Bleacher Report - Articles by Neil Waechter

Weis Fired, Rumor Mill Churning Full Speed

Neil Waechter — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:35:00 -0500

So, Weis was officially fired today, immediately launching the media frenzy that will be the search for his replacement.

Within minutes of the announcement, I saw conflicting reports on the Internet regarding my favorite (Bob Stoops).

KTUL.com (Tulsa, OK) is reporting that the Irish and Bob Stoops have verbally agreed on contract terms.

OU Insider is reporting that Bob Stoops was quoted this afternoon as saying he would be back next year as the head coach of the Sooners.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Meyer is absolutely not interested in the job, quoting Tebow, Urban, and his wife Shelley this week as stating he's not interested.

I haven't found anything yet on Brian Kelly rumors.

I'll try to update events as they unfold.

There will be a press conference at 6 p.m. today at the University of Notre Dame. I will try to sneak away from work to watch and post an update shortly after.

UPDATE: Stoops saying he will stay at Oklahoma story gaining steam, being reported on multiple outlets, including ESPN, AP, etc. Looks like my top dog has fallen out of the race.

UPDATE: Here's the transcript of Stoops' comments. Taken as a whole, this doesn't sound like a guy that is definitely staying put.

(Stoops): "The questions come up and like I always say I fully intend to be at Oklahoma, hopefully for a good while. You never know what the good lord brings you, but in the end I couldn't be more excited about, even through a tough year, the good quality kids we're working with and the great people here that I work with daily in our administration and you know I can't help with all that's said, but in the end, the players I'm recruiting understand that that's what I'm excited about and that's what I intend to do."

(Reporter): "There is officially an opening at Notre Dame. So, you're not going there?"

(Stoops): "What I am saying is I intend to be at Oklahoma, that's the only place that right now, yes that I am, what I'm looking to do. I will never confirm or deny whether I talk or not talk to anybody. And, I won't be interviewing for any jobs."

(Reporter): "I'm not asking if you talked to anybody."

(Stoops): "Well I just said all that."

(Reporter): "What I'm asking is can you tell me right now that you won't go to Notre Dame?"

(Stoops): "What I'm saying is that I'm going to be at Oklahoma next year. So I can't be in two places at once."

(Reporter): "Well then why not just say no?"

(Stoops): "Because I don't like the way you worded it. So, in the end, I told you what I intend to do. If Joe (Castiglione) and President Boren will have me, that's what I'm going to do. And that's where it's at."

(Reporter): "How would you have worded it?"

(Stoops): "Not like you, obviously."

For my money, I think Stoops is ready to take the ND job after reading that. He is tap dancing all over the place.

IBG: Better late than never

Neil Waechter — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:49:00 -0500

Alright, so with Thanksgiving and whatnot, I never did get these questions answered. But, as they say, better late than never.

1. Take a second and go look back at your post from the first game, with all of its promise and optimism (or not). What is the single biggest difference between the team you thought we had at the beginning of the season, and the team that we've seen on the field that now sits at 6-5?

(1) Overall prediction for wins/losses.
11-2
(2) Projected bowl game and result.
Sugar Bowl win over Alabama
(3) Predicted final ranking.
#4
(4) Best player on the team.
Golden Tate
(5) Heisman trophy winner.
Sam Bradford
(6) National Champion.
Florida
(7) Prediction for Nevada game, including score.
Notre Dame wins easily, 45-17

So, clearly I was drinking the kool-aid at the beginning of the season. And to be fair, this team is clearly capable of achieving the results outlined above. I actually underestimated the spread in the Nevada game, and was right about Golden Tate being the best player on the team.

Ultimately, the reason we aren't sitting at 10-2 and in the BCS is because this defense severely underperformed to expectations. The supposed strength (secondary) became the weakness, and our offense, while very good, struggled to score points in the red zone after Michael Floyd got hurt.

I wonder how the season would have played out with a healthy Floyd, but his presence certainly didn't prevent us from losing to Navy at home.

2. Clearly, even from Coach Weis' own comments, it appears that the conversation has shifted from "Will Coach Weis be fired?" to "Who will be his replacement?" With that in mind, I'd like you to answer the following three questions:

a. If we lived in a perfect world, and could lure any coach to Notre Dame, who would be your choice? (Please limit yourself to coaches actually alive and able to coach right now—yes, we'd all love to have Knute Rockne back on the sidelines.)

There is no absolute perfect fit out there, anywhere. Every coach has their own drawbacks, but I think ultimately the home run ball would have to be Urban Meyer. While I have some serious questions about his character personally, there has never really been much mainstream media attention on his shortcomings, and in every other way, he appears to have been custom built for Notre Dame.

b. If you were the AD for the University, who do you think is the best hire you could actually pull off, and how would you do it?

Bob Stoops. With his worst season yet at Oklahoma, I feel like Stoops could use a change of scenery. He's arguably one of the top five coaches in the game, and as good as he's been at Oklahoma, nobody ever seems to mention him as an all-time great coach.

If he does what he's done at Oklahoma for Notre Dame, there is no doubt he'd go down as one of the greatest coaches ever to coach the game.

The timing works as well, as the rebuilding year means that we can interview and lock him up early, without having to worry about waiting until after the bowl games to interview or announce.

I'd fly to Norman as soon as the regular season is over for both teams, and basically make him an offer he can't refuse. Five year term, $5 million per year total compensation guaranteed by the University plus incentives, and a guaranteed extension of the contract to 10 years at 10 percent above the next highest contract if he meets certain performance goals.

Whatever he needs in regards to facilities, we'll provide, although we should be set there for a while. Full control over all football-related decisions, with minimal interference from the AD's office or anywhere else. Whatever resources he wants to hire his assistants.

Did the economy hurt the endowment? Yes. Are we going to have to pay Weis an insane amount of money over the next five years? Yes.

But the future health and welfare of the program is at stake, and another failed hire could lead to many more millions in lost revenue going forward. The increase in merchandising from a national championship alone would more than pay for the entirety of the contract.

Make it happen.

c. Prediction time: Taking everything you know about the program, the AD, and the current coaching situations around the country, who will be the head coach for the University of Notre Dame next year?

I've been asked this several times, and with all of the speculation and rumor going around, I'm going to stick with my original assertion that the smart money is on Brian Kelly. He's an Irishman who has won every step along the way, is not at a destination program, and would be the safe, logical choice in today's coaching market.

I really just don't believe, deep down inside, that the current administration, even under what I believe will be the very capable leadership of Jack Swarbrick, will be able to hit one out of the park.

But, as the fall back option, I think Kelly is a great choice. Solid resume, success at multiple levels, a winner everywhere he's been.

3. As the title of this IBG post says, there is still one more game to be played. And, in fact, it's a red-hot Stanford team that scores points in bunches and beat SC in the Coliseum 55-21. To say that our program is in turmoil at this point would be a drastic understatement. So, what do you think is going to happen this weekend? Do the players rally and play up to potential for their embattled coach, or come out and go through the motions trying to get this season behind them?

I think that we'll see the same team we've seen all year. Occasionally frustrating, momentarily amazing, and overall playing to the level of the opponent. I expect another hard-fought, close game. I expect to see the players playing with passion and heart. I also expect to see a little more chippiness and extra-curriculars, as the Irish frustration over the season begins to boil over.

Ultimately, my hope is that Weis will successfully rally the team with an us-against-them mentality, and the players will embrace the concept and play one of their best games of the year.

4. Finally, with all of the disappointment and frustration and a lame duck coach, what are your plans this weekend for the game?

I'll sit at home and watch. I'm strangely at peace this week, and I feel free to cheer wholeheartedly for the team without feeling conflicted over the future of the program. Win, and we get some great momentum and a happy note to end the Weis era, which I would particularly like.

Weis deserves great credit for the many good things he has done in and around the program to rebuild its foundations, and I would love to give him a positive sendoff. Lose, and the decision becomes that much clearer.

There is no outcome today that would frustrate or otherwise upset me. It's like watching a pee-wee football game - I just want to see the kids out on that field that I'm so proud of do their best.

Go Irish!

Notre Dame 63
Stanford 60
Final, 12 OT

Jimmy Clausen in Altercation: Not the First Time...

Neil Waechter — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:35:00 -0500

After the Senior night loss (to UConn) this year:
Jimmy Clausen gets into a fight outside of CJ's Pub

After the Senior night loss (to Syracuse) last year:
Jimmy Clausen tries to pick a fight inside CJ's Pub last year

There's a pattern of behavior here, and this year's incident shows me that Jimmy Clausen has not matured as I thought he would. Apparently, he's trying to make a ritual of getting into fights after the end of year Senior night beatdown.

Jimmy Clausen clearly possesses the physical tools to be a great quarterback. But he lacks the intangibles. And it's those intangibles that put us at 6-5 in year three of Jimmy Clausen. He's selfish, arrogant, and I'm actually hoping he goes pro. I no longer want him associated with our program.

Dayne Crist has, since he stepped onto campus, had all of the intangibles that Jimmy Clausen has been lacking, but his physical ability was raw and in need of development. After two years riding the pine, he should be ready to step up to the plate next year and lead this team.

Irish Blogger Gathering: Remember, There's Still One More Game to Play

Neil Waechter — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:19:00 -0500

Okay, so here I am, bookending the regular season by hosting the final IBG post of the year, after kicking the season off with my IBG posting for Nevada.

This post will pose the questions. The next will answer them.

1. Take a second and go look back at your post from the first game, with all of its promise and optimism (or not). What is the single biggest difference between the team you thought we had at the beginning of the season, and the team that we've seen on the field that now sits at 6-5?

2. Clearly, even from Coach Weis' own comments, it appears that the conversation has shifted from "Will Coach Weis be fired?" to "Who will be his replacement?" With that in mind, I'd like you to answer the following three questions:

a. If we lived in a perfect world, and could lure any coach to Notre Dame, who would be your choice? (Please limit yourself to coaches actually alive and able to coach right now. Yes, we'd all love to have Knute Rockne back on the sidelines.)
b. If you were the AD for the University, who do you think is the best hire you could actually pull off, and how would you do it?
c. Prediction time: taking everything you know about the program, the AD, and the current coaching situations around the country, who will be the head coach for the University of Notre Dame next year?

3. As the title of this IBG post says, there is still one more game to be played. And, in fact, it's a red-hot Stanford team that scores points in bunches and beat USC in the Coliseum 55-21.

To say that our program is in turmoil at this point would be a drastic understatement. So, what do you think is going to happen this weekend? Do the players rally and play up to potential for their embattled coach, or come out and go through the motions trying to get this season behind them?

4. Finally, with all of the disappointment and frustration and a lame duck coach, what are your plans this weekend for the game?

IBG: "I Promise I'm Not Doing This at Work" Edition

Neil Waechter — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:02:00 -0500

To be fair to my dear readers, I'm going to answer these questions slightly out of order, as the last question has a clear impact on the first. Sorry, Sarah.

5. I, for one, was very optimistic at the beginning of the season. Now, at 6-4, I am nearly disgusted with this team, and I admit to some actions regarding Notre Dame football that I never thought I would engage in. I can't imagine I am alone. Have you done anything this season—turn off games at halftime, leave early, not watch at all, etc.—that smack of desperation and disgust with this team?

I, too, was absolutely brimming over with optimism at the beginning of the season. And, like Sarah, I have engaged in actions that I would not normally engage in. There are two things I'm somewhat ashamed of.

First, I was hosting a party during the Pitt game. I had explained to my guests that they were welcome to join me in watching the game, but that I would be glued to the television.

At halftime, however, I was frustrated by the team, and agreed to play a drinking game. A particularly brutal one. I honestly don't remember much of the second half, except that it got worse before it got better, as I was wandering in and out.

The second thing I'm ashamed of is that although I will be done with work with no other plans on Saturday afternoon, I'm not going to the game. I normally make an effort to watch the game at Notre Dame stadium every time that I can.

But this week, I just don't want to. I fear the Husky, and don't think my poor heart can take another heartbreaking loss at home. I'll watch it at home on my television.

1. The Pitt loss: give me something good about it, something bad about it, and something ugly about it.

Good: Ummm...Golden Tate? He's always good. Oh, and Rivals.com current bowl projections put us in the Gator Bowl versus (wait for it...) Miami!

Bad: Where do I start? Running game, tackling fundamentals, flat and uninspired play at the beginning of the game. I could go on and on, but they are all of the same problems that have plagued the Irish since Weis arrived.

Ugly: When was the last time Notre Dame beat a highly ranked opponent? The Irish used to get themselves up for games against the big boys. They used to relish coming out and punching the likes of top-ranked Army, Oklahoma, Michigan, Miami, and USC in the mouth. Now, we can't even eke out a win against a decent but overrated top-10 Pitt team.

Most frustrating for me is that all season, Notre Dame looks like the more talented team on the field. Even against USC. But their lack of discipline, absence of commitment to fundamentals, and inability to play smart football keep putting us in position to lose games.

The fact that this team is not in national title contention is a disgrace.

2. UConn this week. Does the sellout streak end? Do you care if it does end? And if it does, does this have any meaning beyond it being the end of yet another ND streak during the Charlie Weis era?

It's not just apathy that's keeping me out of the stadium this week. I kind of want the sellout streak to end. I want to send a message that we do not approve of the mediocrity that has been churned out by every level of administration of this program. From the play of the players on the field, through their preparation and coaching, the scheduling, the Disneyfication of the gameday experience, the Draconian enforcement of alcohol consumption rules, the down-in-front mentality, to the handling of coaching searches.

Everything. I'm sick of it, and although I love this University, this one week, I'm making my stand.

I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore.

"There has been a surrender at Notre Dame, but it is a surrender to excellence on all fronts, and in this we hope to rise above ourselves with the help of God."
-Fr. Hesburgh

3. UConn is coming off of a bye week, with three losses just before that, including close losses to West Virginia and Cincinnati. The last time they won was just before cornerback Jaspar Howard was killed. These factors—along with ND's sorry performances recently—suggest to me that UConn is a dangerous team for a Notre Dame team that could really use a win going into Stanford. Should I be worried about this game? And what should I be worried about?

As I said before, I fear the Husky. This team is, in a nearly literal sense, a wounded animal. They are fighting through grief and pain, and each heartbreaking loss feels like they've let their fallen comrade down.

Now they are walking into Notre Dame Stadium and facing history's team on hallowed ground. UConn is the definition of nouveau riche in college football, having joined Division I-A (FBS, whatever) in 2000. And now they have a chance to make a statement in the first-ever meeting of these two teams.

This Husky team dropped over 40 against Cincinnati, coming within three of pulling the upset. And they've had as much experience in close games as we have.

One more intangible to throw into the mix is Zach Frazier's personal desire to show up the coach and team that told him he wasn't good enough, leading to his transfer.

Notre Dame is clearly on the cusp of another coaching change, reduced to playing spoiler and trying to scratch their way into the Gator Bowl. Coach Weis keeps talking about this team's heart. These are the games where you show it.

4. Notre Dame will be seeing a familiar face in UConn quarterback Zach Frazier. Is there anyone who transferred out of Notre Dame, or who the Irish nearly got in the recruiting process, that you think would have made a significant difference on this year's team?

There are so many I could point to, but I think the biggest loss the Irish have suffered was the numerous misses on the defensive line in Weis' first few recruiting classes. In particular, Gerald McCoy would have been a huge help on this defense.

Another Weis Season Bites the Dust

Neil Waechter — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:19:00 -0500

10 games into Weis' 5th season as head coach of Notre Dame, we're sitting at 6-4. I don't care what other factors go into the post-season review of Coach Weis, but this team has clearly underachieved. The talent is there, but these kids have shown no significant progress in fundamentals—and that falls squarely on the coaches.

I like Coach Weis. I'm grateful for so many of the great things he has done since he arrived in South Bend. He's rebuilt the foundations of the program and he and his family have become a part of the South Bend community. He's a good man, and he clearly has a great offensive mind.

But, he hasn't become a complete head football coach. He works tirelessly, but 6-4 in Year Five is just not good enough. I desperately wanted him to succeed, but at this point, I think it is time to accept that he will not be the head football coach of Notre Dame next year, barring three straight impressive wins over UConn, Stanford, and the bowl opponent. And even that may be too little, too late.

So, let's take this opportunity to look at the not-so-short list of potential candidates to replace Coach Weis, in no particular order.

Brian Kelly , Head Coach, University of Cincinnati

I was not a big fan of Kelly's when his name was being bandied about last year. But he's shown at every stop that he's capable of building a winner in short order. There are some question marks, including his ability to handle national recruiting, admissions standards, etc. But, his background reminds me very much of Jim Tressel. I think he's the safest hire on the board.

Urban Meyer , Head Coach, University of Florida

I just don't think this is going to happen. Sure, he's clearly the best candidate out there. And yes, he's repeatedly stated that Notre Dame is his dream job. He has connections to the university, having coached here as an assistant. He's a Catholic named after a pope. But ultimately, he's won multiple titles at a top tier program, and pulling that kind of coup I think is beyond our ability.

Bob Stoops , Head Coach, University of Oklahoma

Stoops is clearly a top-tier coach, having taken Oklahoma to a championship, multiple conference championships, and BCS bowls. Again, I think luring a coach from a Tier One program is not going to happen. Though, he does have history of losing big games, I'd definitely be excited if he were named head coach. Of course, he has no experience with academic standards, and he has had some brushes with the NCAA.

Jon Gruden , Monday Night Football Analyst, former Super Bowl-winning head coach

Gruden is one of the names that pops up every time we start talking about a potential replacement. He graduated from South Bend Clay High while his father was an assistant here. He's won on the biggest stage of them all. He's young, fiery, and passionate. He also has no experience coaching in college, and I'd be very wary of bringing in another NFL guy.

Paul Johnson , Head Coach, Georgia Institute of Technology

Johnson is one of my personal favorites. He's shown an ability to drill fundamentals into his players and has used the triple option to great effect at each of his stops. Of course, transitioning back to an option offense may not be the best fit for our current personnel, but he did it at Georgia Tech in no time flat. Not many downsides here.

Mike Shanahan , not currently employed, former two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach

Shanahan is my personal favorite darkhorse in this race, even though he is an NFL guy. He had some high-level experience in college coaching before transitioning to the NFL. His system at Denver was extremely consistent, and his ability to generate a running game regardless of running back is very attractive. He's currently available, so we could work out a seamless transition. I really like this option, but nobody seems to be talking much about the possibility.

Gary Patterson , Head Coach, Texas Christian University

He is a defensive guy who coaches a team with a very explosive offense, and he has built TCU into a national power. He doesn't recruit nationally (he's in Texas, he doesn't have to), but his Texas connections could add to a well-built recruiting machine that's already in place.

Nick Saban , Head Coach, University of Alabama

I'm not sure why Saban's name even comes up, but I've heard it enough times that I feel I should mention it. He's a perfect fit for Alabama—shady coach for a shady program that will do ANYTHING to win and win now . Alabama is still one of the top-tier programs, and there is no chance he leaves such a cushy job. And I don't want him, no matter how good he is at coaching. Same reasons I want nothing to do with Pete Carroll.

Jim Harbaugh , Head Coach, Stanford University

OK, so Harbaugh is a Michigan guy who reportedly does not like Notre Dame at all. But, if you ignore those intangibles, he's the best option on paper. He's quickly rebuilt a Stanford program that has to deal with admissions standards into an impressive team that just beat Pete Carrol's USC team 55-21. And, this wasn't his first time beating the Poodle either. He has a strong running game that sets up the play-action pass. He may be playing his way into an interview at the end of the season.

I'm sure there are others out there that I've missed. If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment, and I'll post an addendum.

IBG: Extra! Extra! Edition

Neil Waechter — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:30:00 -0500

Read all about it! Notre Dame's defense torn to shreds! Oh, wait. Wasn't that last week's story? Or maybe the week before. I know I've read this story before...

This week's IBG hosted by the OB - Subway Domer . We're supposed to provide a headline for each question.

1. After weeks and weeks of living on the edge, Notre Dame finally fell off of that edge into a pile of shit. Please describe your mental state since the Navy game. Are you hopeless or hopeful? Why?

Domer Law Bumfuzzled

I'm so lost right now, I've spent all week sort of floating through life. I can't focus at work, and I'm losing sleep. I know this team is talented, and the only people beating them right now is themselves. I don't know which is up.

I'm vacillating wildly between firing Coach Weis and staying the course. I don't know which way this program is headed, and I'm not entirely sure how to fix it.

Happily, this weekend's row with the Pitt Panthers should tell me everything I need to know about Coach Weis and this football team. Win, and you can get this ship righted and build some momentum going into next season. Lose, and it becomes time to start praying for a miracle hire by new AD Jack Swarbrick.

2. Given the sorry state of the Fighting Irish defense, are they capable of slowing down Pitt's offense, or will Stull, Baldwin, and Lewis have career days?

Pitt's Offensive Explosion

When I was looking at the matchups this weekend, I was not encouraged. Bill Stull is 5th in the country in passing efficiency. In a run-first offense. The Panthers are 16th in the country in scoring offense. Our biggest issue is giving up the long passes, and Baldwin is averaging 20 yards per catch.

They're gonna score some points.

3. Notre Dame has had serious Red-Zone issues this year. They can't score... why is that? What needs to be corrected and how can they do this?

ND Offense Gets Physical

This is one of the things that is most puzzling me this year. Offense is different when you get down by the goal-line, as speed becomes less of a factor, and size and strength become more important.

We are not imposing our will against defenses in the red zone. We should be pounding them, and using the tight ends on inside routes and our tall receivers on fade routes. Instead, it seems like every time we get close, we just throw a couple of fade routes and then kick the field goal. We need to run, and use our size advantage inside.

With Rudolph gone, however, I'm guessing we'll see more of the fade route since Floyd is healthy. My hope is that Armando Allen will be back as part of this offense.

4. Charlie Weis and Dave Wannstache started coaching their alma maters at the same time. They have both coached on crutches. They both seem to recruit fairly well. They are both considered disappointing in their respective five year campaigns. After reviewing their total body of work, who would you rather have coaching ND in 2010? Explain.

Weis retained despite year-end skid, Wanny fired after bowl win

I'm still going to go with Weis. Although Wanny has managed to get his team into the top ten, he did so in a weak Big East. His biggest win is over Navy–which I'm certainly in no position to scoff at–and the loss was to a now 4-5 NC State team.

This team would only have 1 loss against that schedule as well, and may have been able to actually beat Navy, since they would have been able to focus on them as the toughest team on the schedule, rather than coming out flat and uninspired.

Weis has his issues - don't get me wrong. I just think that, at the end of the day, he's better than the Wannstache.

5. Prediction time. How does this game play out. Please include a score, an offensive MVP, a defensive MVP, and a sleeper.

Cardiac Catholics give Coach a Heart Attack

Notre Dame comes out of the gate pissed off and ready to hurt someone. They get an early lead, but the Panthers punch back with their own explosiveness by scoring a couple of LONG TDs with Baldwin, and another rushing TD by the freshman RB Lewis. Notre Dame and Pitt eventually settle into a shootout, trading scores and leads until the end of the game. Clausen scores the go ahead TD on a quick slant to Allen with 1:15 left on the clock.

Weis, in his excitement, suffers a mild heart attack and is carted off the field in an ambulance.

Then Stull comes out and tears the ND secondary to shreds en route to a game winning TD pass to Baldwin.

Tenuta, in his frustration, eats Ian Williams.

Pittsburgh 49
Notre Dame 45

Yes, folks, you read that right. Domer Law, the biggest ND homer and eternal optimist, picked us to lose a game. It's sad, but true.

Offensive MVP
Notre Dame: Golden Tate, 15 catches 174 yards 3 TDs
Pittsburgh: Jonathan Baldwin, 12 catches 247 yards 4 TDs

Defensive MVP
Notre Dame: Manti Te'o, 17 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 sacks, forced fumble
Pittsburgh: Adam Gunn, 14 tackles, 5 TFL, INT

Sleeper: Bobby Burger, 7 catches 89 yards TD

Reply Hazy, Try Again

Neil Waechter — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:12:00 -0500

What a weekend. It's Monday morning, and even after a relaxing Sunday and a good night's sleep both Saturday and Sunday night, I'm emotionally spent. To be fair, this doesn't all fall on the Irish—there are personal and work issues that decided to rear their ugly heads this week as well.

But, the fact remains that for the first time since I was a child, I shed a tear after the game. It was right during Navy's alma mater, and I was honestly surprised at how emotional I felt.

All of the past 20 years of frustrations and disappointments welled themselves into one perfectly formed teardrop, which slowly wend it's way down my face as the Navy players sang jubilantly after their 2nd straight win at Notre Dame Stadium. Part of what I was feeling was pride—I've watched far more Navy games than any other opponent in my lifetime, as they were always the left-over tickets once everyone else in the family had the opportunity to pick which games they would attend with my grandmother. Personally, I was just happy to go regardless of opponent. And after watching so many times the Navy players lay everything on the field for a full 60 minutes, to see them earn a victory is special to me, even though it does come at the hands of my Irish.

But I was at the 2007 game, too. And there were no tears, despite it being the worst season in Notre Dame history.

This week was different.

This week, I ended the game with my eternal optimism for Notre Dame football shaken.

I don't know where we go from here.

Our BCS hopes were coughed up with Jimmy's fumble inside the two-yard line. Jimmy's Heisman campaign bounced right between Michael Floyd's shoulder blades and then disappeared. Coach Weis' career may have just sailed off course like Nick Tausch's 2 field goal attempts.

And that's what hurts the most. Last year, after the Syracuse loss, I had the knee jerk reaction of wanting him fired. I spoke and wrote out of anger and frustration, but inside I knew he'd get another chance. This team was too close to try and shift gears.

And even now, I'm hesitant to call for Weis' termination. The pieces to the puzzle are all here, and this team clearly has the talent and ability to beat anyone in the country. Indeed, the only people beating the Irish this year are the Irish themselves.

Now, this isn't meant to be any disrespect to the men of the Naval Academy. They have busted their ass for the past decade and a half and in the process have built themselves not just a good team, but a solid program that the rest of the nation needs to start respecting.

But even they know, inside, that they couldn't beat this Irish team if they were hitting on all cylinders.

And that's why I can't quite bring myself to pull the plug.

I agree with everything Brawling Hibernian and OC Domer have to say. While talking to Sarah from Bad Trade over brunch on Sunday, I admit to having the knee jerk reaction of wanting to fire him.

But now, sitting at my desk Monday morning, doubt and uncertainty have clouded this entire program, to the point that I don't even know for sure whether or not we should can Charlie.

Certainly, the next three game will have some bearing on this discussion. Lose another, and it's clear Charlie should go. Lose two, and it's clear he will.

But, if we win out, should he stay or should he go?

This team will then be 9-3, with close losses to a top-five USC team, a solid program in Navy, and a Michigan team that started with a lot of bluster before faltering down the stretch. We'll play in the Gator Bowl or Cotton Bowl against the likes of Oklahoma or Miami.

Win or lose in that game, it's too late to be making a decision on Weis' future as the result of a bowl game.

If we win out, I think Weis keeps his job. He broke the bowl streak, and the streaks against BC and MSU. He almost beat USC, and he beat Boston College—the first win over an opponent with a winning record. The win over Pittsburgh—Weis' first since 2006—would be the difference, as well as a win over what should be a ranked Stanford team as well.

But drop even one of the next three, and the picture becomes a lot murkier.

We lose to Pitt, and once again the charge arises that we beat up and bad to mediocre teams, but can't beat good teams. Lose to UConn, and we have yet another loss to an average team that we should beat. Lose to Stanford, and we get both charges, as inconsistent as that may be. Also, another loss would bring up the fact that Weis' teams start out strong and fade down the stretch.

More concerning to me, however, regardless of whether we win out and retain Weis, is that I feel like the entire program is on shaky footing right now regardless.

Fire Weis, and we have to bring in yet another coach with, at best, decent credentials. Forget the pipe dreams about Meyer or Stoops. That's just not going to happen. And I have no idea why everyone is so high on Gruden. He was a mediocre NFL head coach, and other than graduating high school from South Bend Clay, I'm not sure why people seem to want him so bad. Brian Kelly and Gary Patterson are probably the front-runners, and neither of them are particularly exciting for me, except that they are having unprecedented success at their current schools right now. And that's without the recruiting restrictions and academic requirements of Notre Dame.

Not that I don't think that those coaches could succeed here. In fact, whoever takes this job if Weis leaves will have a great foundation upon which to build their legacy. Even if both Jimmy and Tate leave, you still have Rudolph, Allen, Hughes, Floyd, Kamara, Goodman, Parris, Ragone, Toma, Evans, and Walker at the skill positions. Ninety-five percent of the coaches in the country would trade their talent at the skill positions for that in a heartbeat. And the defense, which still sucks, is loaded with talent that is lacking only proper coaching.

But, we'd be back at square one going into a season where we should be easily the favorite to win it all. Clausen, Floyd, Tate, and Rudolph could all claim to be the best in the country at their respective positions. I can't remember a team with that much star power at the offensive skill positions. And yet we're sitting at 6-3, staring at uncertainty headed into next year.

I'm not sure where we go from here. Indeed, the image that keeps running through my head is from Chris Van Allsburg's Mysteries of Harris Burdick. I don't know why, but here it is for your viewing pleasure:

Irish Blogger Gathering: Gold Helmets Galore!

Neil Waechter — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:22:00 -0500

This week's Irish Blogger Gathering is hosted by Charlie's Nasties .

1. With all of the recent injuries, what scenario would you rather have? Option A: Dayne Christ out for the season, Trevor Robinson out indefinitely with an ankle sprain, and Jimmy Clausen suffering week to week with turf toe, OR Option B: All of the above players are 100 percent, and Floyd is out for the year?

It's no question I'd take Option A. Turf toe is painful (I actually got the same injury two days after Jimmy did), but you can work through it. Crist is our second string QB, and our third stringer has actually started games for us. And Trevor Robinson, while very good, is not irreplaceable, as we are very deep along the O-line.

Michael Floyd, however, completely changes this offense. Last year, with Floyd out, the offense struggled mightily, and we lost both games. This year, Floyd was out at the end of the Michigan game, a loss. And he didn't get to play against USC, our only other loss. One could legitimately make the argument that if not for Floyd's injury, we would be undefeated and in the thick of the national title picture.

Now don't get me wrong—Golden Tate is amazing. But just think what he would be doing if they couldn't triple team him every play.

Now, the only way I'd choose option B is if you look at the possibility of a medical redshirt, and you know that all of the players are going to use every ounce of eligibility left to them. I'd rather have Michael Floyd here to help with the transition from Clausen to Crist after winning the title next year. But, it's unlikely that Floyd will be able to stay out of the draft after next year.

2. After experiencing our first neutral site game at San Antonio this week, it got me thinking about our upcoming off site game against Navy. What are your thoughts on playing Navy in Ireland in 2012? Should the 7-4-1 model take us abroad?

I'm already in the planning stages to take a very large contingent of my friends to Dublin for this game. I've never been more excited about a Navy game in my entire life.

Sure, it has a couple of drawbacks. However, watching the Fightin' Irish play in the homeland of the Irish has got to get you fired up.

3. Navy's unique offense and personnel always seem to test the Irish in some ways that other opponents don't. What position matchup are you most looking forward to this weekend?

I'm lookng forward to Manti Te'o's relationship with Ricky Dobbs. The key to stopping this offense is to play sound, fundamental assignment defense. And, the best way to disrupt this offense is to get negative plays on first down, taking them out of their comfort zone. With Te'o's athleticism, I'm expecting him to have a career game in tackles, especially tackles for loss. If nothing else, he can force the early pitch, keeping the tailback from getting to the edge.

4. The Navy football stereotype is generally that the players are undersized and have less star power, but by emphasizing the fundamentals, minimizing mental errors, and playing as a team, they are always able to put up a fight. What position, or player on Notre Dame's roster do you think could benefit from approaching games with this attitude?

The obvious answer here would be cornerback/safety play in the zone defense. We have had serious issues with passing coverage from zone to zone. There is a clear lack of communication there, as there are too many miscues. If the defensive backfield could play as a unit and count on each other to cover their assignments, this team would be unstoppable.

5. Everyone in the country saw that Navy took No. 6 Ohio State down to the wire in the opening week. How will the Midshipmen fare against the Irish? Predictions please.

Unlike the Buckeyes, the Irish face this Navy offense every single year. The experienced players know what's coming, and have practiced against it several times before. Also, the strength of our defense all year has been rush defense.

The key here will be how the Irish matchup against Navy on first down. If we can stop them for little or no gain, or even get a loss, this offense will struggle to move the chains.

Also, I'm excited to see what this offense looks like with Michael Floyd back in the lineup. Robby Parris is also healthy, so we now have seven receivers that have shown the ability to be productive. And a potential All-American tight end on top of that. Not to mention the guys that can catch the ball out of the backfield. So many weapons to try to defend.

My prediction is that we'll have success in shutting down the potent Navy rushing offense, but because of the very nature of their offense, they may be able to keep things close. If we have early success, and can build a substantial lead, this game could become a blowout. But, this is Navy, and they never say quit. We need to flex our muscles on defense, and play for 60 minutes.

Notre Dame 35
Navy 24

Go Irish! Beat Midshipmen!

IBG: Halloween at the Alamo Edition

Neil Waechter — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:07:00 -0400

This week's Irish Blogger Gathering is hosted by Whiskey over at One foot Down .

1. The 7-4-1 scheduling model has been the subject of much heated debate amongst Irish fans since it was first announced back in 2006. This week the Fighting Irish will play the first neutral site “barnstorming game” in said model so now is as good of a time as any to weigh in on the controversial subject. What do you think about a) 7-4-1 as a whole, b) the neutral site/ barnstorming game in general and c) specifically playing Washington State in San Antonio.

(a) I hate the 7-4-1, not as a concept, but as a limitation. I like having 7-4-1 as a goal, but if sticking to the 7-4-1 is going to cost us a series against Miami or Alabama, scrap it to get those games done. The biggest problem with the 7-4-1 is that it creates too many "buy" games, where we cannot offer an opponent a return trip.

(b) I feel very similar about the barnstorming game. I love the idea, its the implementation that I would like to fix. The idea of playing a quality opponent at a neutral site as a sort of mid-season bowl game is great! The only problem is, scheduling a marquis opponent has been a problem. Apparently, the big conferences are thumbing their noses at the idea of playing a neutral site game in their "conference footprint," leaving us to play, for example, a Pac-10 team in Big-12 country. I could deal with that, but the other issue is that we are insisting on treating this as a "home" game for revenue purposes, leaving the marquis opponents feeling slighted. Forget the money—there's plenty to go around. Let's split the revenues down the middle and find a way to play Alabama in the Orange Bowl. Texas in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. Florida State in the Superdome. Wisconsin at FedEx Field in DC.

(c) I was concerned about this game at first. I thought nobody would go. But then, I remembered that this fan base is positively obsessed with their Irish. Hell, if I had the money and the time, I'd sure as hell be there. I know Sarah over at Bad Trade is going. Heck, half of the people I invited to my big Halloween Party are going. Of course, I wish the opponent were somewhat better than Washington State, but who knew that the Cougars would be one of the absolute worst teams in all of college football when they got here? If I recall, they do play in a major conference (Pac-10) and have been in the Rose Bowl as recently as 2002.

2. I have personally had this game circled on the schedule for quite some time as the one “sure thing.” After the last few games I have really been looking forward to a drama free victory. As luck would have it I started looking at the Cougars more closely this morning and it appears that freshman quarterback Jeff Tuel went 28 of 42 for 354 yards and 2 TD’s in a losing effort against Cal over the weekend. With the Irish secondary still struggling to get it together what are the chances that yet another freshman signal caller makes this one way more interesting than it should be on Saturday night in San Antonio?

Zero.

I'm sorry, but the deficiencies in our pass defense may be bad, but this Washington State team is simply not equipped (as our past several opponents have) to handle the pressure up front. We'll actually see these blitzes get to the quarterback, and everyone will think our problems are solved, when they are in fact just masked by a weak offensive line.

If this game becomes a nailbiter, the heat on Coach Weis will turn up immensely. This team is ranked 119th in Sagarin's computer ratings, and 125th by his predictor (we're 20th and 22nd, respectively, in those categories).

We should walk out onto that field and quite simply manhandle these kids. This should get ugly by early in the second half, and we should get plenty of time to watch Dayne Crist work.

If that is not the case, then this team is far further away then I thought.

We've had some nailbiters, but they came against a Michigan team that still thought they were pretty good (and in the Big House), a Michigan State team that has had our number at home the previous six times, a Purdue team that is young but talented and growing (oh, and who beat a top five Ohio State team as well), a USC team that has owned us for the better part of a decade, and Boston College, who always treats the Notre Dame game as their biggest game of the year (and who was 5-2 coming in, in case you forgot). Their Sagarin rankings? 46/48, 43/36, 75/62, 5/5, and 38/31 respectively. Only Purdue was ranked out of the top 50.

This Washington State team is not in that category. 119/125.

3. Assuming that the Fighting Irish are able to take care of business and put this one away early what non-starters would you most like to see get some reps this week? Why?

Obviously, Dayne Crist. With Jimmy Clausen facing a big decision about whether to come back next season, this is a golden opportunity to get some meaningful snaps for the heir apparent. Indeed, I want to see us give him the chance to throw the ball around the field a little bit in a live game.

Next in line would be the offensive line backups. I know we rotate them in right now, but I'd like to give next year's starting five quite a bit of time to play together and develop their chemistry.

4. With the game being played on Halloween Night chances are that if you are not traveling to San Antonio you most likely have a scheduling conflict. Whether you are supposed to be at a party dressed as Fat Elvis, taking your kids trick-or-treating or just dealing with your doorbell ringing nonstop how do you plan to watch the game? If you are going what are you most looking forward to?

As stated earlier, I am throwing a massive party at my house. Of course, said massive party will also involve a very large and very raucous game-watch. There will be around 100 other people capable of answering the door and handing out candy. My butt will be front and center watching the football game. I'll mingle with guests while I celebrate the blowout.

5. Trick or Treat? Predictions please.

Treat! Or is it Tate? The Irish should fire out of the gate here, looking to put this whole "Cardiac Catholics" thing they've got going on away for at least one week. Of course, knowing Coach Weis, he'll let off the gas up 28 points.

Notre Dame 42
Washington State 3

By the way, I still need a costume for Halloween. Please post your ideas in the comments section.

Notre Dame Football: This Is a Process

Neil Waechter — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:25:00 -0400

So, Notre Dame's pass defense is bad. It is like, really, really, really bad. In fact, it is just awful.

Even though the Irish spent much of the day making the nation's 106th-ranked pass offense look like the next coming of the "Greatest Show on Turf," the pass defense did get some turnovers, and ultimately did enough to bail out our offense and get that ugly Boston College monkey off of our back.

And while I was watching that game and pining for the return of wide receiver Michael Floyd, I kept reminding myself that we are almost there. We're clearly not actually there, but we're getting close. I had to remind myself that this is a team that is still growing, and that once we get healthy, we should be a great team.

But after watching that game, the other thing I couldn't help thinking was that Notre Dame Co-Defensive Coordinator Corwin Brown is not a good coach. I like Brown, and I've heard him speak a few times. He's a great recruiter, and he can motivate as well as anyone I've ever seen. It just doesn't seem like he's doing a very good job of teaching these kids the fundamental skills necessary to defend against the pass.

Yes, it is hard to defend against the pass when we aren't getting any pressure on the quarterback. And for that reason, I'm done with this Jon Tenuta defensive coordinator experiment as well.If this is what's going to happen when we blitz 80 percent of the time, I don't want it. And what's really frustrating about this abysmal pass defense is that on paper, the defensive secondary was supposed to be the strength of this unit.

Indeed, if this defense were well coached and playing up to the level of their talent, we would easily be undefeated and clearly in the middle of the National Championship conversation.

And we should be in the thick of the conversation next year; especially if Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen comes back.

So, I'm now advocating for a change. I don't want to get rid of Head Coach Charlie Weis. He has rebuilt the foundation of this football program, and his offense is clearly not the problem (although, I'm sick of settling for field goals). What I'm advocating for is a wholesale change on the defensive side of the ball.

Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick should work with Weis to identify the best defensive coordinator in the country, and do whatever it takes to lure them to South Bend. I would essentially make him a co-head coach, let him handle the defense, and let Weis handle the offense. If we can teach the kids on this defense the fundamentals of defense, we can win a title.

We don't need any more players—the talent is there. It's not a talent issue and I don't even think it's a scheme issue. I think this team is lacking in someone who is teaching the fundamentals of sound defensive football.

I watched the practice video from last week, and although it is just a snippet, I was frustrated by the lack of direction being given to the secondary in a tackling drill. They were basically being told to do "whatever it takes" to make the tackle. They weren't being corrected on form and technique.

Maybe that happens in some other drill, I don't know. But I do know—as a long-time swim teacher—that you need to take every opportunity that presents itself as a teaching moment to help correct mistakes and errors.

So, let's make a change. Get someone in here capable of developing the skill sets necessary to be successful.

Because from my seats, this is unacceptable.

IBG: Fredo Scar is Weak and Stupid Edition

Neil Waechter — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:04:00 -0400

1. Coming off a very difficult loss to a rival that has now beaten them eight straight times, Notre Dame faces another that's beaten them six straight. Can Notre Dame end the losing streak against BC or will the combined weight of the USC loss and recent history against the Eagles be too much to overcome? Allow me to explain.

If there's one thing I've learned this season, it's not to question the heart and tenacity of this football team. They are pissed that they let the SC game slip from their grasp, and with it, their title dreams. They need someone to take their frustration out on, and BC's six-game streak is largely undeserved—they've gotten lucky and caught the Irish at the perfect time each of those six games to continue to eke out wins.

Not this week. We're gonna pound on them like they are our worst enemies. I don't want to see anything but snot bubbles.

2. Not unlike Notre Dame's defense, BC's offense has been pretty erratic this season. While in their most recent win, they rolled up 480 total yards and scored 52 points; in their two losses, they've averaged 109 yards and 11 points. Which BC offense and which ND defense show up on Saturday? Why?

I think that the BC offense has feasted on some weak defenses. That said, statistically our defense, especially versus the pass, is pretty weak at this point. However, the BC pass offense is hardly a threat, ranked 106th in passing offense.

BC tries to make their plays on the ground, where the Irish have been amazingly stout, shutting out the nation's best rushing offense (Nevada), and holding Michigan ( eighth best rush O) and USC (22nd best rush O) well below their season averages on the ground as well.

I like the matchup here, and think the Irish defense will look good against the BC offense.

3. Does anyone seem primed to have a Robby Parris-like breakout moment against the Eagles? If so, who is it and why?

I like Robert Blanton, Gary Gray, and Darrin Walls. BC is a weak team passing the ball, and I think they'll be playing from behind for much of the day. The corners will be facing receivers that are not nearly as athletic or talented as the ones they've been struggling against all season. There is no Keith Smith (Purdue, 11th), Blair White (Michigan State, 25th), Damian Williams (USC, 28th), Aaron Valentin (Purdue, 65th), or Anthony McCoy (USC, 94th) on this team that will burn us through the air.

I expect one or more of them to step up in this game, possibly with multiple picks.

4. It's been an and up-and-down year for Boston sports. After a strong start, the Red Sox folded in the second half of the year. The Patriots, meanwhile, seem to be on the upswing after a 59-0 dismantling of Tennessee. For their part, Boston College has seemed as though their season could go either way. Ultimately, will the Eagles be the Sox or the Pats?

Neither. BC is BC. They'll finish at or around .500, and possibly go to some low-to-mid level bowl game, where they will end up playing someone else nobody cares about. Wash, rinse, repeat.

We just need to stop this habit they have of unceremoniously ruining our promising seasons ('93, '94, '02, '04). We can still have an excellent year, and a major beatdown of a decent BC team would go a long way into convincing people that we are a force to be reckoned with, and last week's near miss was not a fluke.

5. While most Irish fans refer to BC as "Fredo", tell me which other cinematic character you would compare the Eagles.

Scar from Disney's The Lion King .

He's the unworthy little brother of the great and majestic King of the jungle, Mufasa. He is bitter and jealous, and will stop at nothing to bring down the King. He takes his greatest pleasure from destroying the happiness of a brother who represents all that is good and right in the world.

His successes at killing his brother ('93 upset) allowed him a brief (six game) reign as the usurper to the throne. But now, after a period of exile (Davieham), the rightful heir to throne has returned to take his place.

Rightful Heir: 42
Usurper: 21

2005 Redux?

Neil Waechter — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 20:25:00 -0400

I was crushed emotionally at the end of the game. I always take these losses personally, and losing to USC hurts more than anything else. Even Michigan.

But now I've had a good night's sleep. I spent a fun day with the extended family to celebrate my grandmother's birthday. I met some really amazing people over the weekend. I'm feeling good about life again. So, I've been able to step back and get some perspective on this painful loss.

*****

And as I think about this team, I think that there are some almost eerie parallels to the 2005 squad. After six games at 4-2, having nearly edged out a top-5 USC team, and losing a squeaker against a Big Ten school from Michigan. There are six winnable games ahead, and the possibility of a BCS bowl is still within our reach. We are led by a junior quarterback that is quickly proving himself to be one of the best to play the game. Our Achilles' heel is our defense, who gives up the big play too often.

In 2005, we had a good showing against OSU in the Fiesta Bowl, but our defense's tendency to give up the big play and the lack of quality depth resulted in an all-too-familiar bowl loss.

Despite the disappointing end to the season, we were No. 2 preseason the next year, with so many of our offensive weapons returning. Then the lack of depth robbed us of the title that season, when we got blown out by SC and LSU at the end of the year.

But this year, we may have a far better trajectory. Where the 2005 team lacked depth in the underclassmen, this team does not. Also, that team that almost beat USC four years ago was relatively healthy. This year's team was missing arguably its best receiver, and a QB that is still a little bothered by that pesky turf toe.

With Michael Floyd set to come back in a few weeks, our offense will be far more productive, and far more difficult for teams to stop or even slow down.

A few weeks to rest Clausen's toe should put us in the position to actually WIN a BCS bowl against quality competition, even if our defense doesn't improve drastically.

If Weis wins out (which he should given the talent level of this team), he will be retained. And then, we will have to cross our fingers to hope Jimmy Clausen returns for his senior season.

If he does, this team should be preseason top five, and primed to make a run at the title. And the biggest difference between the '06/'07 team led by a senior Brady Quinn and the '10/'11 team led by a senior Jimmy Clausen is what gives me such great hope for next year. The overall depth and athleticism of the team is about 10 times better than it was in 2006, where the majority of the starters were seniors who had nobody to push them.

Now, we have legitimate depth at every single position.

At this point, I think that Jimmy Clausen is better than Brady Quinn. The tandem of Michael Floyd and Golden Tate is better than the tandem of Jeff Samardzija and Rhema McKnight. Kyle Rudolph is better than Anthony Fasano. And, the offensive lines are probably similar, with the depth edge clearly going to this year's team.

*****

I said going into the game that this game was a crossroads and had the potential to either vault the Irish back into the nation's elite, or perhaps set us back on the path of mediocrity.

But now, I think the truth is somewhere in the middle, muddied by a valiant effort by these kids, who never stop believing—what tho' the odds be great or small.

However, despite the potential for growth from this team, there seems to be a growing sentiment on message boards that the fans want to oust our coach, when an 11-2 season with a legitimate win over a big-time opponent in the BCS is still within our reach.

Bloggers like myself, who spend a lot of time and effort trying to pull our thoughts together and craft a coherent message, largely agree with my assessment. Blue-Gray Sky , One Foot Down , Subway Domer and myself are all pretty much in agreement.

And so, as we look forward, the consensus seems to be that we have a legitimate shot to run the table, and (depending on the way we win or lose and what people ahead of us do), get into the BCS, or perhaps if things don't break our way, the Cotton Bowl.

And this year, especially with a healthy Floyd coming back from injury soon, I like our chances against whoever trots out onto the field against us in a bowl game.

Chances are good that this team will win each of the remaining six games on the schedule, virtually guaranteeing that Coach Weis will return next season, with (depending on what Jimmy decides about going pro) a legitimate chance to make a run at the national title if we can develop our defense a little bit.

The message boards and comment posters, however, seem filled with vitriol and disgust for Coach Weis, and are all but demanding a change. (I'll admit, there are many posters who take the opposite view, I'm simply talking about my sense of the overall mood of the boards I've read-)

So why the split?

My two cents, which I'm sure won't sit well with the board-poster and post commenter crowd, is that the people who post on message boards and make comments on blogs don't spend as much time thinking about the permanence of their message. I'll admit that last week, I allowed my emotions to turn this past week's game into more than it perhaps was.

But those bloggers that spend a lot of time thinking about what everyone will think about their post, tend to be a little more rational. More measured.

But then, as a blogger myself, I'm probably biased.

*****

At the end of the day, what you have is a 4-2 football team that has had an outstanding offense despite injuries, and a porous pass defense that has forced us into last minute games against every quality opponent we've faced. However, when the chips have been down, our quarterback, who I believe deserves the Heisman this season, has found a way to win each and every game.

Until this one.

And this one was only a rivalry game against a top-5 opponent who we had on the ropes with multiple shots to tie the game with only seconds left in regulation.

One second.

That's really the difference between "clear Heisman front runner" and "Heisman hopeful." Between legitimate title hopes and hopeful to get into the BCS. From a clear mandate of support for the Coach to naysayers, rumors and doubters all over the place.

Yes, as Al Lesar said in today's South Bend Tribune , "What a great ol' saying: If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, every day would be Christmas."

But you can't help but wonder. What if a healthy Michael Floyd (or even a healthy Robby Parris) were running that route on the final play? What if Duval doesn't slip coming out of his break? What if the refs had called the Rudolph catch a TD instead of out-of-bounds?

Of course, we would have to beat SC in overtime, but our problems all season have been between the 20s on defense, not in the red-zone.

So, what if? Just what if we find a way to win that game? Would anyone be asking for Coach Weis' head? For all the difference that one second makes?

I think not.

But they are certainly right when they say that this is A Game of Inches.

Beat SC!

Neil Waechter — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:01:00 -0400

It's time for this team to wake up the echoes. More rides on the outcome of this game than any game in my memory, and all we have to do is rise up as one, and knock USC off of their lofty perch.

This game is the stuff of legend.

Notre Dame beating the Black Knights of Army on the banks of the Hudson behind the strong arm of Gus Dorais and the soft hands of a young Knute Rockne. The Four Horsemen. The Irish walking into the Rose Bowl and beating Pop Warner's Stanford team. Win one for the Gipper. The 1945 tie of the vaunted black Knights of Army. Breaking Oklahoma's winning streak in 1952. Michigan State "Game of the Century" in '66. The Chicken Soup Game. The Trojan Horse game. Catholics vs. Convicts. '93 Florida State. 2005 USC.

This is the time for Notre Dame to rise again.

We have been through purgatory, and suffered through some of the darkest times in Notre Dame history. The greatest game in the last 25 years was arguably a loss to USC. It is time for this team to take its place back at the top of college football.

This is our greatest rival. Our arch enemy. Southern Cal is a team that once had a proud tradition, but has soiled its reputation by hiring Pete Carroll. The media wants to exalt him as a hero, but he is truly a villain. Growing evidence shows that USC has engaged in behavior that very likely could lead to NCAA sanctions. They willingly have associated themselves with a known pimp, drug dealer, and possible murderer in Snoop Dogg, and indeed have asked him to actively recruit players to Southern Cal.

Where USC may have at one time been worthy of our respect, they are no longer. They have gone to the dark side, and are now truly our antithesis.

Through all of the pain and torment, Notre Dame still holds true to its basic ideals. We do it the right way. Our players are full members of the Notre Dame community. They go to class. They graduate. Often with honors. We recruit our players by the book. And further, we hold our players to a higher standard of behavior. Criminality and immorality will not be tolerated.

Yet still we rise.

This game may not have the glitz and glamour and hype of some of the classic No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchups in the past. It may not even be the biggest game of the week. Gameday will be down at the Red River Shootout.

But this game represents a pivotal moment in Notre Dame history.

Win, and the critics are silenced. The Irish take their rightful place in the polls, and earn the right to be in the National Title conversation at the end of the season. Clausen will take his place as the leading Heisman trophy candidate. Weis will keep his job. And, undoubtedly, multiple players visiting this weekend will feel the Notre Dame Spirit and choose to suit up for Notre Dame.

We will be BACK.

Lose, and the Irish fade back into mediocrity once again. Clausen's Heisman hopes are dashed. Weis' job security becomes tenuous at best. The critics grow louder, to almost a fever pitch. And, although we now have the talent to compete, we will probably start anew with a different coach and another hope that the new savior will help us return to glory.

But we will not lose. We cannot.

We are Notre Dame.

Rise and Strike.

Rally sons of Notre Dame,
Sing her glory, and sound her fame
Raise her Gold and Blue,
And cheer with voices true,
Rah! Rah! For Notre Dame.

We will fight in every game
Strong of heart and true to her name.
We will ne'er forget her
And we'll cheer her ever,
Loyal to Notre Dame.

Cheer, cheer for Old Notre Dame
Wake up the echoes cheering her name,
Send the volley cheer on high,
Shake down the thunder from the sky,
What tho' the odds be great or small
Old Notre Dame will win over all,
While her loyal sons are marching
Onward to Victory!

Notre Dame's Quest for the Signature Win

Neil Waechter — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:21:00 -0400

1. The weather forecast (as of this writing) for Saturday's game between Notre Dame and USC has the high temperature in the mid 40's with some chance of rain (or snow?). What weather would give Notre Dame the best chance to beat USC, and why?

Let it snow. It's always bugged me that we don't take advantage of our biggest home field advantage against our biggest rival.

On paper, one would think that the strong running game of SC would do better in the snow than our pass-heavy offense.

But I don't care. Half of the Trojans haven't ever played in snow.

And for those of you (like myself) that have, you remember how miserable it was the first time. You can't feel your fingers, you're miserable, and you wonder about the sanity of the people who told you to suck it up and go play.

We've been there, done that.

2. Irresistible Force or Immovable Object?

Notre Dame's offense is ranked No. 10 in yards (470 per game) and No. 27 in points (32.6 per game). USC's defense is ranked No. 6 in yards allowed (238.6 per game) and No. 4 in scoring allowed (just 8.6 points per game). In 2008 Notre Dame had just 91 total yards against USC.

Will the Notre Dame offense be able to move the ball on Saturday? If so, how?

SC's defense is legit. And I felt much better about our chances when we had Floyd in the lineup.

That said, I think that this game, more than any we've seen, will resemble the Patriots' offense. Look for Weis to throw the book at 'em— five wide, goal line, Leprecat, spread, pro set, I formation, Double tight, bunched receivers.

Hell, I wouldn't be shocked to see a play run from the A-11. By forcing the defense to react to a new formation on every play, this offense can take advantage of mental mistakes.

And that is how we beat them - by forcing mental mistakes. These guys can hang with our offense athletically, but if we can turn this into a chess match, I like our chances.

3. USC's offense is No. 22 in yards (430.6 per game) and No. 53 in scoring (28.8 points per game). Notre Dame's defense is No. 100 in total defense (403.2 yards per game) and No. 59 in scoring defense (allowing 23.8 points per game).

Will the Notre Dame defense be able to slow down the USC offense? If so, how?

I expect SC to score some points. They have some legitimate weapons, and will get a few TDs.

The key here is to finally create some disruption. SC has a great O-line, but we need to find a way, somehow, to land some of these blitzes. If we can blitz effectively, we'll eliminate the big play over the top and USC will be forced to rely on its ground game. And I like our chances to slow down the run game.

4. In 2008, with Michael Floyd unable to play due to injury, Golden Tate had two catches against USC for a team-high 15 receiving yards. How do you expect Golden Tate to play against USC this year?

I think Tate has proven that he can do a lot more than catch passes this year, and I expect to see us continue to be creative on offense in ways to put the ball in his hands.

That said, I think that the key receivers in this game will be sophomore Kyle Rudolph and tailback Armando Allen. With SC smartly rolling coverage to Golden Tate, these guys will be crucial as outlets for Clausen throughout the game. If Clausen can be patient, Golden will eventually break through the coverages.

5. Jimmy Clausen has started to get some Heisman buzz. In your opinion, which Notre Dame player is the most deserving of Heisman attention, Jimmy or Golden Tate? Why?

Golden Tate is far more exciting to watch than Clausen, and has that flash that would lead me to believe that he is the best non-quarterback candidate in the country. He's certainly most likely to have that "Heisman moment" that becomes indelible in the minds of voters.

But Clausen's numbers don't lie, and he's thrown game-winning passes to multiple players.

Long story short, Jimmy is most deserving of the attention, but Tate has a better chance of actually winning it thanks to his dramatics.

6. Overrated or Underrated? Notre Dame cracked into the AP Poll at No. 25 this week. Are the Irish overrated or underrated at No. 25? Where would you put them in your poll?

The Irish are underrated at No. 25.

They should be ranked ahead of Houston (lost to UTEP) , Oklahoma (two losses), and Oklahoma State (lost to Houston). A last-second loss in the Big House should put the Irish on par with South Carolina (lost to Georgia), BYU (lost to Oklahoma), and Utah (lost to Oregon) in the rankings, ahead of the previously mentioned teams.

Which would put them somewhere between 19 and 22.

7. USC Song Girls: Ambassadors of Collegiate Goodwill or Anachronism from a bygone era of oppressive sexist stereotypes?

Much like OC Domer, I'm gonna have to come down pretty firmly on the side of "Ambassadors of Collegiate Goodwill."

8. Green Jerseys? There's a lot of "green" talk coming from campus this week, and it raises the question of whether the team will be wearing green on Saturday. Do you want to see the green jerseys or not? Why?

I'm torn here.

And I think that the decision should be made in the locker room by Coach Weis and team leader Jimmy Clausen.

Because, if you're going to wear them again, you'd damn well better be pretty f#(%!@g sure that you're going to put a boot in SC.

'Cause if you bust 'em out and lose, THAT will be the green jerseys' legacy.

And on that note, I hope the Irish do have the confidence to pull them out again.

9. Name the next number in this sequence: -3, -20, -38, -35, _______. Explain.

+10

I think that the most impressive thing that the Irish could do this week, especially after the late-game heroics required against their last four opponents, would be to have a two-score lead late in the fourth quarter.

If we end up having a close win, we won't get the legitimacy we need from this game. We'll be stuck with the caveat that we play to the opponent.

Also, if there are any controversial calls (and there always are), a close win will give the Notre Dame haters in the media (I'm talking to you, John Saunders) something to use to discount the Irish victory.

And I want this game to leave NO doubt that the Irish are back.

I like the Irish 38-28.

25 Greatest College Football Experiences

Neil Waechter — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:14:00 -0400

So recently, a couple of my friends and I decided that we are going to start traveling to one game each year, and we want to try to see the best that college football has to offer. So, we are trying to compile a list of the 25 greatest college football experiences. We'll hit at least one each year, and at the end of this epic undertaking, I intend to write a book about the experience.

So, I'm looking for nominations for the top college football experiences, and after reviewing all of the suggestions, I'll try to narrow down the list to 25.

To start, here are the ones that we've come up with so far. I'm trying to put together a list that hits as many of the great stadiums in the game, without going to the same stadium multiple times if possible, so we can get a breadth of experience.

Therefore, while a game like Notre Dame vs. Michigan in the Big House or Notre Dame Stadium may be worthy of consideration, it would be trumped by Mich/OSU or ND/USC. Some of the rivalries (like Mich/OSU and ND/USC) are worthy enough to warrant a trip to both stadiums for that rivalry. Also, I'm not including actual bowl games or conference championships in the list—I'm looking for the best of regular season college football.

So, here's the list we've put together so far—it's already at 27 games, and I'm sure it will get bigger yet before I can pare it back down. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

For economy's sake (and my own sanity), if you are reading this syndicated elsewhere (ala Bleacher Report), please comment on my original posting at Domer Law Blog.

If you are a blogger/sportswriter and want in on the annual trip, please e-mail me at nwaechter@hotmail.com, and I'll put together a mailing once each year's destination is announced.

Notre Dame v. USC @ Notre Dame Stadium (South Bend, IN)

Notre Dame v. USC @ The Coliseum (Los Angeles, CA)

The Game (Michigan v. Ohio State) @ The Big House (Ann Arbor, MI)

The Game (Michigan v. Ohio State) @ The Horseshoe (Columbus, OH)

Army v. Navy @ West Point (West Point, NY)

The Red River Shootout (Oklahoma v. Texas) @ Cotton Bowl (Dallas, TX)

World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (Florida v. Georgia) @ Jacksonville Stadium (Jacksonville, FL)

USC v. UCLA @ Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA)

Iron Bowl (Alabama v. Auburn) @ Bryant-Denny Stadium (Tuscaloosa, AL)

Civil War (Oregon v. Oregon State) @ Autzen Stadium (Eugene, OR)

Old Oaken Bucket (Indiana v. Purdue) @ Memorial Stadium (Bloomington, IN)

Magnolia Bowl (LSU v. Ole Miss) OR Battle for the Rag (LSU v. Tulane) @ Death Valley (Baton Rouge, LA)

Magnolia Bowl (LSU v. Ole Miss) @ Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (Oxford, MS) "The Grove"

Battle for Governor's Cup (Florida v. Florida State @ The Swamp (Gainesville, FL)

Battle for Governor's Cup (Florida v. Florida State @ Doak-Campbell Stadium (Tallahassee, FL)

Lone Star Showdown (Texas v. Texas A&M) @ Kyle Field (College Station, TX)

Lone Star Showdown (Texas v. Texas A&M) @ Darrel K. Royal Stadium (Austin, TX)

Oklahoma v. Missouri @ Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (Norman, OK)

Nebraska v. Missouri @ Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE)

The Game (Harvard v. Yale) @ Harvard Stadium (Boston, MA)

The Rivalry (Lehigh v. Lafayette) @ Fisher Field (Easton, PA)

White Out (Penn State v. TBA) @ "Happy Valley" Beaver Stadium (University Park, PA)

Tennessee v. Alabama @ Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, TN)

Georgia v. Georgia Tech @ "Between the Hedges" Sanford Stadium (Athens, GA)

Battle for the Axe (Wisconsin v. Minnesota) @ Camp Randall (Madison, WI)

Commonwealth Cup (Virginia v. Virginia Tech) @ Lane Stadium (Blacksburg, VA)

Backyard Brawl (West Virginia v. Pittsburgh) @ Mountaineer Field (Morgantown, WV)

IBG: Quick Questions (aka Subway Domer nearly screwed the pooch on this one)

Neil Waechter — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:18:00 -0400

So, apparently Subway Domer did get around to posting some questions for this week, so here goes...

1. Describe your worst nightmare coming true on Saturday. Can that nightmare become a reality?

I'm assuming you mean related to Notre Dame football, as I'm guessing that the entire stadium being attacked by thousands of giant spiders wasn't what you were going for here.

Honestly, my worst nightmare is that we lose.

Think about this for a second.

We've all given Coach Weis a pass on rebuilding this team from the decimation that Tyrone wreaked on the program.

But his criminally reckless behavior in recruiting at Notre Dame pales in comparison to the intentional dismantling of the Huskies' program that Tyrone tried.

And then Coach Weis, in year five of his rebuilding project inherited from Ty, LOSES to Sarkisian in year one of his?

It would be, psychologically, a death blow to everyone's confidence in Weis, and immediately render moot any argument put forth for retaining him as head coach.

2. Can we all agree that Jake Locker will be the best quarterback that we have/will face all season?

Yes, I stated this in the first IBG of the season, and I'll restate it again here.

Jake Locker is the best quarterback that we will face this season. He is a seasoned veteran with the athleticism to beat you on the ground and through the air. He reminds me of a cross between Antwaan Randle-El and Steve Young. In fact, although his stats will never bear it out because he plays on an otherwise atrocious team, he may well be the best QB in the country. Including JC and Jesus H. Tebow.

3. Replace two starters on both sides of the football for the Washington game. Who are they, who are they replacing, and why?

OFFENSE: Move 1: I'm going to cheat here, and simply change the way we do things for move one, as (unless you're going to give me the fantasy of plugging Floyd back into the lineup), I don't want to replace any of our skill positions. So, instead of REPLACING anyone, I'm just going to tweak our formations.

On any given snap, Armando Allen, Golden Tate, and Kyle Rudolph line up in variations of tailback, slot receiver, tight end, and fullback. And from that, we can shift into or out of any number of formations. Jimmy Clausen is of course optional here, as we move into and out of the Leprecat offense.

Rudolph could be a hell of a lead blocker, and the amount of speed coming out of an AA/Tate backfield is ridiculous. Also, I think Rudolph could be an interesting tailback with his size and deceptive speed, especially as you have to account for AA and Tate on the outside.

We've already experimented with varying forms of the "Leprecat" offense, so now I just want to add in the twist of using Kyle Rudolph in the backfield as well as TE and split out.

Move 2: Bench Sam Young for the first half. He may be our most experienced and most physically talented offensive lineman, but his mistakes have cost this team too many times, and I would send him a message that he had better shape up, or we'll leave him on the sidelines. Plug in whoever is next on the depth chart (Taylor Dever or Matt Romine, depending on how coach decides to play it).

DEFENSE: Move 1: Easy—Te'o for Toryan Smith. Toryan does not appear to have the fundamentals necessary for middle linebacker for his level of athletic ability. Te'o may be lacking the same fundamentals, but his athleticism makes up for mistakes.

Move 2: Tougher, but I'll go with Sergio Brown for Harrison Smith. I just get the sense that Harrison isn't quite getting it. Brown has made some mistakes, but he just always seems to be around the ball.

4. Ty Willingham enters the stadium in the second quarter. What happens?

*Shudder*

I think in this situation, the entire fanbase, en masse, rushes the field, picks up the Moulder of Men, marches him out to St. Joe River, and unceremoniously dumps him in.

Then they return to the stadium, everyone (ushers included) drinks a shot, and then they resume the pounding that the Irish are giving the Huskies, who are only one season removed from Ty's criminally reckless recruiting skills, compared to Notre Dame's five.

5. Are you impressed with the improvement in the run game in 2009, or is it a figment of our imagination?

How could you not be? This team's running game is absolutely Holtz-esque. And that's AFTER the Big Ten portion of our schedule. Verducci is the next Joe Moore, and as far as I'm concerned, we need to make him a Notre Dame lifer.

After what Stanford did last week to Washington, you'd have to be drooling if you're Armando Allen.

6. Who's hotter, Wendi Nix or Erin Andrews? Why? And is your hottie a defensive or offensive player?

Given the choice, I'd have to go with Erin Andrews. But, I'd much rather be my own person, and go with the write-in of

Alex Flanagan

I mean, come on guys. Wendi and Erin are so last season...

And Alex is totally a tight end. (Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink. Say no more.)

7. Predictions please...

This is the week that Washington remembers that they were 0-12 last year.

Jake Locker throws for 250 yards (150 of them to himself, incredibly enough) and three TDs (again, two of them to himself), and runs for 200 yards and two TDs, accounting for a total of seven of the Huskies' five touchdowns.

IRISH 140-35

(All seriousness aside, I'll take the Irish, 38-10)

Jimmy Clausen: Earning his stripes

Neil Waechter — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:47:00 -0400

I've been on record several times over the past few years knocking Clausen.

I've heard rumblings and grumblings around campus about his cocky attitude and sense of entitlement. I've even had my own less-than-impressive run-ins with him myself as recently as last season.

But I gotta admit, the kid is earning my respect this year.

He's clearly starting to learn what it is to be not just a leader on the football field, but also slowly learning to be a Notre Dame man on AND off the field.

Gone is the cockiness and bravado of a kid who hasn't proved anything. It has been replaced by the quiet confidence, grit, and determination of a leader.

And that, more than anything, is why I'm climbing onto the Clausen-for-Heisman bandwagon.

I posted last week that I thought his numbers should have placed him at the forefront of the QBs in consideration for the Heisman, but this week, hobbled by turf toe, he showed what we all look for in a Heisman quarterback—the ability to put his team on his back and pluck victory from the jaws of defeat.

He limped out onto the field with three minutes left, and like Brady Quinn before him, the team KNEW it was going to find a way to win. And on the strong right arm of Clausen, that's exactly what they did.

The season is still young, and Clausen will have plenty of opportunities to prove his mettle as a legitimate Heisman candidate. Perhaps he'll even have one of those classic TV moments in the ND/USC game. But I doubt any will be remembered as fondly in history as the final drive against Purdue late Saturday night—a drive that may not have just saved the season, but the program.

With a healthy toe and a healthy Armando Allen going into this weekend's tilt against Washington, a hot team which has surprised a lot of people (including the vaunted Trojans of USC), this may be the week where Clausen lights up the Huskies, and with them the hype for ND/USC going into the bye week.

Go Irish! Beat the Huskies!

Notre Dame Football: What Does Beating Purdue Mean?

Neil Waechter — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:36:00 -0400

Alright, so there has been much moaning, wailing, and gnashing of teeth on the Notre Dame message boards. The fan base has splintered into two groups:

1. Weis is a horrible coach, and [example of poor performance from most recent game] is why he'll never win a championship at Notre Dame. Hire [Stoops, Meyer, Saban, Gruden, etc.].

2. Weis has rebuilt this program and has us playing well, and [example of good performance from most recent game] is why we'll get to the national championship next year. Besides, we could never get [Stoops, Meyer, Saban, Gruden, etc.].

I've been working on an analysis of Coach Weis' career thus far, and I'll post that over the bye week. But in the interim, we have one of the clearest arguments for both sides in this week's game.

Side One

Weis is a horrible coach, and the complete lack of tackling fundamentals in this game show that we'll never have a defense capable of winning a championship at Notre Dame. Hire Stoops.

Side Two

Weis has rebuilt this program and has us playing well, and going into an opposing stadium against a Big Ten team that hung around with Oregon and coming away with a win without our top receiver, top running back, and only half of our Heisman candidate quarterback is a testament to the depth we've developed and is why we'll win the championship next year. Besides, we could never get Stoops.

*****

And I'm really stuck on the fence here. As I watched the game with my buddy Ian (a Purdue guy), it was kind of hilarious to watch. At one point, we seriously got into an argument about whose team is more capable of choking a game away.

I think that everything you need to know about this team is summed up in this quote by Weis:

"You know, they (Purdue) had a couple of carries where they got yards, and then the rest of the carries I mean, they gained 56 yards on three carries, and they gained 11 yards on the other 14 carries. They had a 26 yard run, a 15 yard run and a 15 yard run, and they were really the only runs that were over ten yards, and the rest of it averaged less than a yard a carry."

So to sum up, if we wouldn't screw up a few times a game, we could be really good.

Every coach I know has stressed that the team that makes the fewest mistakes will win the game.

And we still make too many mistakes.

We've got the talent, and (finally) the depth. We have the motivation and the belief.

But I'm tired of watching us shoot ourselves in the foot over and over again.

If I were Coach Weis, I would spend no time trying to put in a gameplan this week. We'll run our base offense and defense against Washington.

I'd spend every second of practice time available drilling fundamentals. Fundamental tackling. Rip/swim/spin drills. Fundamental blocking. Catching drills. Passing drills. Kicking drills. Ball running drills.

I want some Oklahoma drills, baby. Learn to hit someone one-on-one and put them in the ground.

If this team started playing solid fundamental football, they could run my pee-wee team's offense and defense and beat everyone on their schedule. We're relying too heavily on athleticism and not enough on crisp, clean fundamental football.

And that's on the coaching. Watch it, coach—I may be falling off the fence here pretty soon if you don't clean things up.

IBG: Life Without Floyd Edition

Neil Waechter — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:36:00 -0400

1. The obvious question for the week, how does Notre Dame deal with the loss of Michael Floyd? What wide receiver steps up? How, if at all, does the offense change?

I think that we need Duval Kamara to step up his game. He's been toiling in the shadows of Tate and Floyd, and now he has the opportunity, with the coverages all rolled over to Tate, to prove he can win the one-on-one matchups.

Of course the offense changes when such a potent weapon disappears from your arsenal. Just look at last year's offense when he was out of the game. However, unlike last year, I think we have enough options, including a running game, to mitigate the loss of Floyd.

We still have Tate and Rudolph, and Armando out of the backfield. Maybe even one of the other receivers (Parris, Evans) will step up their game.

Although I'd much rather have Floyd out there on the field, this injury actually makes next year's team even more dangerous. You know Floyd will come back being Floyd (it is just a collarbone, not a leg injury of some sort), and now we'll have a lot more game experience on an already dangerous receiving corps.

I'm already salivating to watch this offense next year...

2. After seeing three games from Notre Dame in 2009 have your expectations increased, decreased, or remained the same?

Same, leaning towards decreased. I still think this team is capable of putting together an 11-1 regular season, which with a loss in a bowl game would make us 11-2, my preseason prediction. However, the loss of Floyd will make it a little tougher to score points, and the defense (especially the secondary) is worse this year than I thought they'd be.

So, we could be as bad as 9-3 after the season, which would be below my expectations. Of course, my preseason expectations were based upon a season with a healthy Tate, Floyd, Clausen and Rudolph. (I think we're better equipped to fill in for a running back injury)

3. The last two years against Purdue a Notre Dame player has had their breakout game. In 2007 it was Golden Tate and in 2008 it was Armando Allen. Who do you think could have their breakout game against the Boilermakers this year?

Ethan Johnson. This kid is supposed to be a freakish athlete, and I think it's time for him to show up as a disruptive force in a big way this week against a team that has done a mediocre job against talent that is nothing like what they'll see on Saturday.

However, if the Boilermakers find a way to keep it close, it will be due to a breakout game by the Big Ten officials, who have shown glimpses of being able to take over games the last two weeks, but have a big challenge if they expect to keep Purdue in the game this week.

4. How would you grade the three new coaches on this year’s staff based on the first three games?

Frank Verducci: A+. This is the kind of offensive line I remember from the Joe Moore years. And, I must admit for the first time since Weis was hired, these guys are straight nasty.

Tony Alford: B+. Armando Allen has developed into a true running back, not just a scat back, which is impressive. I haven't seen much from the depth, however, which is the only thing holding him back from a similar A+ rating.

Randy Hart: C. He's not exactly failing, but I haven't seen the disruptiveness we need along the line to allow this blitz package to work. We're still pretty young, but I expected more.

5. Your thoughts on Golden Tate’s stage dive into the Michigan State band? Was he trying to avoid running into the band? Was the whole thing intentional? Little of column A, little of column B?

Despite that I know Golden Tate is a bit of a showboat, I'm going to go with he was trying to avoid the band. He had one step to make a decision, and there is no way he was thinking about celebrating that quickly after the concentration required to make that catch.

And really, he had no option. He couldn't slow down, and he would have seriously injured himself and/or a band member if he had kept running. The stage dive was the appropriate thing to do, spreading himself out and jumping over the first row to minimize his impact on any individual.

It did look pretty cool, though. In fact, the picture is my desktop background right now at work. And I love the youtube video tribute...

6. How has your opinion of the Notre Dame schedule changed from how you felt about it in the pre-season?

Hmm...Let's look at it game-by game:

Nevada - Same. The Wolfpack will be a good team in their conference, but can't hold up against the big boys.

Michigan - Better. Although I don't think Michigan is a top 25 team, and their win over the Irish was a perfect storm, the Wolverines are far better than I thought they would be.

Michigan State - Same. Central Michigan is no slouch with Dan Lefevour at QB, and they played us tough throughout the game. About as expected.

Purdue - Same. I thought they'd be a bad football team, and what do you know? They are.

Washington - Better. 2-1 with a win over USC? Certainly got my attention. I think their lack of depth will rear its head as the season progresses (they were 0-12 last year, remember?), but they are clearly better than I thought.

Southern Cal - Worse. A preseason top five team that has struggled mightily, including a loss to a team that went 0-12 last season. Even more beatable than I thought at the beginning of the season.

Boston College - Same. 2-1 with a loss to a good Clemson team. I thought they'd take a step back this year, and it appears they have.

Washington State - Better. They did beat SMU, which is more than I thought they'd do.

Navy - Same. Played Ohio State tough, and almost forced overtime. Lost a tough game against Pitt. Almost said better, but they are 1-2.

Pitt - Same. Should be a tough opponent, and have taken care of business so far at 3-0. We'll know a little more once they get into the conference schedule.

UConn - Same. A close loss to a decent North Carolina team. Close wins over Ohio and Baylor? About as expected, maybe slightly worse.

Stanford - Worse. Much was being made of how tough Stanford was supposed to be this year, and how it may be a battle for us to qualify for BCS consideration. But, they lost to Wake Forest—who lost to Baylor.

Three better, two worse. I'll call it a wash and say the schedule isn't much tougher than when we started.

7. Should Jimmy Clausen be getting more hype for the Heisman?

Absolutely. He's not in one of those crazy, chuck it every play offenses like Hawaii and Texas Tech. He's in a pro-style balanced offense.

And he's absolutely KILLING the other QBs in the country.

Look at the stats for the "leaders" in the Heisman race (for QBs):

Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame 62/91 951 yds, 9 TD, 0 Int. 68.13 comp %, 10.45 yd/att, 15.34 yd/comp, 20.67 att/gm, Passer rating 188.55

Colt McCoy, Texas 75/110 859 yds, 6 TD, 4 Int, 68.18 comp %, 7.81 yd/att, 11.45 yd/comp, 25.00 att/gm, Passer rating 144.51

Tim Tebow, Florida 39/58 540 yds, 5 TD, 1 Int, 67.24 comp %, 9.31 yd/att, 13.85 yd/comp, 13.00 att/gm, Passer rating 170.45

Jacory Harris, 41/59 656 yds, 5 TD, 2 Int, 69.49 comp %, 11.12 yd/att, 16.00 yd/comp, 20.50 att/gm, Passer rating 184.07

Case Keenum, 55/76 725 yds, 7 TD, 1 Int, 72.37 Comp %, 9.54 yd/att, 13.18 yd/comp, 27.50 att/gm, Passer rating 180.26

First in yards. First in TD/INT ratio. First in passer rating.

There are other players out there worthy of consideration—Jahvid Best, C.J. Spiller, maybe even Dez Bryant or Golden Tate from the receiver position (Floyd's Heisman hopes ended with his collarone injury)—but Clausen is clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the QBs.

Why Notre Dame Couldn't Beat Michigan

Neil Waechter — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:15:00 -0400

1. Coaching

I've been a pretty staunch Charlie Weis supporter, right up until the Syracuse debacle of last year. And I still think with his work ethic, we could eventually win a championship if he continues to make the changes needed as he recognizes them. But Saturday's loss can be laid at the feet of the coaching staff first and foremost.

Weis is a gambler, and frequently makes decisions that don't make sense if you step back and look at the big picture. For a coach that comes from the NFL, he sure hasn't learned much about winning games.

I have not heard a single rationale defense of why we were throwing a pass with the ball and the lead with two minutes left in the game. It's just inexcusable. Good teams are able to run the ball on first and second downs, and then keep the defense guessing on 3rd-and-short as we try to move the chains and end the game.

The fact that we threw a pass on second down in that crucial situation is flat out the wrong call.

And that wasn't his only mistake. Numerous times we had difficulties getting the play off. As the self-named offensive coordinator, it is Coach Weis' job to make sure that the play gets in to the QB with plenty of time before the snap.

The unnecessary timeouts and delay of game penalties came back to haunt us in a game that came down to the wire.

2. The Officiating

I really hate to complain about the refs. Other than the Bush Push, which mostly upset me because of the magnitude of the game, my general position is that you play the game with the calls that are made, and that if you play well enough to win, the officiating won't change that.

Not so on Saturday.

I watch a lot of football, pro and college, and this is the first time I've ever seen a game in which the officials appeared to be actually biased.

There were, by my count, five unequivocal pass interference penalties against Michigan that were not called. And they were often in critical situations that changed the game.

Especially on the ill-advised second down pass. Call that interference penalty, and the Irish win. Talk all you want about "letting the players play" but these penalties exist for a reason and you CANNOT allow a team to consistently hold one of the receiver's arms back while the pass is in the air.

I've also rewatched the play where Sam Young was called for holding on Kyle Rudolph's 79-yard catch, and there was no hold. It was a spectacular block that drove the defender into the ground.

There was also the missed call on the Armando Allen TD. I watched that play in HD on a big screen, and the sideline view of that play clearly shows that Allen did not step out. There certainly was nothing resembling indisputable evidence to overturn the call on the field.

And don't even get me started on the two seconds run off the clock on the kickoff. And don't give me the BS about how rare it is for a last second Hail Mary to work—I saw the Broncos pull off a stunning win on Sunday, and Green Bay also had a last minute pass play that made the difference in the game.

And with a wideout like Golden Tate—we may not have won, but we should have had the chance.

But what really pissed me off—and the reason that I think that the refs were biased—was how the refs blew Coach Weis off at the end of the game and sprinted for the tunnel, not even considering taking a second look at the clock.

If it was only one, two, or even three of those problems, I could deal with it. But what I saw out there was clearly home cooking. Notre Dame was repeatedly and systematically robbed of its advantages in this game by the refs, and it cost the Irish the game.

If this game were reffed by a truly neutral officiating crew (say, from the Big 12?) the Irish win this game handily—by as many as 20 points.

3. Fundamentals

I almost appended this to the coaching segment above, but I saw a clear lack of fundamental breakdowns by Irish players in this game. Poor tackling especially killed us, and it allowed an inferior team to hang around in a game they had no business hanging around in.

Tate Forcier, if he bulks up, will eventually be a very good quarterback for Michigan. But he's not a superstar in the making, and certainly not a phenom.

We made him look good by taking poor angles and arm tackling. Forcier slipping from the grasp of ND defenders was not because he's a beast who reads the defense well, it's because the ND players who were put in the right position by the play call and didn't have the fundamental skills to make the play.

And that, again, falls on the coaching staff. For all of the talent and experience we trotted out on the field, these players should not be making those kind of bone-headed mistakes.

A classic example was on Forcier's TD run, where the safeties did not shuffle down the line with the ball, and Kapron Lewis-Moore over pursued, did not break down and failed to keep his hips squared to be able to make the tackle, or force Tate back inside to the defense.

4. Michigan

I wanted to put this section in to give Michigan credit.

While they got plenty of help from the refs and Notre Dame repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot (much like Michigan did for us last year), ultimately they did what they had to do to win the game.

With two minutes left in the game, they drove down the field and scored the go-ahead touchdown with little time left on the clock. They had a good game plan, and with a couple of breaks, put themselves in a position to win the game.

And they did.

Final Analysis

No excuses. We were 24 points better than Michigan, but we lost the game because we apparently still don't know how to win.

IBG: Michigan Sucks Week

Neil Waechter — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:10:00 -0400

It's Michigan Sucks week, and Matt over at Her Loyal Sons.

1) Being that you're a ND blogger, and thus follow a Catholic university's football team religiously and/or are Catholic yourself, you're probably very familiar with the notion that bad things happen to good people.

For a concrete example of that, look to every Irish player, coach, and fan who had to suffer through the last two seasons. But never forget that bad things can happen to really rotten people too. For a really fun example of that, look to Rich Rod going 3-9 in his big debut season in Ann Arbor.

Now let's mess with your heads a bit: Give me one very good reason why great things might happen to very bad people by explaining to me A) How and why Michigan (sucks!) might beat ND this weekend and B) How Michigan (sucks!) will compete for a BCS berth in 2009.

Michigan Sucks. I won't even humor you by answering such a question that clearly requires me to throw out an established fact in analyzing this game. May as well ask me to predict the score if God decides to turn off gravity just prior to kickoff.
The only way Michigan beats Notre Dame this weekend is if the travel itineraries get mixed up, and we send our Women's Cross Country team to the Big House.
And if Michigan plays in the BCS this season, I'll eat my shirt.

2) After week one, just as in 2008, the leading tacklers for the Notre Dame fighting Irish are both safeties: Kyle McCarthy with seven and Harrison Smith with five. DE Kerry Neal isn't even on the stat sheet, Brian Smith, while making two very big plays, didn't make a single other tackle, and Ethan Johnson had one tackle all game.

Convince me that Michigan (sucks!) wont just run a "nine yards and a cloud of dust" offense against ND all freaking game.

Because Nevada had 153 yards rushing, compared to the 278 yards/game they averaged last year. Michigan averaged only 147 yards/game last year. Oh, and they lost their most talented athlete in Sam McGuffie. So, they showed they could move the ball against Western Michigan - paint me unimpressed.

And I don't care who makes the tackles, as long as we get the stop and get their offense off the field.

And I doubt they'll be able to stick to their run game for long if our offense continues to produce. Of course, that's probably the biggest question this week, as Nevada's pass defense is probably not the best barometer to use for testing our offense.

3) We've now got the concrete data of one game to bat around. Aside from any answers involving T'eo, tell me what position changes/depth chart engineering you hope to see the staff at least tinker with during the Michigan (sucks!) game.

I'm actually pretty happy with the lineup in their current positions. Our defense shut out an explosive offense which returned nearly everyone. We scored at will when we were running our full offense - especially when we threw to no. 3.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

4) The state of Michigan has decided that they've ripped off the Rudy soundtrack long enough and need a new advertising scheme to attract people to their state and support tourism. "Pure Michigan (sucks!)" is so two-thousand-and-late. Give me the new hotness. Give me your best new tourism slogans for Michigan (sucks!).

Michigan: A Classless Society

5) Navy took OSU down to the wire, Washington actually looked like a team that's coached to play football games, WSU put up some fight. After Week one, do you now feel like the Irish '09 schedule is tougher or easier than you felt heading into last week? Why?

Tougher - no question. Washington outgained no. 11 LSU. Navy abandoned their bread and butter in a crucial situation (two pt conversion) in barely losing to a preseason Top 10 OSU team. Michigan dominated WMU, despite all of their trials lately. Purdue, BC, and Pitt all put up big numbers against their warm-up opponents. While it will take a while to really see where everyone is, the early returns show that there should be some more difficult challenges than appeared at first glance.

Irish Blogger Gathering: Here Come the Irish!

Neil Waechter — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:20:00 -0400

1. My season preview included music video footage for each position group. What song or video do you feel typifies this year's Notre Dame team heading into the season? Embed a youtube or other similar video if possible.

"For far too long these voices, muffled by distances,
it's time to come to our senses, up from the dirt."
Give It All, Rise Against

I've spent this entire off-season feeling like a schizophrenic, going from wild and unchecked optimism from the Hawaii game to defeatist realism from being not three games removed from the Syracuse debacle.

But, if there is one thing that has come through from all of the players and coaches this year, it's that they know how bad they've been.

They know that they have the heavy responsibility of carrying Our Lady's torch, and that they haven't gotten it done on the field.

I feel like this team has weathered the growing pains that plagued them the last two years, and that they finally have the quiet confidence needed to break through.

I still can't bring myself to predict a championship season, but I do know one thing.

These kids intend to give it their all.

Honorable mention: Drowning Pool, Bodies

2. Post a picture that to you portrays the attitude of this year's team and discuss.

What I like about this picture is that it takes a snap shot of a moment in time, and the viewer isn't entirely sure which way things are going.

Is this a ship that has persevered a storm, and come through the other side unscathed, as the sun finally shows through, granting them hope that the trials are over?

Or is this a tiny ship, too far out at sea, as the winds begin to pick up and the cloud cover rolls in, beginning to block the sunlight?

As stated before, this is how I feel about the Irish. I want to believe that the storm is over, and that we have righted the ship and there is smooth sailing again. But if I'm wrong, the storm could be longer and blacker than I want to consider.

3. What do you perceive as the team's biggest weakness heading into the season?

This one took me a while to come up with. The easy answer would be the defensive line or the offensive line, in light of our recent struggles in these areas. However, I've chosen to dig a little deeper and pull out what I really think the weakness is.

Swagger. Cockiness. Attitude. Confidence. Nastiness.

Whatever you want to call it, we need it. Badly.

Oh, these kids want to win. And they think they can win. What they need, however, is to walk into each game KNOWING they're going to win.

This attitude comes from several factors, and it's something I haven't seen on the Notre Dame sidelines since Brady Quinn was our quarterback. The team's confidence in Quinn was palpable, and time and again: the last touchdown against USC in 2005, the comeback drive against Stanford to seal the Fiesta Bowl, the last second victory against UCLA.

The team looked to its leader and knew that it was going to win the game.

Of course, we were robbed of the victory against USC, but each time, he came out and led the team to victory.

This team needs that same attitude: come what may, we WILL find a way to win this game.

And that falls to Jimmy Clausen. He needs to take his place as the leader of this team. I'm not at all confident that he has the selflessness required for him to do so, but I can hope.

And if by some miracle he is able to find within himself a leader, we may be a pretty good football team.

4. With the exception of the 1990s, Notre Dame has won a National Championship in every decade since the 1920s. What are the chances (a) that Notre Dame wins a championship this year, and (b) if not this year, when do you predict the next championship for the Irish?

(A) You've heard Lou and Beano predict that the Irish will go undefeated and lose to Florida in the National Championship game.

And I'm sure you've all heard the haters that say that we'll suck again. My buddy Tom (a Boilermaker) was saying just the other day that we'll win at most nine games if we're lucky.

Here's the thing: they're both right.

This team, based on talent and experience, ought to be able to beat everyone on the schedule, including USC and Florida, if they play to their potential.

However, this is the team that, just three games ago, lost to an atrocious Syracuse team.

And so, as much as the fan in me wants to go all in and predict a title for the Irish this year, I just can't. We'll find a way to stumble against a team that we ought to beat (MSU, Pitt, or Stanford), but we'll find a way to beat USC. And that will be enough for a BCS date with someone like Oklahoma or LSU, which will be an intriguing matchup.

(B) Next year, however, I'm confident that we'll be able to put ourselves in position for a national title run. The schedule, although the last games are still being ironed out, is an interesting one.

We'll play at USC, which will be the toughest game on the slate. But, we also bring the Utah Utes (who should have been voted the national title last year) to town.

Combined with a traditional schedule (Pitt, BC, Stanford, Mich, MSU, Purdue, Army), this should be our year.

I'm assuming that a Senior Jimmy Clausen will be back to lead the offense, and that we'll have Juniors Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph and Senior Golden Tate leading the deepest receiver group I can ever recall, behind a still experienced and deep offensive line, and a stable of running backs that is quickly starting to resemble the stable at our cross-country rivals at USC. Very little attrition is expected on an improving defense as well.

5. Nevada runs the Pistol offense, Navy the Triple Option, and Michigan the Spread Option. Which offensive scheme do you think is the most difficult to prepare for, and why?

The triple option attack is the most difficult to prepare for, because it is so difficult to stay disciplined. Assignments are critical on every single down, because this offense is not designed for the big play; it's designed to get four yards on EVERY SINGLE PLAY.

Which means that you need to be able to not just make the tackles as assigned, but in order to stop them, you have to be able to disrupt the normal blocking scheme and disrupt the timing of the offense in order to have any success.

It always amazes me how quickly the triple option fell out of favor. In very short order, the kings of the option offense (Notre Dame, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Syracuse) all scrapped their option attacks for a more traditional offense.

With the introduction of the true option offense back into major college football at Georgia Tech, however, I'm expecting a resurgence over the next few years.

6. Is Colin Capaernick the best quarterback we'll see this year? If not, who is?

I had a bit of an ulterior motive for this question, as there are only two quarterbacks we'll face this year that have a history of quality experience to draw from: Jake Locker and Colin Capaernick.

While my answer to this question is that Jake Locker is the best QB we'll face this year, I wanted to take a minute to point out that this is my biggest reason for optimism this year.

Boston College, Michigan, USC, Michigan State, and Purdue are all in heated quarterback battles that haven't yet been solidified.

While there are usually a couple quarterbacks each year that show up ready to play at a high level (Tebow, Bradford, McCoy, etc.), the general rule is that it takes time to develop a quarterback.

And with the two best quarterbacks coming from a WAC opponent and a team that went 0-12 last year, I have reason to believe that our attacking defense will smother a lot of our opponents this year.

7. Prediction time. We have to get on the record before the season kicks off. Give me:

(1) Overall prediction for wins/losses.
11-2
(2) Projected bowl game and result.
Sugar Bowl win over Alabama
(3) Predicted final ranking.
No. 4
(4) Best player on the team.
Golden Tate
(5) Heisman trophy winner.
Sam Bradford
(6) National Champion.
Florida
(7) Prediction for Nevada game, including score.
Notre Dame wins easily, 45-17

Irish Blogger Gathering: Here Come the Irish!

Neil Waechter — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:04:00 -0400

So, I've been tasked with kicking off this year's Irish Blogger Gathering, as we prepare for the Nevada Wolfpack and their Pistol offense for the home opener.

So, in a multimedia extravaganza, we are kicking it off with some general preseason questions, as well as a couple of Nevada-specific questions. Answers to follow.

All aboard the bandwagon, the train is leaving the station.

1. My season preview included music video footage for each position group. What song or video do you feel typifies this year's Notre Dame team heading into the season? Embed a youtube or other similar video if possible.

2. Post a picture that to you portrays the attitude of this year's team and discuss.

3. What do you perceive as the team's biggest weakness heading into the season?

4. With the exception of the 1990s, Notre Dame has won a National Championship in every decade since the 1920s. What are the chances (a) that Notre Dame wins a championship this year, and (b) if not this year, when do you predict the next championship for the Irish?

5. Nevada runs the Pistol offense, Navy the Triple Option, and Michigan the Spread Option. Which offensive scheme do you think is the most difficult to prepare for, and why?

6. Is Colin Capaernick the best quarterback we'll see this year? If not, who is?

7. Prediction time. We have to get on the record before the season kicks off. Give me:
(1) Overall prediction for wins/losses.
(2) Projected bowl game and result.
(3) Predicted final ranking.
(4) Best player on the team.
(5) Heisman trophy winner.
(6) National Champion.
(7) Prediction for Nevada game, including score.

It's gameweek, baby. Here Come the Irish!!!

Notre Dame Season Kickoff: Musical Edition

Neil Waechter — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:35:00 -0400

So it's officially here. The boys are back out on the field, knocking heads and trying to prepare for the 2009 campaign.

But this year just feels different. No gimmicks. No blustery words like "Whoosh," "Pound it," or "Schematic Advantage."

The head coach has, I think, finally gotten it right.

I've been on a bit of a musical kick this summer. I went to see Cheap Trick, Poison, and Def Leppard a few weeks ago, I just got back from Lollapalooza, and I'm going to Aerosmith and ZZ Top in a couple of weeks. So, here's my Media Week Extravaganza, Musical Edition.

Head Coach

Let The Music Do The Talking
Aerosmith

No promises, no specific talk about expectations or changes. No blustery talk about how good this player or that is gonna be. It's time to put it out on the field.

"This isn't about me. This is about us. This is about one group of guys, coaches and players, that have very similar expectations. But it doesn't do much good for me to say them any more. Until we start showing we can back 'em up, it's just hot air."
-Charlie Weis

Quarterbacks

Never Let Me Down Again
Depeche Mode
"I'm taking a ride with my best friend. I hope he never lets me down again. He knows where he's taking me. Taking me where I want to be."

It's no secret that we'll only go as far as Jimmy will take us. I've never really been a big fan of Jimmy personally, but the job is his, and he's now got the street cred from his experience to take this to the next level.

He needs to get past playing the game and learn how to put a team on his shoulders and lead them to victory. Without that crucial talent to lead, he will never get us to where we need to be.

"I think as he's gone through the first year, the aches that went through the first year, developing more the second year, I think now he kind of has the mentality that a lot of those junior/seniors now have, where like, they have paid their dues and they've learned from their experiences."
-Charlie Weis

Running Backs

Under the Milky Way
originally by The Church
covered by Coheed and Cambria
"Wish I knew what you were looking for.
Might have known what you would find."

Here we are, in year five of the Weis era, and we're still looking for a running game. More than any other area, this is where I want to stop hearing about us running the ball and start actually seeing some production on the ground.

"You're going to play against every team that's going to try to stop the pass game? Well, if they try to stop the pass game, then you have to have an answer. And the answer would be to run the football, okay? If you can't run the football effectively, okay, and they shut down the pass game, you put yourself behind the eight ball. That's what we've been spending the whole offseason to get to this point, to try to put us in a position where we're not pigeonholed into what we're doing."
-Charlie Weis

Wide Receivers

Mr. Brightside
The Killers (not from Lollapalooza, I didn't like the quality of available videos)
"I'm coming out of my cage and I've been doing just fine. Gotta gotta be down because I want it all. ...But it's just the price I pay. Destiny is calling me. Open up my eager eyes."

Who isn't uber-excited about the Notre Dame receiving corps this year?

This position is absolutely loaded with talent and star power. A junior receiver with proven breakaway speed. A sophomore receiver who broke every freshman receiving record—and didn't play half the season. A sophomore tight end who was a Freshman All-American.

Add to that a stable of talent ready to step in at any time, and you have a lot of options to throw to.

"This summer, Jimmy flew out Golden, Floyd, and Rudolph, and they spent one week out on field throwing for about eight hours a day. So they did that on their own. I have nothing to do with that. Duval was already in early summer school, so he couldn't make it out there. But I think that will pay dividends. That type of effort that they did on their own, that will pay dividends pretty quickly."
-Charlie Weis

Offensive Line

Schism
Tool
"I know the pieces fit cuz I watched them tumble down
No fault, none to blame it doesnt mean I dont desire to
Point the finger, blame the other, watch the temple topple over.
To bring the pieces back together, rediscover communication."

New coach, same kids. I've seen this line's potential, but until they learn to open up some running lanes on a consistent basis, this offense will sputter against quality defenses.

"This is going to be the first time we're going to start training camp and we have three units who legitimately play left and right tackle, left and right guard and center. It's encouraging to know we have numbers to start off with."
-Charlie Weis

Defensive Line

When You Were Young
The Killers
"Can we climb this mountain? I don't know. Higher now than ever before. I know we can make it if we take it slow. Let's take it easy. Easy now. Watch it go."

My biggest question mark on the team is the defensive line. We lack depth and elite talent, but there are some huge upsides to this unit as well.

And with the new coaches—Randy Hart and Bryant Young—there is so much potential for drastic improvement. I just hope these kids can get the hang of the learning curve.

"We're excited about our youth, our athleticism. I think with youth and athleticism comes some uncertainty as you go in."
-Charlie Weis

Linebackers

Give It All"
Rise Against
"Today I offer all myself to this. I'm living for my dying wish. I give it all, now there's a reason, a reason, to give it all."

In Tenuta's blitz-happy scheme, we need these guys to really come blasting out of the gate. We've developed some depth, and I'm very excited to see what Manti Te'o can do. Brian Smith is a beast.

"Manti is 245 pounds. If you put him and Brian Smith next to each other, you don't really see much of a physical difference[.]"
-Charlie Weis

Defensive Backs

Never Miss A Beat
Kaiser Chiefs (one of the best shows of Lollapalooza—incredible frontman, great music)
"No, they never miss a beat. No, they never miss a beat, never miss a beat, never miss a beat. Never."

With all of the hype around the receiving corps, this is actually the best unit on the team. Our second string would probably start at any other school.

They are so good, in fact, that there weren't any questions at media day about this unit. Everyone knows that we're loaded, and it doesn't matter who we trot out there, they'll be amazing.

""
-Charlie Weis

The Offseason: Notre Dame Previews and Predictions

Neil Waechter — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:41:00 -0400

Aaah, the offseason. That black hole between the Blue-Gold game and Training camp. We are forced to sustain ourselves on discussions about scheduling, recruiting, and numerous prognostications. And so, after an extended absence, I'm returning to the blogosphere to add my two cents to the discussion and try to mitigate the boredom of this miserable part of the year.

Scheduling

There have been a lot of grumblings about Notre Dame's upcoming schedule, and (unsurprisingly) I have an opinion on how it is shaping up.

First, the news.

The Irish confirmed today that they will be rekindling their rivalry with Army in Yankee Stadium next year. There have also been strong rumors that we will be playing Texas Christian and Tulsa. So, right now, the next three years of scheduling looks something like this:

2010 Schedule
S04 PURDUE
S11 MICHIGAN
S18 @ Michigan St.
S25 STANFORD
O02 @ Boston College
O09 PITTSBURGH
O23 @ Navy (NY/NJ)
N13 Utah
N20 Army (Yankee Stadium)
N27 @ Southern Cal
Two games TBD (rumors have TCU and Tulsa)

2011 Schedule
S03 @ Purdue
S10 @ Michigan
S17 MICHIGAN STATE
S24 @ Pittsburgh
O01 SOUTH FLORIDA
O15 Army (neutral site)
O22 SOUTHERN CAL
N05 CONNECTICUT
N26 @ Stanford
Three games TBD

2012 Schedule
OPEN
@Michigan
@Purdue
Michigan State
Oklahoma
Arizona State (Arlington)
Southern Cal
@UConn (Meadowlands or Foxboro)
Navy
@Pittsburgh
Three games TBD

Let's start with 2010. I've heard a lot of rumblings about how craptastic the schedule is, but I couldn't disagree more. First of all, let's eliminate any argument about the traditional opponents—we're not dropping Navy, Michigan, USC, Michigan State, Purdue, or Stanford. Now, I've said before (and I'll repeat it here) that I don't see the need to play MSU, Purdue, and Stanford each and every year. But it is what it is, and I'm not going to argue it. Although, it does appear that Stanford is off of post-2012 schedules (for now).

So let's look at the others.

Boston College, the last game in the rivalry, is a quality opponent, and one that has had our number the past couple decades. But, this is a great opportunity with arguably the best Notre Dame team since 1988 to beat them down in spectacular fashion and send them back to perpetual mediocrity.

Pittsburgh is a traditional opponent with a storied history, and I haven't heard anyone claim that they are a weak opponent.

Utah is next. Many people have panned us playing Utah, a MWC opponent, as a part of the "dumbing down" of our schedule. But those people are just plain stupid. Utah's record over the past decade has been truly elite. 10-2, 12-0, 7-5, 8-5, 9-4, 13-0 They are the only team over that stretch to have two undefeated seasons. The fact that they don't have a national championship is simply criminal. Urban Meyer hasn't had an undefeated season at Florida. Pete Carroll only had one at USC. Utah has had two—with two different coaches. This is a well-run program, and arguably one of the toughest games on the schedule.

While we're in the MWC, let's take a look at TCU, another team that people are hating on since the rumors. Let's use the same period for their records: 10-2, 11-2, 5-6, 11-1, 11-2, 8-5, 11-2. I'm sorry, but four 11-win seasons in six years tells me that this program, too, is high quality. Their only losses are to teams like Oklahoma and Utah. And they beat a Stoops-coached Oklahoma team in '05. Now, you can talk about the weakness of the bottom of the MWC, but Utah, TCU, and BYU are BCS-caliber teams. In fact, TCU should be in the Big 12 ahead of Baylor, and Utah and BYU could make an argument to join the Pac-10 conference (they'd certainly be more competitive than WSU, Stanford, Washington, and Arizona).

Army in Yankee Stadium makes perfect sense. Notre Dame-Army is historic, and any true college football fan can appreciate that. Army may not be as competitive as they were back in the 40s, but these two programs (for me) stand for what is good and right about college football. If you are upset about this matchup, you should take your ND jersey off and go root for someone else—we don't want you here anymore.

Tulsa = craptastic. I've been vocal about my dislike of the San Diego State and Nevada games, and Tulsa is even worse. Unlike the MWC, Conference USA is just sad. Name me one team from this list that has done anything worthwhile in the past couple of decades: Alabama-Birmingham, Central Florida, East Carolina (NC), Marshall (WV), Memphis (TN), Southern Mississippi, Houston (TX), Rice (TX), Southern Methodist (TX), Texas-El Paso, Tulane (LA), Tulsa (OK). If Notre Dame does, in fact, schedule this game, I will be disappointed. It's not as bad as a FCS opponent, but it's close. At least it's not the Sun Belt.

So, for all of the complaining, there is really only one bad team on the schedule. And I'll bet that it turns out to be rated one of the more difficult slates in the country next year.

The 2011 schedule right now does suck. UConn and South Florida do not get my juices flowing. Dear God, I hope Jack Swarbrick finds a quality opponent for this schedule. We need one in a bad way.

Moving ahead into 2012, we see a schedule where things are back to what ND fans are used to, and it all turns on one game. The kind of game which is exactly what everyone has been clamoring for—a home-and-home with Oklahoma. That is a sexy matchup. Bob Stoops has restored that program to a perennial power, pulling down three straight Big 12 Championships, and playing in the National Championship last year. Arizona State in Dallas should be a good game. We'll have to wait and see how the holes are filled, but I can't see anyone complaining about schedule strength in a year when you have to play USC, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Pittsburgh—potential champions of 4 BCS conferences (yes, Michigan should be good again by then).

While the 7-4-1 model may have it's issues, if we can get consistent schedules like 2012, sign me up.

Recruiting

Moving on to recruiting, the Irish just landed their 13th verbal commitment in Spencer Boyd.

Defensive end Chris Martin is the jewel of the class so far, but there's a lot of recruiting left, and the Irish could sign over 25 players this year with early enrollees. I'd keep an eye on the recruiting of Seantrel Henderson, who is close friends with current Irish wide receiver Mike Floyd. Most people have counted the Irish out of this one, but I'm not so sure. Also, watch Kyle Prater, Justin McCay, and Corey Lemonier. If the Irish can swing any one of these kids to come to South Bend, we'll be set up for a monster recruiting class.

We did miss on a legacy in Nick Montana, but I don't blame the kid for wanting to blaze his own trail and not compete against his brother and his father's ghost at Notre Dame. Andrew Hendrix is actually ranked ahead of Montana, and I think he's a great fit for Weis' offense.

Prognostications

'Tis the season for preview magazines, so I thought I'd try to pull together a bunch of the preseason predictions for the Irish.

Phil Steele: #7
Phil Steele, in my opinion, is the best of the best when it comes to preview mags. He puts a ton of effort and research into his publication each year, and he's a statistics guru, so he tends to be less biased and more accurate year-in-year-out than most other publications.
Steele has the Irish at #7, which is a very optimistic outlook, and it speaks volumes about how the Irish look on paper this year. With the experience and production we have returning, we are poised for a breakout season.

Sporting News: #18
Sporting News has the Irish sitting at 18, which is probably pretty close to the consensus of most average fans that follow college football. However, there is an interesting article in which one prognosticator believes the Irish could run the table (along with five other schools) to create a huge pileup when it comes time to send teams to the BCS championship game.

Sporting News also has Notre Dame's receiving corps ranked #1 in the nation as well.

Athlon: #24
Athlon has the Irish ranked a little bit lower than most, but still in the top 25. In their preview, they concede that the Irish should be capable of contending for the BCS this year. Athlon seems to sum up the feelings of most fans that see the potential, but are wary of believing in a huge turnaround for the Irish.

Lindy's: #37
Lindy's is, in my opinion, the worst of the preseason magazines. They are full of bias, and don't spend a lot of time bothering with annoying things like statistics and facts. They just kind of throw out their gut feelings for the season, totally manipulated by preseason hype. If someone gave me a copy of this magazine for free, I'd tear it up and use it to line someone's bird cage.

And it has nothing to do with their ranking of the Irish—I just really don't like this magazine.

Average ranking: 21.5
Not horrible, solidly in the top 25, but not spectacular either, which pretty much describes what most people are expecting from the Irish this year. There is clearly the potential there for a magical season, but experience has told us that Weis will find a way to screw the pooch on this one. I'm a bit more of an optimist, and I think the Irish will be undefeated going into the USC game, making that arguably the biggest game of the entire college football regular season, much like 2005. (Oklahoma-Texas, USC-Ohio State, and Alabama-Virginia Tech are pretty interesting, too)

My preseason Top 10
1. Florida
Heisman winner Tebow's back, and they are loaded with speedy talent across the board. They are the team to beat, no question.

2. Oklahoma
With Heisman winner Bradford back, and his favorite target at tight end back as well,
the Oklahoma offense shouldn't miss a beat.

3. Texas
Colt McCoy may get his shot at the Heisman this year if Texas can find a running game.

4. Penn State
Paterno lost a lot of talent at receiver, but their QB and running game are intact, as is the heart of their defense.

5. Ole Miss
Houston Nutt + Jevan Snead = an interesting football team. Personally, I expect Ole Miss to remember they are Ole Miss, but I had to put them ahead of the hated.

6. Southern Cal
New QB, new defense, but they still just roll in new All-Americans to replace old All-Americans. I believe the Irish will beat the Trojans this year, but until they do, I can't pick the Irish ahead of a team that beat them 38-0 last year.

7. Alabama
Saban can coach—nobody doubts that. And with the lax control over admissions and recruiting, Saban is quietly stocking the cupboards. And Julio Jones is really good.

8. Virginia Tech
Tyrod Taylor is back, and Virginia Tech is poised to improve over last year's Orange Bowl victory. The 'Bama game will be a great measuring stick.

9. Notre Dame
An experienced junior quarterback with All-American potential, two proven All-American caliber receivers, an experienced offensive line, an All-American tight end, an experienced junior running back with lots of quick (and a stable behind him). They'll put up points.
Arguably the most talented secondary in the country. A proven leader at the middle of the linebacking corps. A talented, if young, defensive line. Should be a very good defense.

The pieces APPEAR to be all in place. Now let's see it on the field.

10. Georgia Tech
Paul Johnson showed that the triple option attack can still be effective in major college football. With talent and speed, this attack becomes real difficult to defend. Add in the fact that they can effectively pass the ball to some talented wideouts, and Tech is ready to roll. Try and get ready for this team on one week's practice.

I've got to get back to work. I'll try to update sooner than a couple of months from now...

Irish Blogger Gathering: A New Beginning

Neil Waechter — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:07:00 -0400

So, I've been on hiatus for a while, for good reason. Things at work have been crazy, I went on vacation, and there may be a lot of changes in store for me in the near future (promotion, anyone?). But, I couldn't shirk my duties as a member of the Irish Blogger Gathering, so here are my answers to Subway's questions:

1. Take your temperature. A) What sort of things are you looking for the team to work upon to help the 2009 season? Group improvements, players improvements, new fertilizer... whatever. As general a question as you will find. B) Same question, but instead of just the 2009 season—the future of the program as a whole.

A) There are a few things that I'm looking for this year. Fist, I'd like to see Jimmy Clausen start acting like a leader and a Notre Dame man. He came in with a punk-ass attitude, and I'd like to see him take a hint from his predecessor, and start leading by example. First in the weight room in the morning, last out of film review at night, keeping his nose clean and being confident, not cocky.

Also, I want to see the major jumps in production that you usually get between sophomore and junior years. If that happens for even a small majority of that class, this offense will be SICK.

B) This is a more interesting question. My expectations for this year are insanely high. I keep hinking about all of the factors involved, and I can't help but see this as being the beginning of a long run for the Irish back in the elite. A big part of this long-term hope comes from one man—Bryant Young. Not because he has the potential to be a great coach and leader (which I think he will), but more because of what it says about the long-term health of our program. Weis has taken the view that he will be here a while, and is grooming Bryant Young as a coach. He hired a veteran statesman on the D-line, so that Young could grow and eventually replace him. This kind of long-term continuity, growth, and planning could pay major dividends for the University. It's doing things the right way.

2. It remains to be seen if I will be traveling to the spring game. My wife may have objections to yet another birthday of hers being used for a game that essentially doesn't count. (I know, I know—she just doesn't get it.) Don't you think it's about time that the spring game was televised? You know ESPN is dying to get inside that stadium for a live broadcast. I don't think it would interfere with the NBC contract, and if it does—why aren't they televising this?

As an annual attendee of the Spring Game, I could honestly care less about whether or not it's televised, personally. However, I do see the benefit of the exposure this early, especially as it informs the voters in the preseason polls.

Of course, ESPN would be the beast we'd have to sell out to, as spring games are not network TV material. But assuming we could get assurances of front page coverage, I think it would be a great tool in recruiting and shaping preseason perception.

3. What position battle will be decided this spring? Which one will have to wait for summer/fall?

I think the only position battle that will be decided this spring is the QB. Weis will give Crist the chance to legitimately show what he can do against Jimmy, but I think JC's mechanics solidify him as the starter moving forward.

The rest of the positions I think will be open well into the summer. There are only a few places I see as locked down—Tate and Floyd at receiver, Young on the O line, Williams on the D line, and Brian Smith as inside LB. The rest of the spots have too many talented players competing for me to hazard a guess.

4. If you could change anything about the way spring practice/ Blue-Gold Game is done- what would it be?

I'd like to see them get away from the strange scoring rules and actually get out there and play a game. First on first and second on second, with the rest of the team split evenly for subs. Play it out, and let us see how it goes. This goes for silly rules protectng the QB as well. Obviously, we want to avoid injuries, but at least let the defenders wrap up the QB.

I like Subway's idea of bringing in another team to scrimmage against, as well.

5. Name your 5 favorite players and change their jersey number. Tell us why...

Jimmy Clausen - No. 7 to No. 10. As I said before, I'd like to see Jimmy try to emulate Brady, and be a true leader, rather than just a talented QB.
Ian Williams - No. 95 to No. 50. I'd like to see this, complete with cut off jersey and attitude, to emulate Zorro. We need some nasty inside on defense.
Eric Olsen - No. 51 to No. 00. Just because.
Golden Tate - No. 23 to No. 25. This kid is the new rocket. Did you see him run down Armando Allen on the kick return, AFTER a pancake block? Raw speed.

6. Last year two sophomore's won the MVP awards for the Blue-Gold Game (Harrison Smith and Robert Hughes). Predict who this years MVP's will be using the same criteria. (Same class- 1 OFF. & 1 DEF.).

I'm going to predict a return to form, when you knew who the best players were, and expected them to be the MVP every time. Therefore, I'm going to pick:
Jimmy Clausen, QB (could be Tate, but he'll miss a lot for baseball)
Darrin Walls, CB (could also be B. Smith or I. Williams)

A Look at Notre Dame's Staff Carousel After Latest Hire of Frank Verducci

Neil Waechter — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:42:00 -0500

As promised, the changes to the Notre Dame football program this offseason are beginning to take shape.

Haywood is gone to take the head coaching job at Miami (OH). As yet his position (offensive coordinator/RB coach) is vacant.

Jappy Oliver is out as the defensive line coach. The official word is that he resigned. However, much like the next coach on the list, it is clear that he was asked to do so in no uncertain terms.

As yet, no replacement has been named, but it has been reported that Ohio State Co-Defensive Coordinator / LB Coach Luke Fickell was offered a position on the defensive staff at Notre Dame. Fickell played for one year under Jon Tenuta when he was at OSU. He is an OSU alum, and seems to be in position to at least be conidered for the OSU job if Cheaty McSweatervest ever leaves.

However, ND pulled a major coup by bringing in Tenuta last year, and they have it within their means to do it again. No word yet on whether he will accept.

Fickell is an interesting hire, if successful. As the linebackers coach for the last 7 years, he has developed/coached All-American linebackers Matt Wilhelm ('02), A.J. Hawk ('04, '05) and James Laurinaitis ('06, '07, '08). That's got to be appealing to the likes of Manti Te'o and Jelani Jenkins, our top two remaining targets in this year's class. It remains to be seen, however, whether Fickell would take over the linebacking corps from Tenuta, or be moved into Jappy's job on the D-line. Either way, it would be a major coup if ND could get him to sign on the dotted line.

Finally, John Latina is out as offensive line coach, replaced by longtime coach Frank Verducci, who has spent the last two years as an offensive assistant at the Cleveland Browns. Verducci has over 27 years of coaching experience, including 19 in college. He is known as a good recruiter, and has the bulk of his experience on the offensive line.

While there is nothing in Verducci's resume that screams success, he did essentially take a step down from the NFL to come to Notre Dame. At the very least, he is a known quantity as far as teaching blocking fundamentals.

I expect that this ends the firings for the staff, as the fans got their sacrificial lamb (Latina), and the greatest deficiency on Weis' team (D-line) was addressed as well.

The only really interesting thing remaining from these changes is to see what Weis does in regards to replacing Haywood. Does he retain play-calling duties and hire what will essentially be another glorified running backs coach, or does he go out and make the big splash to bring in someone he knows he can turn the offensive reins over to?

It will be interesting to follow in the coming weeks, and I expect that everything will be settled down by signing day in February.

2009 National Champions: Utah Utes

Neil Waechter — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:08:00 -0500

And the winner is...the University of Utah Utes (13-0, 8-0 MWC).

There is no rational argument I have heard from anyone as to why the Utah Utes should not be the number one team in the country.

They are the only undefeated team in all of Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and just beat the snot out of an Alabama team that was No. 1 going into the SEC Championship.

Florida, the team favored to win the BCS Championship game, only beat Alabama by 11. Utah beat 'em by 14.

I've heard the argument made that the Utes wouldn't be undefeated if they played Florida's schedule, but I don't buy it. Some people have talked about launching USC into the title picture, but they lost to an Oregon State team that the Utes beat. They beat TCU, BYU, and Alabama.

Oh, and lest you try to punish them for a weak schedule, remember that when they scheduled the Michigan opener, the Wolverines were a power.

Don't punish Utah for Michigan's demise.

They played the toughest schedule they could put together and won every single game, including their BCS bowl. And the Utes are no flash in the pan, either. They've won eight straight bowl games, including their first ever appearance in the BCS, a 35-7 smackdown of the Pittsburgh Panthers.

Oh, and they went undefeated that season as well, but were left out of the national title picture.

If Utah is not voted the AP national title, it will simply serve as further proof that the current system is broken.

The Pac-10 isn't offering the Utes membership so they can play a legitimate BCS schedule. They are scheduling the best that they can in their non-conference. And the Mountain West isn't exactly a pushover. Just ask Alabama, Michigan, Stanford, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, and Tennessee if they think the MWC is a joke (all of these teams lost to an MWC opponent this season).

All these Utes did was suit up and beat every opponent they faced. Again. This was the second time in the career of these seniors that they've achieved that particular feat. And they did so under two different head coaches.

None of the power teams—not LSU, USC, Ohio State, Florida, or Oklahoma—have even come close to achieving such an accomplishment.

If that isn't worthy of a national title, I don't know what is.

Notre Dame New Year's Resolutions

Neil Waechter — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:05:00 -0500

With the completion of the 2008 campaign, it's time for this program to turn its sights ahead to the new year and focus our energies on a successful 2009.

With that in mind, here are some New Year's resolutions for the coaching staff, the players, and us, the fans.

Coaching Resolutions

1. Run the damn ball.

Under Weis, I am resigned to this being a pass-first offense, and if we are as effective through the air as we were against Hawaii, I have no problem with that approach.

That said, a strong running game is necessary to create a threat that opens up the passing game. Keeping the safeties near the line of scrimmage opens more opportunities for Tate, Floyd, and Rudolph down the field.

Also, we need to have confidence in our ability to pick up first downs on the ground in third and fourth and short.

With Haywood moving on to Miami (OH), we will need to find a new running backs coach, and this presents an opportunity to find a top-notch running backs coach that can really fire up our deep stable of backs.

2. Shut up the critics.

I've been very critical of Weis this year, as I felt that the team we saw against Hawaii should have been the team we saw all season long (or at least down the stretch, as the young players developed).

Weis has been given a vote of confidence for at least one more season on the Notre Dame sidelines, having survived an onslaught of criticism from all fronts.

Now is the time for him to bring back the swagger of his first season at the helm, where the Irish excited the fanbase and media.

Winning heals everything, and I hope that the coaching staff has found their groove and can translate this bowl win into the swagger that the Irish should have every time they take the field.

3. Have some fun.

I know that coaching at Notre Dame is a high stress position, and that the constant barrage of criticisms can wear down a coach. You never get enough credit when you win and take too much blame when you lose.

But Weis is a Notre Dame guy, and I know he takes great pride in the performance of our football team. While Weis may never be the buddy-buddy kind of coach that the Poodle over at U$C is, his players clearly perform better when they are loose and having fun.

So, I'd like to see the coaching staff have a positive and fun attitude throughout the offseason and into next year. The young talent on this team is like a group of sled dogs, just tearing at the reins. Keeping them in check and focused on business I think is smart for the development of discipline.

But now that they've shown what they can do, it's time to loosen the reins and let them run.

Player Resolutions

1. Play with swagger.

I felt several times over the past couple of seasons that the players were playing like they were just waiting for the bottom to drop out. Again.

In Hawaii, they came out and seemed ready to show everyone what they can do.

They need to build on that foundation and come out each and every game with the confidence that they know they can win the game.

In 2005, the Irish came out against USC and punched them in the mouth, refusing to back down. Everyone had faith in Brady's leadership and trusted their teammates, and they were robbed of a truly great season by the infamous Bush Push.

The last two years, the players didn't seem sure if they could win when they walked out on the field.

With the show they put on for Christmas Eve, and nearly everyone coming back, I want to see them take the attitude that they can dominate anyone who steps on the field against them.

2. Work your ass off

Championship teams aren't built in recruiting or during training camp. They are built every single day in the offseason, when the players come together and push each other to become more than they could ever be alone.

I'm reminded of the story of Knute Rockne and Gus Dorais, who during the offseason worked at Cedar Point in Ohio and spent their free time practicing passing routes on the beach. The next season, all that practice resulted in the stunning upset of the Black Knights of Army.

I want to hear stories this offseason of these kids going above and beyond the required workout and organized team activities to develop the chemistry necessary to build a championship team. Live, breathe, eat, and sleep football.

3. Believe.

The Notre Dame football program has been pronounced dead many times in the past.

They were supposed to just fade into the woodwork when they didn't get into the Big Ten. Then they barnstormed the country and won anyway.

They were supposed to fold during World War II. Then Leahy came back from the war and destroyed everyone.

Kuharich was the death knell of Irish football. The Irish would never win again. Then Parseghian came in and made us all believe in miracles. He could even stop the rain.

Then the program couldn't compete in the modern era, when Faust dragged them into the mud. And Holtz taught the team how to believe.

Now, the carousel of Davie, O'Leary, Willingham, and Weis has supposedly relegated Irish football to mediocrity, where Irish fans were supposed to be content with the occasional decent bowl game. As Kirk Herbstreit said, we've averaged only seven wins a season for the past 15 years. Why do we expect any more than that?

Because we're Notre Dame, and it's what we do.

"There has been a surrender at Notre Dame, but it is a surrender to excellence on all fronts, and in this we hope to rise above ourselves with the help of God." -Fr. Theodore Hesburgh

Now is the time for this team to ignore all of the people that want so desperately for Notre Dame to finally fade away, and come together as one. Believe in the magic of Notre Dame, that with hard work, discipline, and integrity, we can take on all comers and emerge victorious.

Fan Resolutions

1. Wake up the echoes.

The time for cautious optimism is over. I have been one of the most critical of the Weis regime over the past few months, and I'm not even as bad as many of the Irish faithful. I have read so much pessimism on Irish message boards, and often the best I can find is cautious optimism.

It's time to throw caution to the wind and remember that We Are Notre Dame.

Army 1946. Oklahoma 1952. Michigan State 1966. Miami 1988. Penn State 1992. Florida State 1993. And yes, even USC 2005.

The magic is there, just waiting to be tapped. Each of those games I listed were not just magical moments—they were the culmination of an entire season of the Irish faithful collectively believing in the lads out there on the field.

And so, if we want next year to be something special, we can't sit idly by and wait for the evidence on the field. We need to go out there each week believing unequivocally that the Irish will win each game.

And then we can add USC 2009 to the list.

***

So there you have it, my New Year's Resolutions for 2009.

Notre Dame will be the national champions in 2009. You heard it here first.

And I will continue to believe as much until I am proven otherwise. Get on board.