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behind Michigan's .73445. The Crimson Tide would be right there had it not had to vacate 21 victories from 2005-07 because of NCAA infractions. Special Delivery Needed Similar Blueprints Both teams have traveled to where they are via similar blueprints and had to overcome rough roads the past 15 years. From 1997-2006, Alabama went through three head coaches (Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione and alumnus Mike Shula), plus the brief Mike Price regime that was over before it got started on the field. Head coach Nick Saban had a rough 7-6 debut in 2007, but captured the national title in his third season. Likewise, Notre Dame also had gone through three head coaches since 1997 (Bob Davie, Tyrone Willingham and alumnus Charlie Weis), plus the fourday stay of George O'Leary in December 2001, until the arrival of Brian Kelly for the 2010 campaign. Like Saban, he too had a difficult initiation with 8-5 starts … but now in year three his 12-0 and No. 1 Fighting Irish are vying for the program's first national title in 24 years. When asked if he thought Notre Dame could be in this position so soon under his watch, Kelly said he didn't see any impediments to not make it possible. "I didn't think that we couldn't," he replied. "You come here because you want to play for a national championship. There was nothing that I saw other than practicing and playing the right way and developing our talent. That was the only element, and that was just a matter of time. I didn't think that there was anything that was there that we couldn't do it." The template has been similar for both coaches: First and foremost, emphasize and build a dominant defense. Alabama ranked No. 1 in every major defensive category last year en route to the national Junior linebacker C.J. Mosley paces Alabama's stout defense with 99 tackles, and has compiled seven tackles for loss, four sacks and two interceptions. photo courtesy alabama title, and is No. 2 in scoring defense this season (10.7 points allowed per game). Kelly arrived at Notre Dame with a gunslinger reputation and as a coach who won shootouts, but said the bedrock had to be built on stellar "SEC-like" defense. He placed his premium on recruiting that side of the ball while the offense found its way. This year, the Fighting Irish are No. 1 in scoring defense (10.3 points surrendered per contest). "If you want to win a national championship, you can't win games like we did at Cincinnati or Central Michigan," Kelly said at the end of the 2010 season. "You can't just try to outscore people, because they're going to get you. … You don't get to that [championship] game unless you play good defense. "It's clear that the formation of any great program is going to be on its defense. For us to move Notre Dame back into a national prominence, we had to begin with our defense. … You look at the When you do the numbers crunching for Notre Dame-Alabama on paper, the data on offense and defense are virtually a wash. Notre Dame leads the nation in scoring defense (10.3 points allowed per game) and Alabama is second (10.7). Both teams are exactly at 47 percent in third-down conversions on offense. Both teams are averaging 200 yards rushing and 200 yards passing per contest. In passing, Notre Dame is at 218.8 yards per game and Alabama 214.5. The Irish are averaging 202.5 rushing and the Crimson Tide 224.6. In matchups like this, the tipping points usually are turnovers, red-zone efficiency and special teams. Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly specifically singled out how special teams needs to be elevated appreciably. Sophomore kicker Kyle Brindza has been clutch (single-season school record 23 field goals) and senior punter Ben Turk has been solid, but the return and coverage games have been fair to poor. The Irish haven't had any kicks or punts blocked, but they also haven't achieved either on special teams defense. A good portion of the blame for Notre Dame's problems in the return game have been placed on personnel shortage, forcing a conservative strategy. 2011 Special Teams Player of the Year Austin Collinsworth was sidelined this season because of shoulder and back surgeries, cornerback Lo Wood incurred a season-ending injury in August, Jamoris Slaughter was shelved by the third week. The next men in during those situations — a KeiVarae Russell, a Matthias Farley, among others — now had to be defensive starters, thus taking some personnel away on special teams. That could change for a one-game season against Alabama, Kelly hinted. "It's all hands on deck for our special teams," Kelly said. "It's a one-game deal, so certainly we can add to our personnel on special teams, and we'll probably do that. We haven't been spectacular, but we haven't stunk up the joint either. "We just need to continue to hold serve on special teams, and maybe we can find lightning in a bottle on a return or get a block, or something to that effect. Our concern basically is to take great care of the football." Understandably, Kelly was not going to divulge what changes, if any, would be forthcoming. "All I'm going to tell you is we're going to put all guys on deck in terms of trying to get the best players on the field, because it's a one-shot deal," he said of the special team. "I don't have to worry about the next week or the week after and them getting too many reps, including special teams." — Lou Somogyi SEC and the teams that are playing for national championships. Obviously, with Alabama leading that charge, they were built on defense." Second, both coaches pride themselves on a physical identity not only on defense, but offense also — especially with the ability to control the game on the ground and run the clock in the fourth quarter. Alabama is averaging 224.6 yards rush✦ Page 2 ing, 5.6 yards per carry and has two 1,000yard rushers in junior Eddie Lacy (1,182 yards, 6.4 yards per carry) and freshman T.J. Yeldon (1,000 yards, 6.5 yards per carry). They combined for 334 yards rushing in the 32-28 victory over Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, staying with the run even after facing a 21‑10 second-half deficit. Meanwhile, the greatest testament to