Rose Bowl 2021: Factors That Will Decide Notre Dame vs. Alabama

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish defense is set to face the toughest task in college football. 

The fourth-seeded ACC runner-up has to find a way to slow down the Alabama Crimson Tide offense that features two Heisman Trophy finalists. 

None of Alabama's opponents have been able to stop the combination of Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith, and if that was not enough to scare the Irish defense, Najee Harris, who finished fifth in Heisman voting, lines up next to Jones in the backfield. 

While Alabama's offense has been firing on all cylinders all season long, its defense needs some work to turn the SEC champion into the overwhelming College Football Playoff favorite. 

That title can be earned through a strong Rose Bowl performance versus an offense that struggled in its last game.

Notre Dame's defense needs to slow down an Alabama offense that averaged 49.7 points per game and hit the 50-point threshold in each of its last three games. 

Although the Irish had two games with the Clemson Tigers to prepare for playoff-style games, Alabama's offense is on another level than the No. 2 seed's unit.

An argument can be made for Jones, Harris and Smith to all win the Heisman. Jones put up 3,739 passing yards and 32 touchdowns, Harris ran for 1,262 yards and led the FBS with 24 scores and Smith had a 1,511-yard season with 17 receiving touchdowns. 

While Clemson has an elite quarterback and running back in Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne, it does not have a wide receiver that compares to Smith. 

If Notre Dame is gashed for a few big plays by Smith, like all of Alabama's opponents have, it could have a tough time keeping pace with the Crimson Tide at the Rose Bowl. 

If the Irish can take away one member of the three-pronged attack, they will be in a better position to succeed, but to do so, they have to create a successful game plan that none of Alabama's opponents have come up with yet. 

Alabama's concession of 19.5 points per game is a deceiving total. 

Most of the low point totals allowed by the Crimson Tide came against the weaker teams in the SEC. 

In three of their four Top 25 matchups, the Crimson Tide allowed at least 24 points. They were also gashed for 48 points by the Ole Miss Rebels in their highest-scoring contest of the regular season. 

If the Alabama defense shuts down Ian Book, Kyren Williams and Co. in the same manner it contained the weaker squads in the SEC, it could make a statement with a blowout victory.

The key to limiting Notre Dame's offensive success will be creating turnovers, and doing so against Book would be quite the achievement. The senior quarterback was intercepted twice in regular-season play. 

A strong defensive performance would put Alabama in much better standing for a title since it would prove that it could stop one of the nation's top quarterbacks. 

If the Rose Bowl turns into a shootout, like the SEC Championship Game, it may give Clemson or Ohio State hope that it can torch the Alabama defense in the National Championship.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.