The No. 3 Fighting Irish of Notre Dame:

Record: 12-0

Wins over currently ranked opponents:

·         24-17 vs. No. 7 Michigan 

·         31-21 @ No. 22 Northwestern

·         36-3 vs. No. 20 Syracuse (at Yankee Stadium)

Average points per game: 33.6 

·         Most points scored in a single game: 56 @ Wake Forest

·         Fewest points scored in a single game: 19 vs. Pitt

Average points allowed per game: 17.3 (Ninth best in country)

·         Most points allowed in a single game: 27 @ Wake Forest

·         Fewest points allowed in a single game: 3 vs. Syracuse

Key Players:

Ian Book, Junior, QB

The perception of Notre Dame’s season indulged in a big time upswing when Ian Book took over for Brandon Wimbush at quarterback. This team clearly has talent, but Wimbush just couldn’t really be trusted at times. With Book under center, the Irish offense seems to induce much more confidence out of spectators. Book’s numbers aren’t near the top nationally, but that’s partially because he didn’t record any stats in the first two games of the season, and even in the third he only had three passing attempts. Book was also out against Florida State due to injury. Still, he’s thrown for 2,468 yards and 19 touchdowns, with six interceptions on 280 attempts. His completion percentage of 70.4 is the fifth best in the country.

Dexter Williams, Senior, RB

For the first four games of Notre Dame’s season, senior running back Dexter Williams was suspended. But he certainly made his presence known when he suited back up in a 38-17 win over Stanford, when he rushed for 161 yards and a touchdown. In just eight games, Williams has tallied 941 rushing yards and twelve touchdowns on the ground, while averaging 6.6 yards per carry. He’s also dabbled a bit in the passing game, recording 13 receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown. Williams has eclipsed the 100 yard rushing mark in half of the games he’s played: 161 yards on 21 carries against Stanford, 178 yards on 17 carries at Virginia Tech, 142 yards on 23 carries at Navy, and 202 yards on 20 carries against Florida State.

Julian Love, Junior, CB

Julian Love has anchored the Fighting Irish defensive backfield, and is undoubtedly the most outstanding corner to come out of Notre Dame in recent memory. The First Team All American racked up 47 total tackles this year, with three of those being for loss. In Notre Dame’s regular season finale at USC he totaled twelve tackles. He has one interception and three fumble recoveries in the turnover department. In 2018, Love had 15 pass breakups, bringing his career total to 38, which is in a career in Notre Dame football history. 

Jerry Tillery, Senior, DT

Defensive tackle Jerry Tillery, who was originally recruited as an offensive tackle, is physically horrifying as he stands at 6 feet 7 inches, 305 pounds. Things turned out well for Tillery since switching to the defensive side of the ball, as he was named a Second Team All American this season. This regular season, he had 30 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and eight sacks. He recorded 48 total quarterback pressures. In Notre Dame’s thrashing of Florida State in South Bend, Tillery used his height and long arms to block an extra point, which was then scooped up and ran back for two points by Julian Love.

Te’von Coney, Senior, LB

The Notre Dame defense was led in tackles by senior linebacker Te’von Coney, as he recorded 107 of them. Nine of those were tackles for loss, with 3.5 being sacks. He came down with one interception, one fumble recovery, and four pass breakups on the year. Coney’s performance has been good enough to make him a Third Team All American. He stands at 6 feet 4 inches, 240 pounds, and is a very explosive player. He had double-digit tackle totals in five of ND’s dozen games: 10 vs. Michigan, 14 vs. Ball State, 14 at Navy, 10 at Northwestern, and 12 vs Syracuse.

Other notes:

·         

• Notre Dame is the first team outside of the Power Five conferences to earn a berth in the College Football Playoff. The value of conference championships regarding playoff spots has been up for debate lately, and the 12-0 Irish are the second team to enter the playoff without a conference championship on the resume (Alabama last year was the first). It shouldn’t really shock anyone that Notre Dame is the inaugural non-P5 playoff team, as they have much higher of a profile than Group of Five teams such as, I don’t know, UCF as a definitely random example, or other Independent teams such as BYU and Army. If there was one team to break the apparent “P5 rule” the majority of people would have bet the house on it being the Irish.

·         

• Head Coach Brian Kelly seemed to be under some fire after Notre Dame’s 4-8 season in 2016. But what a turnaround it’s been, as the Irish finished last year with a 10-3 record, topped off by a Citrus Bowl victory over LSU. And then this year obviously has been so far, so good. Kelly earned this year’s honor of The Associated Press college football Coach of the Year, as well as the 2018 Home Depot College Football Coach of the Year award. He’s clearly done an excellent job, leading his squad to the playoff with zero regular season losses. I do think Kelly is at a slight disadvantage when it comes to recruiting for a school like Notre Dame. Sure, there’s a wildly rich history of football in South Bend, Indiana. But it’s still South Bend, Indiana. They don’t have the recruiting tools that some of these massive public universities have, whether it be pool parties, generally nice weather, wild nightlife scenes, etc. And you may think the Irish are at an advantage by being able to pitch a great education to recruits. But guess what? Any recruit that is planning a road to the NFL will not really be too concerned with the quality of their potential degree. So for Brian Kelly to get his guys a spot in the final four is impressive to say the least.

·        

•  It’s probably a bit stale to bring up, but it’s absolutely noteworthy that the last time the Fighting Irish were on a stage this big, after an undefeated regular season, things did not go well. Alabama absolutely wiped the floor with the Irish in a 42-14 thrashing. I’ve written before how the focus on that game really should be more about how good ‘Bama was, rather than about how poorly ND performed. It’s also completely erroneous to say that ND didn’t belong in that national title game. Ohio State was undefeated that season, but was on a postseason ban. Oregon looked to be a national title contender all year until losing to Stanford, preventing them from playing in the conference championship. So it came down to a one-loss Oregon team without a conference championship, or an undefeated Notre Dame team. They deserved to be there, but Alabama was just so clearly superior to anyone that could’ve showed up on that field. Luckily for the Irish, their return to the national spotlight does not include Alabama for now. But if they plan on shining in the spotlight and beating Clemson, Alabama will most certainly be the next challenge. But for now, all focus is on the No. 2 Clemson Tigers.

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College Football Playoff team profiles: No. 2 Clemson

(Profile on No. 1 Alabama)

It's no coincidence that the closest program to Saban's Alabama is ranked right behind them at the No. 2 spot. Next up, the Clemson Tigers:

Record: 13-0 (ACC Champions)

Wins over currently ranked opponents:

• 28-26 @ No. 19 Texas A&M
• 27-23 vs. No. 20 Syracuse

Average points per game: 45.4

• Most points scored in a single game: 77 vs. Louisville
• Fewest points scored in a single game: 27 vs. Syracuse, 27 @ Boston College

Average points allowed per game: 13.7 (Second best in country)

• Most points allowed in a single game: 35 vs. South Carolina 
• Fewest points allowed in a single game: 3 @ Wake Forest

Key Players:

Trevor Lawrence, Freshman, QB

All eyes have been on the true freshman out of Cartersville, Georgia ever since he took the Tigers' starting job under center from Kelly Bryant, who had led them to the playoff just last year. (Bryant has since announced that he is transferring to Missouri). And since taking over the title of QB1, he's been good enough to make someone inexplicably do a poorly executed imitation of some Southern accent and say, "that's a damn good quarterback." If that numerical stat doesn't persuade you of Lawrence's ability to perform on the field, he's completed 65% of his 326 passing attempts. He's racked up a total of 24 touchdowns and 2,606 yards through the air, with only four picks

Travis Etienne, Sophomore, RB

Travis Etienne has undoubtedly been Clemson's most exciting player on the offensive side of the operation. The sophomore is hands down one of the best running backs that college football has had to offer this year. He's ran the ball for 1,463 yards (5th most in the country), 21 touchdowns (3rd most), while averaging 8.3 yards per carry (5th best) on 176 carries. Etienne posted three rushing touchdowns in three straight games ('Cuse, Wake, NC State). He tallied triple digit yardage on the ground in seven games this season. One of those was a clutch 203 yard performance in a narrow win against Syracuse, amidst QB troubles with Trevor Lawrence going down with an injury in Clemson's first game without Kelly Bryant. Travis Etienne is a certified stud, and he's been the most impressive part of the Tigers' productive offense.

Tee Higgins, Sophomore, WR

Trevor Lawrence's top target this season has been Tee Higgins, the king of the fine town of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In his sophomore campaign, Higgins has caught the ball 52 times for 802 yards, finding the end zone ten times. Throughout the regular season, he went off gaining over 100 yards in three different games: three receptions for 123 yards @ Texas A&M; eight receptions for 119 yards vs NC State; six receptions for 142 yards vs South Carolina. Higgins can be a really exciting receiver to watch as he's proven the ability to make catches that validate the price of admission.

Christian Wilkins, Senior, DT

Clemson's defensive line is like the Monstars from Space Jam, so it's tough to say which one of them has been the most outstanding. But I'd bet the majority of people would make an argument that the highlight of one of college football's most noteworthy units is Christian Wilkins. The Springfield, Massachusetts/Suffield Academy product was named as a First Team All American and the winner of the Campbell Trophy (top scholar athlete). Wilkins has 52 total tackles, 36 of those being solo and 16 assisted. Of those, 13.5 were tackles for loss, five being sacks. Against NC State, he blocked a field goal. The big guy also has two rushing touchdowns, each of them being a one yard plunge over the goal line. After registering six points against South Carolina, Wilkins struck the Heisman pose. Big guy Heisman poses are the apex of big guy touchdowns. Wilkins is most certainly a first round NFL talent.

Clelin Ferrell, Junior, DE

At some point in time, Clemson got very greedy in their recruiting when it came to talented defensive linemen, and that has certainly paid off. Clelin Williams is also a First Team All American. He stands at 6 feet 5 inches, 260 pounds and won the Ted Hendricks Award for the best defensive end in the country. He notched 47 total tackles (24 solo, 23 assisted), with 17 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. On top of that, he recorded 13 quarterback hurries, three pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. Much like Wilkins, you'll be seeing this guy on Sundays. 

Other notes:

• Trevor Lawrence has looked great at quarterback so far, but is now put to the true test. The main reason that starting him over Kelly Bryant made sense is that Bryant was good enough to make the playoff, not good enough to win a championship. And in a program like Clemson's, that's just not good enough. So Trevor Lawrence has gotten to the playoffs, it's time to see if he is more of a Kelly Bryant, a Deshaun Watson, or somehwere in between.
• Clemson's season has been terrific. There's no arguing that. Undefeated, conference champions. But some people remain a bit skeptical on the Tigers due to the ACC being absolutely putrid. And it's true; the current state of the conference does not even slightly resemble the emerging power it seemed to be a few short years ago. But this Clemson team is talented enough that I wouldn't let a weak conference schedule determine their quality level.
• The Tigers' matchup against Notre Dame will be the fourth ever game between the to programs. The last time they played in 2015, we were gifted a classic that involved hurricane weather and the denial of a game-tying two point conversion. The Tigers have won the last two meetings (2015, 1979) while the Irish one the inaugural battle between the two schools (1977).

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College Football Playoff team profiles: No. 1 Alabama

The few weeks in between the official announcement of college football’s final four, and the actual playing of those games, seems to last an eternity. But fortunately for us all, the fifth edition of the College Football Playoff is right around the corner. Since it feels like it’s been awhile since we’ve seen any of these teams play, I’ll be doing a profile on each team’s season so far. We’ll start with the No. 1 seed, reigning National Champion, Alabama Crimson Tide:

Record: 13-0 (SEC Champions)

Wins over currently ranked opponents: 

•  45-23 vs. No. 19 Texas A&M
• 39-10 vs. No. 23 Missouri
• 29-0 at No. 11 LSU
• 24-0 vs. No. 18 Mississippi State
• 35-28 vs. No. 5 Georgia (SEC Championship Game)

Average points per game:  47.9 (second most in country)

• Most points scored in a single game: 65 @ Arkansas
•  Fewest points scored in a single game: 24 vs Mississippi St
• Alabama scored 50 points or more in eight games this season

Average points allowed per game: 14.8 (fourth best in country)

• Most points allowed in a single game: 31 @ Arkansas
• Fewest points allowed in a single game: 0 @ LSU, 0 vs. Miss St

Key Players:

Tua Tagovailoa, Sophomore, QB

After his second half heroics in last season’s national title, the world of college football had nothing but the highest of expectations for the ‘Bama QB. And since then, Tua has done nothing but lived up to those expectations. In 2018, Tua finished second in Heisman voting and was named a Second Team All American. He put up some crazy numbers throughout the year, and the dominance of his team actually took a toll on his final stats, as Tua rarely played at all in the fourth quarter. To put it in perspective, the other two quarterbacks seated at the Heisman ceremony, Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins, totaled 785 and 962 total snaps on the season, respectively. Tua was on the field for 575 snaps. The Hawaiian native threw for 3,353 total yards (14^th most in the country) and 37 touchdowns (tied with Will Grier for 3^rd most). He had a completion percentage of 67.7 (11^thbest nationwide). He has only thrown four interceptions on 294 attempts.

Jerry Jeudy, Sophomore, WR

As a First Team All American, Alabama’s star receiver Jerry Jeudy has rightfully turned many heads throughout the season. Jeudy racked up 1,103 receiving yards in 2018, which only 18 receivers topped this year. His average yards per catch came out to 18.7, and he found the end zone 12 times (7^th most in country). Jeudy’s stellar play earned him the honor of the 2018 Biletnikoff Award.

Quinnen Williams, Sophomore, DT

Defensive lineman Quinnen Williams really burst onto the scene this year, as heading into the season most of the attention was on Raekwon Davis when discussing the Alabama defensive line. But Williams clearly stole the spotlight as he was named a First Team All American and Outland Trophy winner. Williams stands at 6 feet 4 inches, 289 pounds. Throughout this season, he has tallied up 66 total tackles (42 solo, 24 assisted), with eight of those being sacks. Williams’ really showed up in the Tide’s shutout of LSU in Death Valley, recording ten total tackles that evening. He also had eight total tackles against Georgia in the SEC Championship.

Jaylen Waddle, Freshman, WR

Although Jerry Jeudy was Tua’s top target this season, freshman Jaylen Waddle put in his fair share of work as well. The Houston, Texas product reeled in 41 receptions for 803 yards, averaging 19.6 yards per catch. He also caught seven touchdown passes, and also found the end zone on a 63 yard punt return. Waddle only returned 15 punts this season, but totaled 226 return yards. The only freshmen in Alabama football history to record more reception yards than Jaylen Waddle are some recognizable names: Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, and Amari Cooper. Sure, Waddle is still a young gun, but I wouldn’t blame you for already looking ahead to seeing this kid on Sundays.

Deionte Thompson, Junior, Safety

Alabama’s defensive backfield is highlighted by their First Team All American safety, Deionte Thompson. The Orange, Texas native measures in at 6 feet 2 inches, 194 pounds. Throughout the 2018 season, he had 71 total tackles (42 solo, 29 assisted). He has been disruptive in the passing game, tallying five pass breakups and two interceptions. On top of that, Thompson has forced four fumbles and recovered one.

Other notes: 

• Yes, Jalen Hurts came in for Tua in the SEC Championship and saved the day, much like the National Championship but with reversed roles. Yes, Tua underperformed in the SEC Championship prior to that point. Yes, Tua’s ankle could play a factor in the semifinal game against Oklahoma. But I think we’ve seen the last of Jalen Hurts taking snaps for Alabama. This is a definite reflection of Tom Brady and Drew Bledsoe circa the 2001 AFC Championship in Pittsburgh when Brady went down with an injury. The old vet stepped up in the clutch, no doubt. But the young guy’s minor injury won’t prohibit him from finishing what he set out to do: win a championship.
• Alabama is the only team to have appeared in every College Football Playoff. This year’s semifinal against Oklahoma will be the first time the Tide take on a Big 12 opponent in the playoff. After that game is done, ‘Bama will have faced at least one opponent from every Power Five conference in the College Football Playoff.
• Even if you hadn't watched college football all year, you'd probably guess that 'Bama is in typical form. The notions of supremacy have been on full display this season. So far, at least. To nobody's surprise, the Crimson Tide are heavy favorites to win this year's College Football Playoff.

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