Notre Dame's Old School Blueprint to Defeat SEC Powerhouse Georgia

The Irish will need to get back to the basics to collect College Football Playoff victory No. 2

Notre Dame safety Jordan Clark (1) celebrates his interception during a NCAA college football game against Florida State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Notre Dame & Georgia will both want to run the football

There's no doubt that Notre Dame's offensive strength in 2024 is the run game. The "three horsemen - Riley Leonard, Jeremiyah Love, and Jadarian Price - are the engine that drives the Irish behind an offensive line that has gelled nicely as the season has progressed.

If Notre Dame can rush for near their average or above it at around 200 yards against the Bulldogs, it'd go a long way to sealing an Irish victory.

As for Georgia, especially with the loss of Rylie Mills in the middle of the Irish defensive line, it will want to test Notre Dame's defensive front and see if it can succeed in a north/south type of power run game. If the Bulldogs can have success doing this, especially on early downs, it could be a long night for Notre Dame.

🫶🫶🫶

9️⃣8️⃣ yards

Jeremiyah Love is a BAD MAN#GoIrish

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— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) December 21, 2024

There are major risks for both Notre Dame & Georgia should they need to rely on pass game

For Notre Dame, the passing game, especially when it comes to the deep attack, has been unreliable for much of the season.

This is simply not Notre Dame's strength this year. The Irish are much more proficient at controlling the game with a successful run attack. Should Georgia bottle up the Irish run game and force the Irish to throw to win, it'll be a major advantage for the Bulldogs.

For the Bulldogs, they will likely want to establish a strong run game so that new QB Gunner Stockton doesn't need to throw the ball often and be a hero against Notre Dame's stellar secondary to win.

The less pressure there is on him to pass the better off Georgia will be. Something must give here.

This ballgame has an "old school" feel to it. Whichever squad does the best job of running the ball and stopping the run has a terrific chance to collect a huge win to start the new year.

For more Irish news & notes follow John on Twitter @alwaysirishINC, Always Irish on Youtube and or your preferred audio podcast provider.

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