Written by Max Meyer

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Three Questions: Oklahoma vs Notre Dame

1. Can Notre Dame's secondary hold up behind linebacker Manti Te'o?

Te'o’s play has grabbed national attention to the point that he is a contender for the Heisman Trophy. He had another strong game last week against BYU, racking up 10 tackles along with an interception. Te'o leads Notre Dame with four interceptions, but he will need help in pass coverage against Oklahoma.

Led by quarterback Landry Jones, Oklahoma has the 22nd best pass offense in the NCAA averaging 290 yards per game. However, Oklahoma has yet to face a pass defense as stingy as Notre Dame. The Irish may have a young secondary, but they certainly aren't playing like it. They rank 14th in the nation against the pass, and have shut down passing attacks like Miami and Purdue. Oklahoma and Jones though represent a big step up in competition.

The best player in Notre Dame's secondary is Bennett Jackson. The junior cornerback also has four interceptions to match Te’o. Notre Dame is currently averaging close to two interceptions per game, a direct result of their solid defense forcing teams to throw late in games.

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AccuScore simulations predict a bad day for the Irish secondary. Jones is projected to throw for 285 yards and almost two touchdowns. If Notre Dame cannot contain Oklahoma's passing attack, they will have trouble staying in this contest.

2. Who will emerge out of Notre Dame's backfield?

Notre Dame has two running backs that shoulder the rushing load. Senior running back Cierre Wood missed the first two games of the season, but he has been running effectively since his return. He's averaging almost 80 yards per game with a whopping six yards per carry average. After a great Week 1 game against Navy, fellow senior running back Theo Riddick had struggled until last week when he exploded for a career game against BYU, rushing for 143 yards on just 15 carries. Riddick's hands also make him a threat in the passing game. He has caught at least three passes in five of seven games this season.

Expect Wood to have the better game because, at 215 pounds, he should be able to run with power against Oklahoma's defense. AccuScore simulations bear this out as Wood is projected to have 18 more yards than Riddick with a better per carry average. Notre Dame's running back tandem will need to have a big game because the Irish cannot afford to rely solely on quarterback play, whether it be Everett Golson or Tommy Rees.

3. Can Oklahoma's running back outshine their flashy quarterback?

Everyone who follows college football knows who Landry Jones is. However, Jones hasn't had the senior year he was hoping for. He has his lowest completion percentage since his freshman year, and much of the drop in production can be attributed to the loss of star wide receiver Ryan Broyles to the NFL. Jones hasn't needed to carry as much of the load this season however because of an improved running game.

Junior running back Damien Williams had an incredible start to the season which included a four touchdown game against Florida A&M. The speedster was officially named the starting running back three weeks ago, and Oklahoma has outscored their competition 156-48 since then. Notre Dame has a stingy run defense, but they will have trouble preventing the big play from Williams. His incredible speed has led to several long rushes this season including a 95-yard touchdown against Texas. The Irish can't afford to play a pass-focused defense or else holes will open up for Williams.

It will be interesting to see if Williams is able to score against the Irish. He is averaging over one rushing touchdown a game, but the Irish have yet to allow a rushing touchdown this season. The only way I can see Williams scoring is if he does so on a long run because Oklahoma back-up quarterback Blake Bell will get the touches by the goal line.

AccuScore projects a solid day for Williams with 66.5 yards on the ground at 5.4 yards per carry. Oklahoma simply cannot afford to be one-dimensional on offense, and needs to remember to keep Williams in the game plan throughout.

Prediction

Oklahoma is an 11 point favorite at home, but this game is eerily similar to the Kansas State-Oklahoma contest earlier in the season. Notre Dame is the more physical team, and should be able to run efficiently. AccuScore projects Oklahoma to win the game 81.1 percent of the time, while covering at a 52.9 percent rate. Besides their rushing attack, I also see Notre Dame's ability to force turnovers playing a key role in this game. Oklahoma had three turnovers against Kansas State, which was the biggest reason for their demise. The Irish have won eight of their nine battles against Oklahoma, and they will end Oklahoma's BCS hopes this weekend.

Notre Dame 24, Oklahoma 20