BCS matchup offers style that Howard hoped for

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. » Desmond Howard got his wish.

Alabama vs. Notre Dame in the BCS national championship game.

Certainly the 1991 Heisman Trophy winner would have preferred his Michigan Wolverines in the mix Monday at Sun Life Stadium. But the Tide beat them to start the season. Then the Fighting Irish and three other teams did, too.

It was back in October in Norman, Okla., when Howard started to think, and voice, that Alabama-Notre Dame would be intriguing — albeit still unlikely. The ESPN analyst was there for the Notre Dame-Oklahoma game, the one the Irish won 30-13 to climb to 8-0 and get folks thinking they might be for real.

But real enough? Kansas State, Oregon and Alabama were all also unbeaten at that point.

"People were saying … let’s just get it over with and put Oregon on the field with Kansas State (for the national championship)," Howard said.

That’s when there was talk that Alabama and Oregon (before the Ducks stumbled against Stanford) would be interesting. But not to Howard.

"We kind of saw that with Auburn and Oregon (in 2011)," Howard said. "I said I would love to see Notre Dame and Alabama. Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler asked why. I said I’d love to see Alabama’s downhill, smash-mouth running game against Notre Dame’s front seven and Manti Te’o.

"I’m a boxing fan. Style makes fights, same thing in football. … I didn’t think it would happen."

Another ESPN analyst here for the game, David Pollack, said Notre Dame will need to continue its goal-line defense magic.

"The good thing about the red zone as a defensive guy is the field shrinks," said Pollack, who was a three-time All-America defensive lineman at Georgia. "I can play more man coverage if I have to. I can put extra guys in the box. It just becomes a point of tackling Eddie Lacey. He’s gonna come downhill, he’s gonna come hard.

"I think that decides the outcome of this game. If Notre Dame can continue to do what it has done and prevent Alabama from scoring 7s. Look at (Thursday’s Fiesta Bowl). Perfect example. Oregon had Kansas State kick several field goals, that’s why the game blew open."

Pollack gets excited when asked about Te’o; he sees a kindred soul, like himself a film junkie.

"He’s a guy that when I turn on the tape and I watch him he’s got the thick lower body, the thick booty. He reads things super-quick, diagnoses things super-quick. He sees things before everybody else on tape, before everyone else every time. That’s when you know you got a guy who studies first and is instinctive, a great player."

Howard said Te’o was one of the three names on his Heisman Trophy ballot, but would not disclose which place. I asked him if a player who doesn’t touch the ball except on tips, interceptions and fumbles can win the award.

"Well, before the season started I had Jadeveon Clowney as a dark horse on my ballot," Howard said. "Obviously I don’t have a problem with defensive players."

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783.