COTTON BOWL -- Neither Trevor Lawrence nor Ian Book are as good as they are made out to be, and that will become apparent (particularly for Book) on Saturday when Clemson's top-tier defense gets to eat. That's not to say Notre Dame does not have a fighting chance, because it does. And I do think Lawrence takes a while to get going. But this is a team that has been tested by far worse opponents this season. The Tigers' defense had a hiccup against South Carolina, and they still won by 21. In fact, Clemson hasn't won a game by fewer than 20 points since it came back after losing Lawrence to injury to beat Syracuse 27-23 on Sept. 29. Back the experience. Back the talent. Back the speed. Back the coaching. Back Clemson..

COTTON BOWL -- Look for Notre Dame to be prepared to take advantage of the lone playoff spot that is different from 2017.

COTTON BOWL -- I'm very big on no distractions and that is exactly what "The Dexter Lawrence saga" was. QB Trevor Lawrence is just a freshman on such a big stage. Notre Dame's defense will be the best pass defense he has seen all year. Ian Book has enough arm strength to stretch the defense and make big plays. If Clemson has a weakness it would be the back seven of the defense. The front four has been the strength and now it's down to three. This is just too many points for such a big game and Notre Dame has been hearing for five weeks it has no chance. Kelly and the Irish are 22-3 in their last 25 games.

COTTON BOWL -- We rave about both defenses, but No. 3 Notre Dame doesn't exactly get after quarterbacks in passing situations as well as people think. Because of that, true freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence will settle in and not be a deer in headlights on the big stage. Led by Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne, the Tigers will pull away late for a late cover due in large part to a defensive line that has dominated all year.

COTTON BOWL -- It's the first game of the 2018 College Football Playoff and I think Notre Dame is being overlooked by too many people. It seems to be a foregone conclusion that Clemson will win this game, and while I believe Clemson wins this game more often than not, I don't believe the gap between these two teams to be as great as the spread suggests it is. Also, while Clemson may have depth on its defensive line, the possible loss of Dexter Lawrence is not an insignificant one. You don't just replace him.

I give Notre Dame a fighting chance. If Clemson has a weakness it's in the secondary and Notre Dame's passing game is pretty good. The Irish are strong on both lines of scrimmage. Take the points.

COTTON BOWL -- Quietly, these two teams are built very similar. This game features two excellent offensive line defensive lines, strong, breaking away threats in the running game, and quarterbacks that do a terrific job of protecting the football. So all things being equal, this should be a really close game. You also add in the fact that the Tigers more than likely will be without star DL Dexter Lawrence and this game game will be a LOT closer than what many think.

COTTON BOWL -- Though the Fighting Irish did not face the most challenging of schedules, some stats are too shiny to ignore. QB Ian Book boasts the nation’s No. 8 passer rating. The defense flashes the same ranking. Most significantly, it allowed the fourth fewest big plays (20 yards or more) per snap, which will serve the Irish well against Clemson’s offense that terrorizes foes with big gains. The Tigers’ schedule was no great shakes, either, and they were mostly held in check by one-cut-below opponents such as Texas A&M and South Carolina. Take the points.

COTTON BOWL -- The Tigers have looked nearly invincible since the permanent switch to Trevor Lawrence at quarterback. But they have shown some vulnerability on defense, especially against capable offensive opponents such as Texas A&M, Syracuse and South Carolina. Notre Dame has one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the country, so it should have some success. The Irish also are stout on the defensive side and could force Lawrence into long down-and-distance situations. There's just no way to pass on this many points behind a Notre Dame club that has a good chance to push this game to the wire.