Notre Dame football: 5 bold predictions for 2020

4. The offensive line will be top-10 in fewest sacks allowed

Speaking of reasons Book is going to take another step forward, the offensive line might be the best in college football this season. Left tackle Liam Eichenberg, right tackle Robert Hainsey, and right guard Tommy Kraemer all have 25+ starts on their resumé. Left guard Aaron Banks has 19 starts. Jarrett Patterson adds 13 starts at center, and Josh Lugg adds another seven starts as a reserve. This is one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country.

That’s going to give Book a lot of peace of mind. He knows he can take an extra second without a ton of pressure in his face.

Last season, the Fighting Irish ranked 12th in the nation in sacks allowed. That’s a lofty bar, but they are going to exceed them this season. Everyone involved with the team’s pass protection is returning. They allowed 1.23 sacks per game last year. After September, Book never had more than one sack in a game last season. Things got better as the season went along.

If the Notre Dame O-line can drop the sacks allowed to just one per game, that would put them in the top five in the country. This feels like a very attainable goal for one of the most experienced units in the country. They might even be one of the best. It’s going to be fun watching the Irish offensive line attempt to handle Clemson’s amazing defensive line. The O-line might not get a lot of publicity, but it’s going to be the unit that leads them this season.