What often gets categorized as a Notre Dame problem is actually a major college football problem.
A tiny group of teams is accumulating far more talent than their competitors. The elite high school players cluster at Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and a few other schools.
No. 4 Notre Dame heads into its latest referendum game against No. 1 Alabama on Friday as a nearly three-touchdown underdog. In the other semifinal, a more fair fight is expected between No. 2 Clemson and No. 3 Ohio State.