Backup on a title contender to be exact. There is a ton of nuance between those two.
Yes, Ian Book has proven to be better than I thought he could be. No Ian Book has shown a shred of ability that would lead anyone to believe that ND could beat an Ohio State, Clemson or LSU program in 2020. There are about 5 teams that are gatekeepers for the Championship right now.
1. Clemson
2. Alabama
3. Ohio State
4. LSU
5. Georgia
I don't see Ian Book as some transcendent talent that can be the difference in overcoming the talent gap possessed by those programs. It's not fault of the kid. He's really solid. A top 4 QB at ND over the past 15 years (along with Quinn, Clausen and Kizer), but in the national landscape he hasn't yet proven to be near the capability of a Lawrence, Burrow, Tu'a, or Fields... And he doesn't have the supporting cast that Fromm does.
The kid is good, but does anybody actually think he's good enough to play for a title? JMO.