Question 3: Mark in Michigan City, Indiana:
You mentioned the difference in ND quarterbacks vs. elite teams QB’s last week. What is the deal with quarterbacks in year two getting worse under Brian Kelly and what does it mean for Kelly’s future and the future of the ND QB position?
I guess to get to the root of this problem is to look at why things are the way they are. If you remember Kelly’s teams at Cincinnati that won big in 2008 and 2009, he had multiple quarterbacks with a ton of playing time and not just because of routs.
Tony Pike and Zach Collaros both attempted more than 120 passes each in 2009 while 2008 saw three different quarterbacks throw 66 or more passes for the Bearcats. It’s not to say that development for a quarterback isn’t huge for Kelly, it clearly is for any head coach.
But when you are able to win a ton of games without exerting recruiting efforts towards the truly elite quarterback prospects it means the position is going to leave a lot to be desired.
Has Ian Book declined or has his game been figured out quite a bit and he’s showing why he was a three-star quarterback in the first place?
Is it Brian Kelly’s fault Everett Golson missed all of 2013 before returning in 2014 and still not being sure how to secure the football?
Is it Kelly’s fault that DeShone Kizer gets remembered as having a bad second season despite his numbers being just as good as year one but the win total falling from ten to four?
I think it’s more to do with recruiting than it is to do with development, or lack there of. Some guys have ceilings and I think Book is a clear example of that who opposing teams now have a full scouting report on.
Question 4: How does Notre Dame make the Orange or Cotton Bowl?