Your predictions for tonight's BCS Discover Tostitos All State Buffalo Wild Wings National Championship game?

Submitted by Erik_in_Dayton on

What you think will happen tonight?  I think Bama will pull away in the third quarter to win 24-13. 

FWIW, my non-scientific and non-expert reasoning is as follows:  

*ND played a well-balanced schedule (no Western Kentucky or Florida Atlantic, unlike Bama), and they (of course) went undefeated.  You can't take that away from them, and they showed themselves to be a very solid and consistent team.  However, they played a number of close games against lesser teams - including a win at home against Pitt that required a missed FG in OT by Pitt's kicker.  Also, ND's wins in big games look less impressive than they did when they were played.  USC and Oklahoma, for example, just aren't as good as they were advertised to be, though Oklahoma is obviously much better than Lane Kiffin's salute to underachievement.

*Alabama played a less balanced schedule, with opponents ranging from the teams mentioned above to the Arkansas John L. Smiths to LSU and Georgia...I realize that LSU lost the Peach Bowl, but I still think of them as one of the best teams in the country...Bama also had four shut outs, which is impressive even if they were against poor opponents...As for the Tide's game against Texas A&M, there is both good and bad:  It was a loss, something ND didn't have, but it was also a very close loss against a very good and very hot team.

* At the risk of being overly Michigan-centric and invoking the non-existent transitive property of football, my belief that Alabama will win is rooted primarily in the fact that the Tide trounced our Wolverines on a neutral field while ND needed a massive offensive implosion by Michigan to win in South Bend.  I think 2012 Michigan would beat 2012 ND more than 50 out of 100 times.  I think 2012 Michigan would beat 2012 Alabama...fewer...times than that. 

Random thoughts: 

1. The health of Barret Jones could make this a closer game, obviously;

2. I think Rees would be a better option against the Tide than Golson, as Rees's passing would give ND a chance against Alabama's semi-weakness, covering people downfield;

3.  ND shouldn't be taken for granted.  I think they would win this game 25-30 times out of 100;

4. Listening to Brent Musburger talk about Nick Saban and ND for three-plus hours would be intolerable.  I strongly suggest watching without the sound;

5. This got really long.

 

 

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dothepose

January 7th, 2013 at 1:31 PM ^

I think ND will be lucky to score 10 points. I hope they get trucked because I want every ND fan to realize their team is far from back. They had a lucky year and I know it takes some luck to go undefeated for an entire season. However, its ND, go back to the mediocrity that I loved so much. Also, I'm hoping if Alabama wins, Saban bolts for the Browns.

Joined: 12/30/2008

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MGoSoftball

January 7th, 2013 at 5:35 PM ^

Michigan is back.  We had two seasons where we were in the B1G Title hunt.  This year we lost to the #1, #2 and #3 team.  Then we lost to Neb with a QB turned WR turned back-up QB.

All in all, I would say that if ND does not win tonight, they cannot claim they are back just yet.  How is playing $hit teams all year (save us and Stanford in OT)?  They are certainly on the road to being back, no doubt.  Lets have this same conversation next year to answer the question if ND is back.

'Bama 34  ND 12

Roll Tide (although I hate nicky)

 

Joined: 10/18/2010

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phork

January 7th, 2013 at 6:11 PM ^

Wait, what?  Michigan is back?  You were 8-5 this year bro.  Your schedule was easier than ours fergodssakes.  If they don't win tonight then 12-0 and the best defense in the country goes to 0-13?  Love fuzzy Wolverine logic.  We are in the NC game.  You played, and were outplayed, in the Sugar Bowl against vastly over-rated team.

Joined: 11/01/2009

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MGoSteelers

January 7th, 2013 at 2:11 PM ^

Well once college football playoffs begin, the championship game is going to be the only one that sponsors are interested in (not really but kind of).

 

"Capital One Quarterfinal Game"  compared to "Discover National Championship Game"

Any rational football fan--nay, American--would have to understand that to mean Capital One could only make it to the quarters while Discover got to play for the national championship.

 QED:  Discover >>>>> Capital One

Joined: 06/19/2011

MGoPoints: 3528

Don

January 7th, 2013 at 1:34 PM ^

With their defenses, I'd be shocked if this is a high-scoring game.

I'd prefer a mistake-filled borefest that ends 3-0 in OT.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 148449

MGoCombs

January 7th, 2013 at 1:34 PM ^

I just really don't know with this one. I keep going back and forth, mostly siding with the thought that Alabama will win with relative ease, but I have repeatedly thought Notre Dame was going to lose to better opponents this year and they continue to prove me wrong. I can see an Alabama trouncing quite clearly, much like the Michigan opener. I can also see a low scoring defensive slugfest with few red zone conversions for both teams. If that's the case, key turnovers or just crazy plays will decide the game (like Michigan-ND). The only two scenarios I can't imagine is ND blowing Bama out or a high scoring shootout. The 40.5 under might be a good bet for the gambling types.

Side note: My girlfriend is an ND alum and superfan and as I am sure you guessed, it's been a tough season for me. Pray for me to make it through tonight.

Joined: 08/13/2009

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Qmich

January 7th, 2013 at 1:36 PM ^

also: Kelly poops out the golden horseshoe that has been in his rectum all season, and Saban uses it to decapitate ALL OF THE ND QBs

Joined: 03/30/2011

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State Street

January 7th, 2013 at 1:38 PM ^

Lou Holtz will say something incomprehensible, Mark May will say the opposite, Musberger will say "Herbie" a lot, Nick Saban will refrain from smiling once, and we will all get sick of hearing the phrase "Johnny Football."

That about cover it?

Joined: 07/09/2011

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Dutch Ferbert

January 7th, 2013 at 2:24 PM ^

I wonder what he will say instead of "This one's for all the Tostitos."

I have hated Musberger's hyperbole since I can remember. Every play is the biggest play of the game. He picks one or two guys to drool over, even if they are playing like crap. He then only calls them by their nicknames through the game as if he is being original. Half the time he doesn't seem to be watching the same game and just blurts things out like "FUMBLE" and "FIRST DOWN" when it's clear that neither of those things happened.

I miss the days of Keith Jackson being ABC's number one guy. Even when he was getting old and a step slow, he was better than Musberger.

Joined: 01/08/2011

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profitgoblue

January 7th, 2013 at 3:18 PM ^

Dammit.  I totally forgot about having to see that f-ing leprechaun on the sideline all game too.  With Musburger, Holtz, and that f-ing leprechaun, this game is going to be unwatchable.  The only possible saving grace would be an Alabama player bulldozing that f-ing leprechaun en route to a 70-0 victory.  Roll Tide!

Joined: 09/01/2009

MGoPoints: 19559

Le_Blue

January 7th, 2013 at 1:39 PM ^

They don't belong there. They're only there as a product of the media's obsession with their so called "return to prominence." They have been luck time and again this season and I think tonight will be a perfect demonstration that they are not supposed to be there. People have talked the past month about how good their defensive front is. I will admit, led by Nix, it is a formidable front, however, they're facing an offensive line made entirely off future1-2 round NFL picks. Alabama's O-Line will be too much. I think Lacy and Yeldon gash ND for 100+ respectively and Bama rolls to an easy 35-10 victory.

Joined: 11/05/2011

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EGD

January 7th, 2013 at 1:45 PM ^

Really?  Because I thought ND was there because they beat UM, MSU, Stanford, USC, Oklahoma, and all the other teams on their schedule.  I think they will get curb-stomped tonight but you can't say they don't belong in the game.

Joined: 09/16/2009

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jocular_jock

January 7th, 2013 at 2:40 PM ^

Really? MSU and USC are not truly quality wins this year. Just put Miami in there to round out the idiocy. Enough with the schedule. Whether good or bad they are not there becuase of the teams they played. They played one top 10 team and two top 20 teams. This is no more difficult or easy than playing in any AQ conference with a cakewalk non-conference schedule (Wisconsin et al....ah hem).

They got in because they won all thier games. That is what is asked of them, and they completed it.

I am looking forward to a selection committee to hopefully put some truly rational decision making into selecting the best four teams... but not hopeful.

Joined: 01/03/2012

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EGD

January 7th, 2013 at 3:19 PM ^

You make a fair point regarding MSU and USC--both had disappointing seasons and wound up not being as good as expected.  Nontheless, I still consider both of those to be quality wins.  MSU had one of the nation's best defenses and USC has the athletes to compete with any team in the nation. 

Joined: 09/16/2009

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FrankMurphy

January 7th, 2013 at 4:59 PM ^

No it's not. It's only good for NBC. We recruit head-to-head against ND much more often than we do against Alabama. For at least that reason, I wouldn't care if ND lost every single game from now to eternity, especially since we won't be playing them anymore and there's no way they can benefit our strength of schedule. 

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