Alright, picture this: it’s New Year’s Day, the Caesars Superdome is buzzing like Bourbon Street on Mardi Gras, and Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish are staring down the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl. Stakes? High as Louisiana sky. The Bulldogs have been here and done that. Riley Leonard & Notre Dame? They’re hungry, scrappy, and rocking a 12-1 season under Marcus Freeman. Enter Ian Book—Notre Dame legend, NFL backup QB, and the voice every Irish fan needs right now.

On the December 27th episode of Varsity House—Notre Dame’s in-house insider show—Book, ever the cool customer, sat down with host Jordan Clark (son of NFL legend Ryan Clark) and kept it all the way real. When asked about the pressure of being the guy under center for the Irish, Book didn’t flinch.

“There’s like five schools where being the quarterback is a huge deal, and Notre Dame is one of them,” he said. “It comes with the territory—big games, big pressure, big moments. That’s why you play quarterback.” Notre Dame is very picky about choosing their QB, they don’t go out & bet on the potentials, they only cash in on certified proven ballers, like Ian Book, they got Sam Hartman from Wake forest, and this season, they chipped in on Riley Leonard from Duke. Safe to say, it turns out well, like it does all the time.

Book didn’t stop there; he heaped praise on Riley Leonard, the 6’4” phenom who transferred from Duke to lead Notre Dame’s charge this season. “Riley’s been amazing,” Book said. “The coaches are playing to his strengths, and that’s what great coaches do. He’s silencing the noise and just playing ball.” And play ball he has—Leonard has thrown for over 2,293 yards, 17 touchdowns, and just six picks, with another 751 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground. That’s not just QB1 stuff; that’s straight-up superhero numbers for a guy his size.

But Book didn’t just throw flowers; he dropped wisdom bombs, too. “You lose a game you’re not supposed to. It feels like everybody hates you. But as long as the guys in the locker room have your back, you’re good…It’s going to work out.” It’s the type of advice you take to heart, especially when your 1 loss this season was an upset to Northern Illinois in Week 2—a game where Leonard threw two picks and caught all the heat.

Notre Dame’s sack leader out of game against No. 2 Georgia

The Irish might be rolling into the Sugar Bowl with momentum, but their defense just took a gut punch. Rylie Mills, Notre Dame’s top pass-rusher with 7.5 sacks, is out for the season after a brutal knee injury in the CFP quarterfinal against Indiana. Coach Marcus Freeman confirmed the news on Monday, and let’s just say it stings worse than a Bourbon Street hangover.

Mills went down in the third quarter, clutching his knee after sacking Indiana’s quarterback. He tried to return with a brace—because that’s the type of dog Mills is—but it wasn’t happening. Losing him is like taking the engine out of a Ferrari; Mills wasn’t just disruptive; he was the tone-setter. Notre Dame’s defense thrives on big plays, and Mills was the guy delivering them week after week.

Freeman will have to rely on backups like Gabriel Rubio and Donovan Hinish to step up. Rubio’s got experience—29 games over three seasons—but he’s not Mills. Meanwhile, defensive tackle Howard Cross III, who missed most of November, is back in the lineup. That’s a silver lining, but let’s not sugarcoat it: Georgia’s O-line is a fortress, and Mills would’ve been the battering ram.

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Still, if there’s one thing the Irish know how to do, it’s adapt. They held Indiana to 2.3 yards per carry in the quarterfinals despite a laundry list of injuries. And while Freeman’s squad isn’t flashy, they’re gritty. Georgia’s got the history, the hardware, and a coach in Kirby Smart, who’s beaten Freeman before. But this isn’t the same Notre Dame team. Riley Leonard and Co. are playing with house money, and Freeman’s defense has a knack for rising to the occasion when the chips are down.

This Sugar Bowl isn’t just a game; it’s a clash of identities. Georgia’s the bully on the block even after losing Carson Beck to injury, the team that’s been there, done that. Notre Dame? They’re the underdog with something to prove. And if there’s one thing we love in college football, it’s an underdog story. Buckle up—this one’s gonna be a barn burner.