ESPN's David Pollack compared Book to Johhny Manziel.
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Level 1
There are some talking heads on tv that are getting too far out over their skies.
Kirk Herbstreit meet David Pollack. "LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME" are the mottoes.
Book has played well this year. He is a credit to the program.
He ain't Johnny Manziel either in his athletic ability or his hot dog skills
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Level 1
I prefer to compare him to the non-Alabama QBs who have won NCs in the era of Saban-at-Alabama:
Tim Tebow, 6 ft 3 in, 245 lb, Heisman Trophy Winner, 1st round draft choice (25)
Cam Newton, 6 ft 5 in, 244 lb, Heisman Trophy Winner, 1st overall draft choice
Jameis Winston, 6 ft 4 in, 231 lb, Heisman Trophy Winner, 1st overall draft choice
Cardale Jones, 6 ft 5 in, 260 lbs, 4th round draft choice
Deshaun Watson, 6 ft 2 in, 215 lb, 1st round draft choice (12)
Trevor Lawrence, 6 ft 6 in, 220 lb, projected 1st overall draft choice in upcoming draft
Joe Burrow, 6 ft 4 in, 221 lb, Heisman Trophy Winner, 1st overall draft choice
Ian Book, 6 ft, 203 lb, projected late round or undrafted free agent.-
Level 2
Why?
Genuinely curious. Also, you left at least one out: Matt Flynn QB'd LSU to the NC in 2007 (Saban's first year at Bama). He was a 7th round draft choice.
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Level 3
Because it's the most apt comparison in evaluating the prospects of ND being able to win a NC ...
with Book. Since Alabama became Saban's Alabama -- and that doesn't include the team he inherited from the fired Mike Shula in 2007 -- none of the teams to win a NC (other than Alabama) have been defense-oriented teams with small and average-armed game-manager QBs. They've all had explosive offenses led by big and strong-armed star QBs. Another way of saying this, I continue to regard the prospect of an Ian Book team winning a NC as farfetched.
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Level 4
That’s where I thought you were coming from.
Using the word “prefer” made it a little unclear to me. Thanks for the clarification. Note, though: excluding Alabama is a large exclusion. Saban won five NCs in the time frame.
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Level 5
But it was also Saban who declared that type of football, which he perfected at Alabama, ...
anachronistic saying that great offenses now beat great defenses and that it requires an explosive offense to win a NC now:
"It's just like last week. Georgia has as good a defense as we do an offense, and we scored 41 points on them [in a 41-24 Alabama win]. That's not the way it used to be. It used to be if you had a good defense, other people weren't going to score. You were always going to be in the game. I'm telling you. It ain't that way anymore.
[...]
"I don't like it. But we just have to make sure we have an offense that's that way and that explosive, which we have."ND doesn't.
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Level 6
With the Saban era, up until now, as "anachronistic"
it kind of puts this discussion into a different light. Makes me wonder what college football will look like in the near future.
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Level 1
Didn't one of the announcers say, "Ian Football" during the ND-UNC game? I swear I heard that.
(no message)Evil preaches tolerance until it is dominant, then it tries to silence good. -
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Level 2
Literally.
(no message)Evil preaches tolerance until it is dominant, then it tries to silence good.
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Level 1
Manziel was a better athlete
Manziel had a stronger arm, and was a bit quicker on his feet.
He was also a lot more gung-ho about slinging the ball, and was actually a bit more effective with his downfield throws. His athleticism actually made him (somewhat) deserving of being a high draft pick.
Ian Book isn't going to be a first or second day draft pick. If I'm proven wrong (and I hope that's the case), then I'll happily eat the best-tasting crow.
That being said, Manziel was a complete moron off the field. In terms of common sense, well, let's just say that one guy was already taking multivariable calculus, while the other one was still in remedial math...
End of conversation