MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – When No. 1 Notre Dame (12-0) and No. 2 Alabama (12-1) clash for the BCS championship Monday night, there will be very few frills on offense.
Both teams like to run a throwback offense using the running backs to wear down opponents as the Irish and Crimson Tide have big, physical lines to allow for a reliance on the running game.
Notre Dame has 6-4, 304-pound left tackle Zack Martin, 6-3, 310-pound left guard Chris Watt, 6-3, 304-pound center Braxston Cave, 6-3, 295-pound right guard Mike Golic Jr. and 6-5, 309-pound Christian Lombard.
"All of those guys are feisty," Tide defensive end Damion Square said. "All of those guys block down field. … Those guys want to play old-fashion football, run the power, run the zone read, run the stretch. They are going to run it with speed and with strength."
Alabama has 6-6, 311-pound left tackle Cyrus Kouandijo, 6-3, 320-pound left guard Chance Wamack, 6-5, 302-pound center Barrett Jones, 6-3, 303-pound right guard Anthony Steen and 6-6, 335-pound right tackle D.J. Fluker.
"They're very big, and they can move," Irihs linebacker Manti Te'o said. "They're very physical, and we understand that, and just watching them on film, those guys, they're not out there to just shield you. They're out there to drive you back and to try and make the biggest hole they can make. It's going to be a great opportunity for our defense to go against such a great O-line."
