincts from his receiver days to his Safety playing today as he still travels with the football and can make a play whether it’s deflecting the football away or coming away with the interception. On a Notre Dame defense with playmakers across the board, Xavier is one of those guys who can do just about everything from defending the pass to playing the run and in the box. He truly has a nose for the football.
Penn State X-Factor: Kaytron Allen– With Nicholas Singleton, they have formed the best duo of Running Backs in the country. Both have rushed for over 1,000 yards this season. Kaytron is such a complete back as he can run the ball outside or inside of the tackles and he can also catch the ball out of the backfield, in other words, he’s also another receiver for Drew Allar to check the ball down to when his other options are locked down. He may not have the speed of Singleton, but he can bruise his way through traffic and wear down a defensive front when opportunities present themselves. Kaytron is the power while Nicholas is the speed guy.
Final Thoughts: The College Football Playoff resumes tonight! These two haven’t played one another since 2007 and this will be the 20th meeting between these two programs. James Franklin and Marcus Freeman have both received their share of criticisms, but one of these men will lead their team to Atlanta for the natty on January 20th. This is going to be a very hard-hitting and physical football game as both of these teams are two of the hardest-hitting units in America. For Penn State, will Abdul Carter play? This is the guy that makes everything go. It’s key for the Nittany Lions to bottle up the running game of Notre Dame and contain Riley Leonard. I have to give Penn State credit because they did an okay job of containing Ashton Jeanty and if they can replicate that success, it could be a long night for the Irish. Also, Allen and Singleton must continue to flourish and it’s no shocker that the offense is at its peak when they have the ground game working for them. Lastly, I need to see Drew Allar make big-time throws, but this could be tough as they will face a Notre Dame secondary that is opportunistic and will make Quarterbacks pay for bad decisions. On the Notre Dame side, I want to see how they will defend Tyler Warren. I can see Al Golden coming up with a scheme that has a spy playing in the middle of the field, so knowing where Tyler is at all times is key. Can Notre Dame also stick to the script and not be cute? Continue to play power football and stay within your means and lastly, get Penn State in long yardage situations. I like the Fighting Irish to win the Orange Bowl tonight.
Prediction: Notre Dame 23, Penn State 17
