ESPN's 10 reasons why Notre Dame beats Alabama

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1. Notre Dame has a chip on their shoulder

Notre Dame's players have said all the right things, but behind the forced smiles and public compliments there has to be a simmering resentment of the praise heaped on Bama's O-line. I'm not saying the Tide players don't deserve it. I'm saying the Irish's D-line is upper-echelon SEC quality. I'm saying I wouldn't want to spend my football Saturdays trying to block the front three of Kapron Lewis-Moore, Louis Nix and Stephon Tuitt, or linebackers Prince Shembo, Dan Fox, Manti Te'o and Danny Spond.

2. Notre Dame's red zone defense is really good

USC and Stanford can provide more personal details, especially when it comes to goal-to-go situations. In all, ND has given up minus-5 yards (this is not a misprint) on 39 of those kind of plays. Geez, what a surprise they're No. 1 in the nation in that category.

This is another strength-on-strength matchup in the game (Bama's offense is No. 1 in the SEC on goal-to-go situations), but I like the Irish's chances. Remember, two of the three interceptions thrown by AJ McCarron this season were on goal-to-go downs.

3. Notre Dame feels like they aren't getting any respect -- Part II

When the Notre Dame-versus-Bama matchup became a BCS championship reality, the smart guys in Vegas made the Tide an 8½-point favorite. Since then, without doing a thing, Bama has become a 9½-point fave.

If you think this burns Notre Dame's biscuits, you're right. Bama is getting all the respect, while the Irish are moving toward double-digit betting dogs.

Little things matter in big games. Motivation matters in big games. Here's guessing ND coach Brian Kelly has mentioned the underdog status to his players. And will again.

4. Brian Kelly might be a murderer but he's a pretty darn good football coach

Kelly didn't just fall off the equipment truck. He has transformed the Irish program from has-been to national somebody again. He and his staff know how to win big games.

From top to bottom of the roster, Notre Dame might have less talent than Bama. But anybody who thinks Kelly is the automatic unequal of Saban on the sideline hasn't been paying attention this season.

5. Upsets happen

Just a few reminders that upsets do happen:

In the 2009 Sugar Bowl, Utah was a 9½-point underdog to Bama (hey, just like Notre Dame is this year) and won 31-17.

And here are some other underdog bowl results of interest from the most wonderful time of the year:

Louisville 33, Florida 23 … SMU 43, Fresno State 10 … Syracuse 38, West Virginia 14 … Georgia Tech 21, USC 7 … Clemson 25, LSU 24.

6. Bama has nobody that can cover Tyler Eifert

Eifert is 6-foot-6, 251 pounds, runs like his cleats are on fire and pretty much gives safeties, cornerbacks and linebackers facial tics. If there is one matchup in which Notre Dame has a decided one-on-one edge, Eifert versus Anybody Bama Puts On Him is that matchup.

Bama's defensive backs are on the slightly larger side, but Eifert still has a significant height and weight advantage. And the Tide probably don't want a linebacker trying to shadow Eifert, who played wide receiver in high school at times -- and is split out by ND in some of its formations.

7. If Johnny Football can beat Bama, so can Everett Golson

"Everett Football?"

Uh, no. But there are similarities between Notre Dame second-year quarterback Everett Golson and Texas A&M redshirt freshman Johnny Manziel, who led the Aggies past Bama in Tuscaloosa and later won a Heisman Trophy based partly on that victory.

Manziel's mobility, quickness and playmaking ability created problems for Bama's defense. Golson can do the same thing.

Can Golson, who at times earlier this season was pulled for backup Tommy Rees, handle the pressure of the BCS championship moment? Right now, everything is trending that way.

8. SEC is overrated

I'm an SEC honk. I make no apologies for it. When in doubt, take the SEC team.

But if the bowl season is any indication, the SEC has some soft spots. No. 3 Florida lost. No. 8 LSU lost. Mississippi State lost. No. 10 South Carolina needed a medium-sized, last-minute passing miracle to beat Michigan by five. (Although it was a cool scoring play, wasn't it?)

In all, the SEC is 5-3 in bowl games. Good, but not SEC good.

9. Bama's secondary is weak and their WR corps is depleted

Georgia's Aaron Murray completed 7 of 14 passes of 15 yards or longer against Alabama in the SEC championship. In the past five games, Tide opponents have completed 50 percent of passes on plays 15 yards or longer.

I'm just saying.

And don't get me wrong on Bama's wide receivers. I'm sweet on the starters, especially Amari Cooper. But the Tide are paper-maché -thin at the position. One tweaked ankle, etc., and that instantly would put Bama in a compromised spot.

10. Notre Dame is a team of destiny

If you believe in such things as destiny, then you have to believe in Notre Dame. Every time someone has said the Irish can't do something, they've done it.

The simple truth is that Notre Dame is a version of Alabama. Same football sensibilities. Same physicality. Same emphasis on offensive and defensive lines.

Is this a guarantee of a Notre Dame win? Nah -- I've got too much respect for Bama and Saban to do that. But the Irish can win. And they can do it more easily than you think.

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