re: Was ND THAT out-talented in the NC, or is it development?

I think the main factor is depth. ND may have been a talented team, but did they have quality depth?

To beat Bama, you need depth. That's why LSU matches up well with Bama because LSU is one of the few teams with the depth to beat Bama.

Not to mention, I know ND had good wins against Oklahoma and USC, but they struggled against Pitt, BYU, and Purdue. I honestly believe the top half of the SEC could beat them.