Why doesn’t Ian Book get more love for his time at ND?

[Rudy89]

Between these boards & the ND subreddit when great players & their legacies at ND are brought up we as a fanbase hold a lot of players in reverence for what they accomplished as part of the Fighting Irish. From players who went onto be legends in the NFL like Joe Montana, Tim Brown or Jerome Bettis to guys that their time at ND was the peak of their football careers like Brady Quinn or Manti Teo. However, I don’t feel like we see Ian Book held anywhere near the same sort of regard as we do the names mentioned. While in the case of the former I mentioned those guys are bonafide legends in football on both the college & the pro level. But the latter I feel Ian should be looked at just as fondly as they are. As a QB while he may not have the individual awards that Quinn did his wins he helped lead the Irish to far more impressive (no loses to USC, two bowl wins when they still had a shred of legitimacy left, more wins over ranked teams) that’s not slight on Brady but while Brady is rightfully held up as a great Notre Dame man I feel like Ian should as well. Yet, when I spend my time reading forums with other ND fans I don’t feel like he’s held up as much. Why do you guys think that is? Do I just not talk ND football around the right people and Ian is held in high regard? What do you all think?

 

[rtrn2glory]

I'll never hate on Ian Book dude was a winner and one of my all time favorite players

 

[NDFAN420]

1. Kelly's inability to win a big game during his time, or any QB's time, at ND. Not on Book.
2. Book's lack of improvement. Peaked early.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

No issues w/ the topic but isn’t there an Ian Book thread Already?

 

[Rudy89]

1. Kelly's inability to win a big game during his time, or any QB's time, at ND. Not on Book.
2. Book's lack of improvement. Peaked early.

With all due respect to Mr. Quinn did he ever win a big game under Weis? Other than maybe Michigan in 05?

 

[NDpendent]

Ian Book is well liked and respected by almost every ND fan.

No he will never be on the level of those listed above, those players were super elite

Next

 

[Rudy89]

Ian Book is well liked and respected by most ND fans.

I’m not saying he’s disliked but when we talk about former ND players & their time with Irish I don’t feel like he comes up enough especially in comparison to other players & IMO at least in terms of winning the best qb I’ve seen in the last 30 years the best QB we have had.

 

[calvegas04]

He is great, one of the recent best. He also goes to a ton of ND games and supports the school still

 

[Domina Nostra]

I love Book. He was a good player and a great leader, but it’s because he never seemed like an elite QB that was capable of winning the NC.

That’s the standard. Really nothing more to it than that.

 

[NDPhilly]

Because us that watched every snap know he had significant limitations. He was out of the league in like 2 years despite being a mid round draft pick.

Great guy, teammate and rep of the university, but realistically was a good not great player.

 

[DONTH8]

Because us that watched every snap know he had significant limitations. He was out of the league in like 2 years despite being a mid round draft pick.

Great guy, teammate and rep of the university, but realistically was a good not great player.

I agree with this. However, I'll add that as long as he was the QB, our ceiling was set. It was a solid ceiling, and a solid floor too I'll add, but you knew we weren't winning a serious contender with him at the helm. And that's annoying to watch year in and year out with no improvement year to year.

I love the kid, and he was our best option. But it was frustrating.

 

[Rudy89]

I agree with this. However, I'll add that as long as he was the QB, our ceiling was set. It was a solid ceiling, and a solid floor too I'll add, but you knew we weren't winning a serious contender with him at the helm. And that's annoying to watch year in and year out with no improvement year to year.

I love the kid, and he was our best option. But it was frustrating.

I see what you’re saying & I don’t feel that you’re wrong but I guess I just felt like we were more successful/ yielded better results during that good period of time in ND football than the previous good time in ND football. In 2006 when we got the bid to play in the Sugar Bowl against LSU I was dreading that game & didn’t think we had a chance to win that one. Compare that to 2018 I honestly thought we could’ve gotten past Clemson if the team played the way they did that season against UM, VT, & Syracuse & in 2020 I thought we had a chance at winning the ACC championship which would’ve led to us possibly getting a more favorable matchup in the playoffs. During Book’s time I thought the naysayers who hated on us had no credibility. Compare that to the mid 00’s the naysayers maybe had more of a case. Hopefully I’m making sense with my point.

 

[KPENN]

I see what you’re saying & I don’t feel that you’re wrong but I guess I just felt like we were more successful/ yielded better results during that good period of time in ND football than the previous good time in ND football. In 2006 when we got the bid to play in the Sugar Bowl against LSU I was dreading that game & didn’t think we had a chance to win that one. Compare that to 2018 I honestly thought we could’ve gotten past Clemson if the team played the way they did that season against UM, VT, & Syracuse & in 2020 I thought we had a chance at winning the ACC championship which would’ve led to us possibly getting a more favorable matchup in the playoffs. During Book’s time I thought the naysayers who hated on us had no credibility. Compare that to the mid 00’s the naysayers maybe had more of a case. Hopefully I’m making sense with my point.

Brady Quinn finished 4th and 3rd in the Heisman race and had 2 years wasted years under Willingham. He holds the ND record for passing TDs and yards. I like Ian Book but come on.

 

[Rudy89]

Brady Quinn finished 4th and 3rd in the Heisman race and had 2 years wasted under Willingham. He holds the ND record for passing TDs and yards. I like Ian Book but come on.

He did which is why I’m 1000% on board with the high regard Brady is held in by Irish fans. But despite all of that he didn’t have the wins against ranked teams/big games that Book has so I feel like Ian should be looked at in the same sort of manner. Especially three straight years over USC & the Citrus Bowl win I just feel like he should be viewed on the same level with what he accomplished as well.

 

[DONTH8]

I see what you’re saying & I don’t feel that you’re wrong but I guess I just felt like we were more successful/ yielded better results during that good period of time in ND football than the previous good time in ND football. In 2006 when we got the bid to play in the Sugar Bowl against LSU I was dreading that game & didn’t think we had a chance to win that one. Compare that to 2018 I honestly thought we could’ve gotten past Clemson if the team played the way they did that season against UM, VT, & Syracuse & in 2020 I thought we had a chance at winning the ACC championship which would’ve led to us possibly getting a more favorable matchup in the playoffs. During Book’s time I thought the naysayers who hated on us had no credibility. Compare that to the mid 00’s the naysayers maybe had more of a case. Hopefully I’m making sense with my point.

Book had a much better coaching staff, a more talented roster, and overall the program was in a great spot. I think Brady lifted the program more than Book did, if that makes sense.

Another way that I would put it: The game that I think of when I think of Ian Book is Georgia 2019. We had the ball with a chance to win, and yet I knew that he wouldnt be able to convert. Heck, he barely converted against VT when the moment called for it. LSU bowl game he needed Boykin to do the heavy lifting.

Brady nearly beat one of the greatest teams in college football history if the D had held. And I had total faith that he was going to go down and score when needed. Becuase Brady elevated the team. He didnt need others to be at their best for him to be successful. I think if Brady had a team around him like Book, then he would have flourished even more.

This is all theoretical, but I think the eye test, film, etc. always seem to back this line of thinking for me at least.

Again, I love Book. He was great to watch and we had a lot of success. But you knew there was a ceiling.

 

[JD Irish]

1. Clemson 2018

2. Alabama 2020

 

[Synoptico]

I like him as a player but think ND should have aspired to more. Nd shouldn't have a gamer qb, and BK seemed to not have or develop an elite qb. Its more what he represented, or rather what BK failed to deliver.

That being said I love book and who he was, exceeded his own limitations

 

[NDFAN420]

With all due respect to Mr. Quinn did he ever win a big game under Weis? Other than maybe Michigan in 05?

Are you comparing Ian Book to Brady Quinn? Also see point #2.

 

[SportsingHard]

You're asking why we don't pretend a good player is on the short list of greatest players of all time?

 

[Rudy89]

Are you comparing Ian Book to Brady Quinn? Also see point #2.

I’m saying that I think Ian deserves to be held in similar regard to Brady Quinn. I’m not saying Ian was a better QB but when I think of good Notre Dame Men I think Ian Book deserves to be held in the same sort of reverence as Brady Quinn. In a Notre Dame football hall of fame I think Ian would deserve to be in it based off of despite not having the stats of Brady the wins he was able to get that Brady wasn’t able to get. It’s not a one or the other it’s one should be respected as much as the other.

 

[Rocketman84]

1. Overachiever, but couldn't win the big games.
2. His play in those games (Mich, Clemson 2x, 'Bama)
3. Drop-off from Jr to St season

 

[IrishinSyria]

to understand the Brady Quinn love, you really have to understand how bad the offense-and passing game in particular-was during the post Holtz era. Quinn made ND fun to watch for the first time in a long time.

 

[stlnd01]

to understand the Brady Quinn love, you really have to understand how bad the offense-and passing game in particular-was during the post Holtz era. Quinn made ND fun to watch for the first time in a long time.

This is it.

Quinn came along and for the first time in basically a decade, we had an offense with a pulse. As someone who had watched every snap of the Davie and then early Willingham years, Quinn was a revelation.

Book, on the other hand, was a solid, tough and likeable quarterback — after a run of unreliable quarterbacks — but nothing nearly as exciting.

 

[rtrn2glory]

1. Clemson 2018

2. Alabama 2020

Not a good argument IMO. Our issues against both of those teams far outweighed QB play. We were mismatched all over the field from top to bottom on both of those games, especially on defense.

I know he wasn't a 5*, but the comp I give is that if Stenson Bennet was good enough to win games at the highest level I think Ian Book would have too. No QB is going to win by himself, but he definitely had plenty of intangibles to when big games. He just didn't and I don't think he is the one that should shoulder all the blame on that.

 

[RudyVerse]

I'll never hate on him and he won us games we weren't talented enough to win. But I always felt ND fans overhyped him because he had a really solid year and we were starved for good QB play. My biggest pet peeve was his inability to learn to throw it away and instead take a 7 yard loss running out of bounds as a senior with 1,000 games played.

Carr as a first time starter had a QBR 14 points higher than Ian's best year ever.

Ian Book Career Stats - NCAAF - ESPN

Complete career NCAAF stats for Notre Dame Fighting Irish Quarterback Ian Book on ESPN. Includes scoring, rushing, defensive and receiving stats.

www.espn.com

 

[#1rish]

Your ideal game-manager QB. Had a good enough arm and IQ to make the throws and plays against lesser opponents. Just didn't have that "it" factor when against the wall vs a legit team. Keep forgetting he threw for 34 TDs in 2019 lol

 

[jerseyborn1971]

He did which is why I’m 1000% on board with the high regard Brady is held in by Irish fans. But despite all of that he didn’t have the wins against ranked teams/big games that Book has so I feel like Ian should be looked at in the same sort of manner. Especially three straight years over USC & the Citrus Bowl win I just feel like he should be viewed on the same level with what he accomplished as well.

In fairness to Brady, he and Ian faced VERY different USC teams.

 

[Rudy89]

You're asking why we don't pretend a good player is on the short list of greatest players of all time?

Let me make a comparison. I’m a Denver Broncos fan. Craig Morton clearly as a QB wasn’t as good as Elway or Manning was for the team. However to a lot of Bronco fan Morton is still held with a very high degree of respect & fans who saw him play respect what he was able to do for the team during his tenure there even without being able to achieve the ultimate goal. I feel especially in the last 30 years that Ian should be looked at the same way. No he didn’t have Brady’s numbers. No he doesn’t have the upside we currently do with CJ. No he didn’t lead us to a championship game like Riley did last year. But he was a cornerstone to some damn good ND teams & was still able to accomplish something that our best QB in the last 30 wasn’t able to accomplish. IMO he deserves a seat at that table & to be held in a very high degree of respect and not just another QB who played for us. What he lacked in stats compared to others he made up for in some big wins that he had as much to do with as his teammates.

 

[SportsingHard]

Let me make a comparison. I’m a Denver Broncos fan. Craig Morton clearly as a QB wasn’t as good as Elway or Manning was for the team. However to a lot of Bronco fan Morton is still held with a very high degree of respect & fans who saw him play respect what he was able to do for the team during his tenure there even without being able to achieve the ultimate goal. I feel especially in the last 30 years that Ian should be looked at the same way. No he didn’t have Brady’s numbers. No he doesn’t have the upside we currently do with CJ. No he didn’t lead us to a championship game like Riley did last year. But he was a cornerstone to some damn good ND teams & was still able to accomplish something that our best QB in the last 30 wasn’t able to accomplish. IMO he deserves a seat at that table & to be held in a very high degree of respect and not just another QB who played for us. What he lacked in stats compared to others he made up for in some big wins that he had as much to do with as his teammates.

Yeah, there's a huge universe between 'just another QB' and 'short list of greatest ND players ever.' I agree Ian is somewhere in that universe.

 

[Balthrop]

Brady Quinn finished 4th and 3rd in the Heisman race and had 2 years wasted years under Willingham. He holds the ND record for passing TDs and yards. I like Ian Book but come on.

Brady also holds the record for sheer # of popped squats behind center his first 2 years.