The biggest advantage we'll have, in my opinion, is our ability to run both inside and outside with both backs from virtually any formation.
Even if ND does crowd the box a little - assuming they aren't overloading the box and leaving their DBs on islands - for most of the game they'll still have to pick their poison with regard to which running lanes to attack. From most of our formations we can run up the middle, off-tackle, or outside on either power or counter runs with both Lacy and Yeldon. And both of them have both the size and strength to break an arm tackle running inside as well as the speed to beat a defender without a better angle to the edge.
Notre Dame doesn't have the speed across the board in their front seven to not cheat to one side, at least. They aren't slow, by any means, but they are slower than we are for sure. They are well coached and disciplined and that, combined with their relatively large size and strength, makes them a very formidable front seven.
However, I don't believe that they have the speed to play both of their inside linebackers "inside the tackles" in the box - in order to be able to hit the inside gaps quickly on interior runs - and still be able to get outside to seal the edge before either a pulling Guard or H-Back can get to them to give Lacy and/or Yeldon the edge.
If this is the case, then it means that as long as we can keep the Linebackers honest by regularly running up the middle then they'll be relying on their Defensive Backs to recognize it's a running play, get off the blocks of our Receivers, and make the tackle on most every power run or counter to the outside, especially on the short side of the field. And that's even with 7 guys in the box.
Notre Dame's vaunted run defense this year appears - from looking at the statistical differentials - to be much like Texas' vaunted run defense from three years ago: more a product of their competition than their own merit.
I honestly feel that if Jones is at 80% or better, or Kelly is equivalent to Jones at 80% or better, that the only way Notre Dame will be able to consistently stop our running game is with 8+ men in the box. If they do that, AJ will light them up in the passing game.