5 Things To Know For Alabama Vs. Notre Dame Rose Bowl Matchup

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Alabama Crimson Tide will take the field at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Friday for the College Football Playoff Semifinals in the 107th installment of the Rose Bowl Game. The top-ranked Tide (11-0) will face off against No. 4 Notre Dame (10-1) in the hopes of advancing to an opportunity to win the program's 18th national title.

Here are some of the talking points, as well as what to know ahead of Friday's matchup.

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HEISMAN CANDIDATES ON DISPLAY

The Rose Bowl will feature four of the top-10 vote getters in the race for the 2020 Heisman Trophy, which will be presented at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 5 during a virtual ceremony. Two of the four finalists will suit up for the Tide — Quarterback Mac Jones and receiver DeVonta Smith. Alabama running back Najee Harris finished fifth in the Heisman voting, rounding out one of the most memorable offenses in college football history. Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book also finished ninth in Heisman voting as he led the Irish to a 10-1 record, securing its second CFP appearance since the playoff format was implemented.

HISTORY FAVORS IRISH OVERALL

Notre Dame and Alabama have played a total of seven times, coming out to 5-2 in favor of the Fighting Irish. However, the Tide's two victories over Notre Dame have produced moments that will forever stand out in the minds of the Alabama faithful. Alabama, under the direction of the late Ray Perkins, defeated Lou Holtz and the Irish for the first time in 1986. That game, played at Legion Field in Birmingham, saw linebacker and team captain Cornelius Bennett take down Notre Dame quarterback Steve Beuerlein in spectacular fashion, in a moment immortalized as "The Sack." The Tide's second win against the Irish came in 2013, when the two coaches who will be on the sidelines Friday faced off in the Orange Bowl, which resulted in the third national title for Alabama during the Saban era. Legendary Alabama coach Paul W. "Bear" Bryant saw his teams take on Notre Dame four times from 1973 to 1980, losing all four matchups.

ABOUT THE IRISH

Alabama will take the field with a talented defense, but one that has struggled at times over the season, with mistakes masked by a high-powered offense. Notre Dame will present a challenge for Tide defenders, though, as quarterback Ian Book, who has thrown for 15 scores and only two interceptions, is protected by one of the best offensive lines in the country. Book is also joined by 1,000-yard rusher Kyren Williams, who has logged 12 rushing touchdowns during the 2020 campaign. Until the Irish's ACC Championship loss in a rematch to No. 2 Clemson earlier this month, Notre Dame was looking at an undefeated season that included a narrow overtime win over a Clemson team that was without quarterback and Heisman finalist Trevor Lawrence.

CENTER OF ATTENTION

Tide senior offensive lineman Chris Owens will have big shoes to fill, literally and figuratively, as he steps in at center for the injured All-American Landon Dickerson, who went down with a season-ending knee injury during the SEC Championship Game against Florida. Owens, a veteran backup during his time in Tuscaloosa, will be returning to his hometown of Arlington for the Rose Bowl after starting one game, against Arkansas, at right tackle, playing a total of 61 snaps. During the 2020 season, Owens has played in eight games, earning 92 snaps in a reserve role and 153 total snaps. After Dickerson was injured against Florida, tackle Evan Neal moved to center and Owens moved into Neal's spot.

THE ROSE BOWL ... IN TEXAS

For those who haven't been following along closely, Friday's Rose Bowl Game will look wholesale different than it has in the previous 106 years. The decision to move the notable bowl game and playoff semifinal to Texas was due to rising COVID-19 cases in southern California, in addition to state public health protocols barring players' and coaches' families from attending. The game will be broadcast at 3 p.m. on ESPN from AT&T Stadium, which is the home of the Dallas Cowboys.

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