NFL Draft News & Analysis

Ian Book has Notre Dame eyeing a 12-0 regular season, College Football Playoff

New York, NY, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Ian Book (12) drops back to pass against the Syracuse Orange during the first quarter at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame will look to cap their perfect regular season and clinch their spot in the College Football Playoff when they take on USC, giving the Trojans something additional to play for, as they now can play spoiler to their archrival.

QB Ian Book has been a welcome addition to the Fighting Irish's offense this season, currently holding the nation's third-highest adjusted completion percentage. Book torched Syracuse a week ago and has Notre Dame looking ahead to the playoffs with just one minor speed bump ahead of them if they can take care of the Trojans who are in need of a victory to become bowl eligible this year.

This preview is brought to you by Eckrich, the Official Smoked Sausage of the College Football Playoff.

The keys to the matchup between Notre Dame and USC:

– Te'von Coney, who has racked up 12 QB pressures and 47 defensive stops this season

– J.T. Daniels will have to limit the mistakes as he has 17 turnover-worthy throws, the seventh most in the FBS

– From the interior of the defensive line, Notre Dame's Jerry Tillery has brought in 37 QB pressures and 20 defensive stops in 2018

– Book's 79.0% adjusted completion percentage is third behind Washington State's Gardner Minshew (80.7%) and North Texas' Mason Fine (79.8%)

RIVALRY WEEK AT PFF

Oklahoma vs West Virginia | Washington vs Washington State | Michigan vs Ohio State | Georgia vs Georgia Tech | Alabama vs Auburn | South Carolina vs Clemson | Notre Dame vs USC

Safety worth way more than 2 points. Help protect your family with fast, free will.
Sponsor

NFL Draft Featured Tools

Subscriptions

Unlock the 2023 Fantasy Draft Kit, with League Sync, Live Draft Assistant, PFF Grades & Data Platform that powers all 32 Pro Teams

$31 Draft Kit Fee + $8.99/mo
OR
$89.88/yr + FREE Draft Kit