Notre Dame football vs. USC Trojans: 3 things to watch for in Week 8

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BLACKSBURG, VA – OCTOBER 09: Jack Coan #17 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish scrambles to avoid a diving tackle attempt of Chamarri Conner #1 of the Virginia Tech Hokies during the second half of the game at Lane Stadium on October 9, 2021, in Blacksburg, Virginia. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

Notre Dame football vs. USC Trojans: 3 things to watch for in Week 8

The quarterback spot

One of the bigger storylines of the 2021 college football season for the Notre Dame football team has been the quarterback spot, as the team has tried to replace Ian Book with a handful of players. We saw Jack Coan get the starting job out of camp, but he has been replaced nearly weekly by either Tyler Buchner and Drew Pyne, as they have yet to bring stability to the position.

Coming out of the bye week, the hope is that this will change for the Irish and that someone can step up and take the mantle as the starter for the rest of the season. Coan is going to get the start against USC, but you can expect Buchner to also get some run, especially if he is back to being 100 percent healthy.

The truth is the Irish need to find the answer here, as they have gotten out to a 5-1 start, and will be looking to run the table in hopes of getting a sniff at the College Football Playoff. Coan has shown he can star at times, and Buchner brings some electricity to the offense, but overall, the questions remain at the most important position in sports.

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