Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly enters his ninth season with yet another quarterback controversy in South Bend.Brandon Wimbush and Ian Book helped Notre Dame to a 10-3 season in 2017, capped with a Citrus Bowl victory against LSU. The Irish have a top-10 ranking in Sporting News' way-too-early top 25 poll as well, makingthe competition between Wimbush and Book more heated this spring than last season, when the former was the undisputed starter.MORE: What should we expect at Notre Dame? Here's a closer look:Notre Dame QB competitionWho's out? Notre Dame returns all its quarterback production from the 2017 season.Who's in? Wimbush. The senior started for most of2017, compiling1,870 pa sing yards with 16 touchdowns to six interceptions while rushing for 803 yards and a team-high 14 touchdowns.Book. J. C. Ramirez Jersey He led Notre Dame to a victory in the Citrus Bowl, finishing14 of 19 pa sing with two touchdowns and an interception.Avery Davis. The redshirt-freshman is behind Wimbush and Book, and would have to make a strong impre sion in the spring to get in the mix. Tommy La Stella Jersey Phil Jurkovec. The four-star dual-threat quarterback from Gibsonia, Pa., will arrive on campus in the spring.What makes this battle unique? It's going to stretch into fall camp. Kelly's quarterback battles are always unpredictable, and aren't always contained in the offseason. Remember when he alternated series between Malik Zaire and DeShone Kizer in 2016? Chances are Wimbush and Book will both see meaningful snaps during the regular season, but the winner will be on the spot in a primetime showdown against Michigan in the opener.MORE: Three more questions 1. Will Wimbush be more accurate? Wimbush flashed in his first season as starter, but a 49.5 completion percentage wasn't good enough, considering the talent at receiver and tight end last season. In lo ses to Georgia, Miami and Stanford, Wimbush was 41 Nolan Ryan Jersey of 89pa sing (46.1 percent) for 578 yards and three touchdownsto four interceptions. Wimbush's presence in the running game is an X-factor, but he'll have to be more accurate as a senior.2 Will Book cut down the picks? Book is enticing, but it's important to remember he doesn't have nearly as much experience as Wimbush. He also threw four interceptions on just 75 attempts last season; Wimbush hadsix in 275. Book can't turn the ball over like that if he wants to win the starting job, and that's worth watching as the spring progre ses.3. What tweaks will the offense make? Notre Dame ranked seventh nationally with 269.3 rushing yards per game last season in Chip Long's first year as offensive coordinator. The Irish, however, lose All-American offensive linemen Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey and star running back Josh Adams Cody Allen Jersey to the NFL. Wimbush andBook used the talent surrounding them to their advantage, averaging 5.7 and 5.6 yards per carry, respectively. Long likely will make a few tweaks, but this remains a run-first offense where the quarterback has to make plays with his legs.MORE: Stat that matters Notre Dame in 2017 had its lowest totals in pa sing attempts, completion, yards and completion percentage in the Kelly era. Here's a look at the yearly overall production of Irish quarterbacks under Kelly:Year Comp. Pct. Yards TD-INT 2017182 of 35151.92,32620-102016224 of 38757.93,04727-92015240 of 38262.83,36025-102014277 of 46359.83,71130-132013225 of 42952.43,31327-132012225 of 38858.02, Kole Calhoun Jersey 89614-82011302 of 47363.83,28421-172010285 of 48159.33,29028-16The drop in yards is OKconsidering the running game succe s last year, but the dropoff in other areas showstheIrish need morebalance. The more efficient quarterback is going to win this job, and there's improvement needed acro s the board with these statistics.Who wins? It's a to s-up, andit will probably be close to a game-time decision when the Irish take on the Wolverines to start the season. Book made the last impre sion, and that's going to force Wimbush to win this job all over again. We'll give the slight edge to him.