This season, he finished third in the Heisman race behind Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith and Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. The 6-foot-4, 227-pound Quinn passed for 3,278 yards with 35 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

“He’s a very intelligent quarterback. He makes good decisions,” LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini said. “His arm is strong enough to make all the throws, and he’s got the size that NFL teams are looking for in a quarterback.”

But Pelini knows that Quinn can be rattled. He had three interceptions in a 47-21 loss to Michigan, which effectively ended Notre Dame’s national title hopes. He completed just 22 of 45 passes in a 44-24 loss to Southern Cal in the regular-season finale.

The Tigers have one of the nation’s top defenses, one that is fully capable of getting plenty of pressure on Quinn.

“It’s motivation to me,” LSU linebacker Ali Highsmith said. “Quinn is one of the top-ranked quarterbacks in the country. If we can contain him, rattle him, it would say something about our defense. It gets you riled up to go out and play against him.”

Even if he struggles against the Tigers, Quinn still could be the top player selected in the NFL draft. Oakland has the first pick and almost certainly will go with an offensive player after averaging just 10.5 points per game, one of the worst showings ever in a 16-game season.

Despite all the speculation swirling about him, Quinn insisted that his entire focus is on Wednesday night’s Sugar Bowl. He desperately wants to close his career with a win and help Notre Dame end its eight-game bowl losing streak, tied with South Carolina and West Virginia for the longest in NCAA history.

“I don’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings, but I don’t read what you guys write,” Quinn told a group of reporters in the days leading up to the game. “I’m not really into all that.”

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