For Notre Dame Quarterback Ian Book, It’s ‘Championship Or Bust’

For all of the unknowns about this college football fall, Ian Book remains one of the foremost certainties — to whatever extent that term still exists in our pandemic-laced reality.

Notre Dame’s fifth-year senior quarterback eschewed the NFL Draft in order to come back for one more go-round in South Bend, Ind. Book desperately wants to end a national championship drought that is at 32 years and counting, and if he can guide the Fighting Irish to an undefeated season there will be plenty of Heisman Trophy votes cast in his direction.

“His leadership has been outstanding,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said this week in video news conference. “While it was really good last year, it’s even better now. He’s developed a single-minded focus in terms of what he wants this team to accomplish and what he wants for himself.”

With former Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees elevated from QB coach to one of the nation’s youngest offensive coordinators, Book has one of his closest friends and mentors in his ear daily. 

Jumping with both feet into the ACC for scheduling purposes — and losing games with Stanford, USC and Wisconsin in the process — should give Book even more chances to pad his already- impressive career stats. On paper the Irish figure to face mighty Clemson twice if they are to claim the ACC crown, once at home in early November and again at a neutral site in Charlotte in December.  

But Book has his sights set even higher than the first conference crown in the school’s illustrious football history. 

“It’s a (national) championship or bust,” Kelly said. “Everything he does is so intentional on a day-to-day basis. He’s not distracted by the noise of the position in which he’s a leader and a quarterback at Notre Dame.”

See the way Book rebounded from a 73-yard passing nightmare in a blowout loss at Michigan last October to reel off six straight wins to close the season. Book’s touchdown/interception rate in those final six wins: 19/4.

For his junior year, Book finished with 34 passing touchdowns and four more on the ground. He avoided interceptions in 10 of Notre Dame’s 13 outings.  

“I just think he’s so much more comfortable at being in the position he’s in, more than anything else,” Kelly said. “He’s stronger, he’s fitter. He’s going to have a great year. There’s no doubt in my mind we’re going to see the best version of Ian Book this fall.”