Georgia football takes on Notre Dame on Saturday, and I caught up with Slap the Sign expert J.P. Scott to talk the Irish.
Georgia football and Notre Dame go head-to-head on Saturday and it’s going to be a grudge match. These two teams have only faced off three times in the history of college football, so the stage is large, and it’s set, now the wait gets worse.
To ease the pain of waiting a couple more days, I talked with J.P. Scott, the expert at Slap the Sign, Notre Dame’s FanSided site.
I bounced some questions off him and did the same with me, so check out my interview with him after you read this one!
Here’s how it went down:
Q: Three players Georgia should worry about from Notre Dame?
A: The Irish have three dynamic pass rushers in Julian Okwara, Daelin Hayes and Khalid Kareem. Even if they aren’t logging sacks, they are constantly disrupting playing in the backfield. It’s something to keep an eye on during obvious passing downs.
Q: How does Notre Dame stop Georgia’s deep-running game?
A: I think you see Notre Dame cheat safety Alohi Gilman up closer to the line. He’s an undersized linebacker, and he can deal with the physicality of playing inside the box. Notre Dame is comfortable playing man-to-man against Georgia’s young wideouts.
Q: Georgia’s recorded 12 sacks already this season, and Notre dame has three. What’s the biggest difference in these two defenses, and how does ND’s Offense get success on Georgia’s defense?
A: Notre Dame played Louisville first, who has a mobile quarterback. That changed the dynamic as far as rushing the passer went. New Mexico just ran the ball a lot and tried to get the ball out quick on the pass plays they did run.
The Bulldogs, in addition to playing one more game than the Irish, have face three teams that feature traditional pocket passers. The most significant difference between these two defenses is where their strengths are.
Georgia is really good on the interior of the defensive line and at linebacker. Notre Dame is good on the edge and in the secondary.
Q: How does ND’s OL stack up to the Dawgs?
A: I think these are two of the very best offensive lines in the country. Neither one of them has truly been challenged this season. I think this game will bring out the best in both units.
Q: Do you feel like the loser of this game is automatically eliminated from College Football Playoff contention? Does the score matter at all in that regard?
A: It depends on the score. If Georgia wins close and then runs the table, Notre Dame would still have a case as long as they didn’t lose again. Same goes for Georgia. That said, a blowout loss eliminates either team.
Q: Which under-the-radar Notre Dame player should Dawg fans be looking at as a guy who could catch the Irish by surprise and have a big day?
A: He’s not under-the-radar as far as Notre Dame fans are concerned, but true freshman and Georgia native Kyle Hamilton is a physical and athletic freak at safety. When he’s on the field, big things happen. He’s a game-changer.
Q: Will you give us a prediction, please?
A: I’m the only guy in the country — not being a homer — who thinks Notre Dame has a shot in this one.
The Irish can make Georgia one dimensional on offense. If Notre Dame can get a lead, that will force Georgia into a shootout — as opposed to the Bulldogs just pounding it with the run all night. The Irish are dynamic on offense, featuring a variety of players in a variety of set.
I honestly don’t think many of the people offering up opinions on Notre Dame have sat down and watched them play all eight quarters. The ratings from the game against New Mexico reflect that. I think the Irish shock the world with a ten-point win, 34-24.
Regardless, this battle between Georgia and Notre Dame is going to be one for the books. It’ll likely go down as an instant classic and it’s going to be so much fun to watch.
Georgia and Notre Dame take on each other Saturday at 8 p.m. on CBS. We all know ESPN College GameDay will be in town as well, so if you wanna be there, get to Athens early.