It’s ironic how even when you’re free of discourse involving conference wars, you’ve still got to traverse through the SEC’s terrain. Independent Notre Dame is finally making their way to the southeast. They’ve booked a spot in the Sugar Bowl down in NOLA, Louisiana, on New Year’s Day, courtesy of easing past a toothless Indiana team 27-17  in round 1 of the CFP. The irony doesn’t stop there. Befittingly, a trip to that part of the country will see them face the side that sits on the proverbial throne to the kingdom. SEC Champions Georgia Bulldogs.

The scoreline against Indiana actually does the Fighting Irish a disservice. It reflects a closer affair than what actually transpired in South Bend. Marcus Freeman and Co. dominated for the most part, and the Hoosiers scored 2 TDs in garbage time. Notre Dame, as a collective, never had to leave 2nd gear. Neither did QB Riley Leonard, who put up rather pedestrian numbers by his standards. Well, he wouldn’t be afforded that luxury against a Kirby Smart-helmed defense. Worryingly, one CFB analyst isn’t sure if Leonard possesses the required tools for the job he’s faced with.

Georgia alum and legend David Pollack previewed the matchup on his namesake YouTube Channel. In dissecting the intricacies of what’ll decide the game, Pollack discerned Riley Leonard was at the epicentre. He thinks his archetype of quarterback, and by extension, Notre Dame’s offensive style, will be a hindrance. Pollack didn’t particularly mince his words either. “[Riley Leonard’s] a guy that I think…1 read, maybe 2. [Then] gone. I don’t know that he really sees coverage really well.” he remarked. The insinuation is that Leonard, as an elite runner, is a bit trigger-happy to leg it rather than find someone through the air.

“I’m not saying he’s not good…He’s a really good runner, and I think he’s going to make those plays that are there and get the ball out quick. But then his head’s going to come down.I don’t know that he sees things great. When you really watch him struggle the most is when you bring a [blitz]…[and] you play zone coverage behind. [When] you have zone eyes, and they look at him. When he scrambles, they can get in the pass rush… It takes away the dink and dunk, and he likes to dink and dunk.” added David Pollack. He proceeded to claim that Notre Dame’s explosive play potential shall be neutralized, too.

“Against Indiana, they made some big shots down the field. But like, that’s the type of offense. I really find it hard to believe that offense can beat Kirby Smart and his defense. That’s a struggle for me.”

There are no prizes for guessing. Pollack predicted his alma mater to emerge as the winner, 20-17. With this adjudication, albeit perhaps with a tinge of bias, you do wonder whether this indictment of Riley Leonard is warranted.

Notion surrounding the ineptitude of Riley Leonard is a bit of a fallacy

On the conspicuous surface, it does seem like Notre Dame’s offense is lopsided. They’re the no.11 rushing offense in the nation. That’s a proponent of why they’re in the CFP. Star running back Jeremiyah Love has been a revelation all year. However, Riley Leonard has only spearheaded the 100th-best pass offense in terms of per-game yardage. Without context, the stats are a bit fallacious, though.

Leonard only came to South Bend this season after transferring over from Duke. Initially, he had some growing pains and took time to adjust, as you’d expect. In his first 3 games with ND, Leonard threw zero TDs. Fast-forward to his most recent 4 outings, and he’s thrown 8. His QBR has also soared from the 60s in that initial stretch to over 106 for the last 4 games. This is an offense that’s trending. Extrapolating the most recent data would suggest that Riley Leonard is quite a threat to Georgia.

Pollack’s overarching decree still holds true. This is a running quarterback first. However, his dual-threat abilities are something Kirby Smart has struggled with in the past. For instance, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe lit the Bulldogs defense up earlier this season.

Marcus Freeman will seek to get a complimentary offense that’s dynamic enough to put points on a top 3 defense. With key components of his pass rush out with injury, Freeman will need his offense to step to the mantle more than ever. He still has the edge at the quarterback position, with Georgia poised to have Gunner Stockton lining up for his first-ever start in CFB.