Bleacher Report - Notre Dame Football

Five Coaches Who Have What Notre Dame Football Needs

Josh Brewer — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:00:56 -0500

When Bob Davie took over for Lou Holtz before the 1997 NCAA football season, nobody knew it was effectively the end of Notre Dame's reign amongst the nation's elite college football programs.

With Holtz leading the Fighting Irish, success was a given.

Notre Dame won fewer than eight games only twice in Holtz's 11 seasons as coach. In those 11 seasons, Holtz led Notre Dame to nine bowl games (six of which are now considered BCS bowl games) and the 1988 National Championship.

Since then, the list of Notre Dame coaches has been riddled with rash hires and emphatic burnouts.

Davie and Tyrone Willingham combined for two BCS bowl games—both losses—in eight years.

And then there is current Head Coach Charlie Weis.

Weis was supposed to bring change to South Bend. Instead, his five years have been filled with high expectations and shortcomings. Over the past three seasons, the Fighting Irish has a 16-19 record.

Davie, Willingham, and Weis had a combined one bowl victory before coming to Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish need a coach who is well established as a success in college football.

Names have been flying in the rumor mills over the past couple of weeks, but here are five coaches Notre Dame needs to take into consideration.

5. Gary Patterson (83-27 Career Record)

Surely the dark horse in this scenario, Patterson has seen plenty of success in his nine seasons at TCU.

Patterson is a defensive-minded, hard-working coach that would bring a new type of discipline to Notre Dame. His consistency is unrivaled, evidenced by seven winning seasons and six 10-win campaigns in Fort Worth.

4. Les Miles (76-32 Career Record)

Miles doesn't have the track record the next three coaches on this list do, but he does have something one man ahead of him doesn't: a National Championship.

Throughout his nine years as a head coach, Miles has proven he can handle the big time. He has seen consistent success in one of the toughest conferences in the country, and consistency is something Notre Dame dearly needs.

3. Bob Stoops (109-25 Career Record)

Though his Sooners are 6-4 and unranked, the impact of injuries across the board cannot be ignored in Stoops' 11th season at Oklahoma.

Stoops returned the proud Sooners back to national prominence following more than a decade out of the national title hunt.

At only 49 years old, Stoops has plenty of time to return the most famous college football program in America to the national title picture year in and year out.

2. Mark Richt (85-23 Career Record)

If Stoops coached in the SEC, his track record would mirror Richt's.

Richt, lacking the BCS bowl bids of Stoops, has been as consistent as anyone in the SEC.

Winning games on a week-to-week basis is tough enough down south, but Richt's Georgia teams have won six or more conference games six times in his nine years in Athens.

Not only would Richt bring a heightened level of success to South Bend, he would also prepare his players for big games in ways Davies, Willingham, and Weis never could.

After all, Richt has been there before.

1. Urban Meyer (93-17 Career Record)

Meyer brings success wherever he goes.

Under Meyer's watch, Utah became the first non-BCS conference team to earn a BCS bowl bid. He also has two national championships at Florida.

Before Weis was hired, Meyer turned down the job at Notre Dame to take the vacancy in Gainesville. He has referred to Notre Dame as his dream job.

Despite saying he was never going to leave Florida for Notre Dame, the powers that be in South Bend need to change Meyer's mind.

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Notre Dame Football on, Yawn, NBC...Try To Stay Awake

Wise Guides — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:03:24 -0500

Since Notre Dame signed the contract with NBC to broadcast every Irish home game to the entire nation in 1991—yes, it’s been that long—these games have become marathons, usually lasting well over three hours and sometimes approaching the four-hour mark.

There have been periodic references to this trend in the media, but I’ve never seen a great outcry from anywhere or even a close look at why this is the case (more and longer commercials, I’ve always assumed).

And really, who in the mainstream media is going to do such a critique, NBC? Or any of the other outlets, ABC, CBS, ESPN, who rely on the popularity of televised sports to make millions? They’re not going to explore the annoying trend to more commercials and longer games out of South Bend or anywhere else.

Something about not biting the hand that feeds you. I did email the SID’s office to try to get the average time of Irish home games but haven’t heard back yet. I’ll provide an update if that changes.

Short of that I decided to take a closer look at a Notre Dame home game, the recent one against USC, and compare that to a game on rival ABC, Iowa at Ohio State, in the same afternoon time slot.

Well, the Irish may be struggling (again) on the gridiron, but they’re kicking butt when it comes to time of game. That contest against USC lasted three hours and 40 minutes, crushing the OSU-Iowa tilt, which went just over three hours (3:05).

And while the ND game ended in regulation, Ohio State won after one overtime session (if "session" is the right word for the weird college football OT format). That Big Ten game went about 2:50 in regulation.

Way to go Irish! I’m not going to document every commercial break for you from that USC game but I’ll hit some lowlights.

We get our first commercial break less than two minutes in (13:04) after one USC possession.
Four commercials and the Irish are on offense, but quickly turn it back over to the hucksters (at the 10:56 mark).
Five more commercials and back to Notre Dame Stadium. So, just over four minutes into the game and there’s already been two breaks and about as many commercials as plays. Not a good start for fans who tuned in to, you know, watch football.
The next break comes with 8:47 left in the first quarter after a USC score...but you get the idea.

Halftime lasted a whopping 22 minutes and included college football highlights and an appearance by SNL’s Seth Myers at the Weekend Update desk. There was plenty of that self-promotion by NBC throughout, especially for the next night’s NFL game on the network.

The litany continued in the second half, the most maddening example coming with 10:29 to go in the fourth quarter after a Notre Dame player was injured. The player was down but then got up quickly and was shown walking to the sideline, but apparently not fast enough.

NBC went to a break and five commercials ensued...and I’m thinking "Too bad for the players and fans in attendance, but thank God for TIVO."

At the Ohio State-Iowa game, the first break didn’t come until there was 8:12 left in the first quarter; at Notre Dame they’d had three commercial breaks by then. To be fair, halftime at the Buckeyes’ game lasted about 21 minutes, so there was little difference there, and there was slightly more scoring in the Notre Dame game, which adds time (they lost 34-27 while OSU won 27-24).

And some clock confusion at the end of the ND game—the refs put one second back on the clock that allowed for another final play—added about five minutes to the broadcast.

Still, there’s no excuse to justify these football epics if you’re a fan that just wants to watch the damn game. So to ND fans, my condolences.

I’m not trying to pick on Domers here, because certainly all the networks milk these college and pro games for all they’re worth (anybody else notice the incredibly annoying development in the NFL when they now go to commercial after the kickoff? So it’s touchdown-commercials-kickoff-commercials. I hope whoever came up with that burns in hell).

But one big reason I wanted to take a closer look at ND/NBC was because I’ve heard complaints from those very same fans. As I researched a book on Notre Dame Stadium (shameless plug) fans told me how difficult it is to stay pumped and focused for four hours—imagine what it’s like for the players, too—how if you tailgated hard you go from buzz to hangover headache by halftime, to tired and dying of thirst in the third quarter.

One Irish alum chuckled when I asked if she’d taken her kid to a game, saying there was no way her little one would sit on a bleacher seat for four hours.

The things people (or in this case religious institutions of higher learning) do for money. The Notre Dame administration says all those millions go to support worthy athletic and academic programs and initiatives on campus, including scholarships for needy kids, and let’s hope so.

I’m certain there are plenty of ND fans, yawning through yet another TV timeout, who might wonder if it’s all worth it. With mediocre ratings and another mediocre team on the field, administrators at Notre Dame and execs at NBC should be wondering the same thing.

Andy Buchanan, Wise Guides

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ND-UCONN Has Me Torn Apart

G T — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:19:15 -0500

Firstly, let me just say that I will be happy if either team wins (BLASPHEMY!), given what happened to UCONN this year.

With the dawn of the UCONN game roughly 24 hours away, I can say that I am nervous about this one. UCONN fields a very competitive team that has had some tough losses on the field this year. I also feel that they will be much more motivated than our team.

I can only hope and pray, as an ND fan, that they won't pull another "Navy Look-Ahead" (as to the PITT game), and then end up blowing it tomorrow. Given that a very tough Stanford team is coming up, I think that this is quite a possibility. If they already have their sights set on Stanford, then they're in for trouble when the second sniper they missed sights them. Said sniper being UCONN.

Add to all of this the fact that this UCONN team gets a chance to travel to one of the most famous campuses in college football, and play in one of the best stadiums ever constructed. Me thinks they may be ready to play!

Well, we'll see what happens out on the field!

Good luck to UCONN on keeping all players healthy throughout the game. And I can't wait for the basketball game either!

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Notre Dame vs. Connecticut: Keys to an Irish Win

Anthony Pilcher — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:52:49 -0500

The Fighting Irish return to South Bend Saturday on the heels of their second consecutive loss and looking to avoid a second-half season meltdown. Despite the promise this squad showed early in 2009, the last handful of games have looked eerily similar to the last six games of 2008 when the Irish sputtered to a dismal finish.

Notre Dame's opponent, the Connecticut Huskies, should not be underestimated and strongly resembles two previous Irish foes (Pittsburgh and USC) on the 2009 slate. The Huskies are better than their record indicates and match up very well against Notre Dame.

Connecticut Version 2009

Head coach Randy Edsall has his team playing tough, determined football. The Huskies are 4-5 entering Saturday's game but have faced the sixth-best AV Ranking strength of schedule and have lost their five games by a combined 15 points to Cincinnati, Rutgers, West Virginia, Pittsburgh and North Carolina.

In other words, Edsall's troops have played very competitive football in losing efforts to several good teams.

The Huskies are ranked 49th in the AV Ranking with the 31st rated TPR, a 22nd ranked offense, but only a 62nd ranked defense.

Connecticut doesn't protect the ball particularly well (minus one in turnover margin, 66th best in the country) or control the clock, averaging only 29:19 in time of possession (77). They are, however, very disciplined with only 33.4 yards in penalties per game-good for second best in the country.

Offense

Offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead is a run-first play-caller and the Husky offense has an effective ground game. This directly contributes to a potent downfield passing game and excellent red zone touchdown efficiency (70.6 percent, 19).

Third down and overall red zone efficiency are another matter. Connecticut ranks 66th converting third downs and a more respectable 35th in red zone efficiency. The latter value is significantly bolstered by scoring touchdowns inside the 20-yard line as the kicking game hasn't performed very well (9 of 16 on the year).

As noted above, Moorhead favors the run in his play-calling but the production is fairly balanced as the Husky offense averages 167.9 yards per game rushing (45) and 241 yards per game through the air (39).

The run-heavy approach and lack of passing yards makes the total offensive numbers appear pedestrian, but Connecticut routinely outperforms their defensive opposition in scoring, yards per play, and yards per game.

Moorhead splits the carries evenly between Jordan Todman (159 attempts, 826 yards, 5.2 yards per rush, 12 touchdowns) and Andre Dixon (158 carries, 730 yards, 4.6 yards per attempt, seven touchdowns). Both backs are very capable and ensure a fresh set of legs for the duration of the game.

Connecticut has performed well against fairly stout rushing defenses. Namely, the Husky ground game has produced 21 touchdowns (22) and over 40 yards per game more than opposing defenses typically allow.

Cody Endres and former Notre Dame quarterback Zach Frazer are the signal callers for Moorhead. Both have played extensively, but Endres is the preferred option and has completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,354 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions.

Endres operates a passing offense that is fairly average and with an offensive line that doesn't protect the quarterback exceptionally well (19 sacks surrendered, 70). Despite this, Endres and Frazer have been effective enough to rank 39th in passing yards per game. The strength of the passing game is play-action and the ability to stretch the field. The running threat maintains an efficient passing unit that averages 7.8 yards per attempt (26) and 13.6 yards per completion (25).

Seven Husky receivers have double-digit receptions but Marcus Easley has nearly twice as many yards as any other target,the result of a gaudy 21.5-yard per reception average. Easley also leads the team with five receiving touchdowns.

See the tables below for a more in-depth look at the Husky offense.

Due to problems embedding the tables the data can be seen here.

Defense

The Husky defense is efficient, but average against the run and a mixed bag against the pass going against offensive teams that do not excel in either area.

Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando's scheme is fairly basic, rarely using the blitz to generate pressure, instead opting to force the opposition to consistently execute. He likes to get upfield with his front four and let his linebackers run to the ball.

Connecticut does a good job on third down (37.4 percent conversion rate, 37) and are exceptional in the red zone. On the year Orlando's squad has held opponents to touchdowns on half of their red zone possessions, a performance good for 22nd best in the country.

The defense is decent against the run, but certainly not great, and rank between 37th and 53rd in the four major categories.

Most of the success stopping the run comes from the linebacker corps. Linebacker Lawrence Wilson leads the team in tackles with 97 (10.8 per game) and also has nine tackles for a loss. Fellow backer Greg Lloyd has notched 80 tackles this year.

Save two specific areas, the pass defense has also struggled. The Huskies allow eight yards per pass attempt (102), 12.2 yards per completion (72), and have allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete almost 66 percent of their passes (111). The result is a defensive pass efficiency rating of 139.9 that ranks 96th in the country.

There are, however, two bright spots for the Connecticut pass defense: rushing the passer and forcing interceptions.

The Huskies have 23 sacks on the year, 17 of which have come from defensive linemen. This translates into one sack per 11.3 pass attempts and ranks 17th in the country. Defensive end Lindsay Witten leads the team in both sacks (10.5) and tackles for a loss (11), and poses a problem for Irish offensive tackles Sam Young and Paul Duncan.

In the secondary, cornerback Robert McClain and safety Robert Vaughn each have four interceptions and lead a unit that is pretty good with the ball in the air (11 interceptions, 36).

See the tables below for a more in-depth look at the Husky defense.

Due to problems embedding the tables the data can be seen here.

Summary

Connecticut likes to run the ball on offense and are pretty effective doing it. This opens up the downfield pass, particularly on play-action, and contributes to very good red zone touchdown efficiency

Defensively, the Huskies are good on third down and also perform well preventing touchdowns in the red zone. Orlando likes to get pressure with the front four which allows for multiple defenders to drop into coverage. The result has been good production getting sacks and forcing interceptions.

In many ways the Huskies are built similarly to the Panthers and Trojans, two teams that dominated the Irish through most of the game. So what must the Irish do to defeat a team that matches up very well?

Offense

Run the freakin' ball. Connecticut is largely ineffective defending the pass. It will be tempting for head coach Charlie Weis to ride quarterback Jimmy Clausen and wide receivers Michael Floyd and Golden Tate to victory. However, the Huskies can pressure the quarterback with four and the Irish offense has struggled against teams with strong defensive line play. Moreover, the Husky defense is one the country's best in the red zone, and the Irish have been woeful inside the 20-yard line the past two games. Using the ground game is the answer to both problems. Over the past two weeks Irish running backs have only carried the ball 28 times despite averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Additionally, running backs Armando Allen (five yards per carry), Robert Hughes (4.7 yards per rush attempt) and Theo Riddick (6.9-yard per carry average) have all been effective for the duration of the season.
Once again, it comes down to the front five. What was critical against USC and Pittsburgh, is also critical in this contest. The offensive line must play well in pass protection to win this game. Running the ball is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for winning. At some point Weis will put the ball in Clausen's hands and attempt to exploit a very inefficient secondary. Like the Panthers and Trojans, Connecticut features the ability to get pressure with four. The Irish offensive line cannot allow Clausen to be repeatedly harassed as he was in those two contests.
Execute the screen. Last week the screen game reappeared but the execution wasn't crisp. It, along with draws and non-obvious passing formations, will be needed this week to slow Witten and company and prevent the Husky front four from pinning their ears back.

Defense

Something has to change. Connecticut's offense thrives when the entire playbook is open. In other words, down and distance is extremely important in this game. If Notre Dame plays well early in the series, it will limit play-calling and maximize the athletic ability of the Irish defense. Poor play on first down will allow Moorhead to mix the run and pass, keeping the Irish off-balance. It is in these situations that the defense has struggled the most, giving up a host of big plays.
Make 'em work for it. The Husky offense has 19 turnovers (eight fumbles, 11 interceptions) and doesn't take care of the ball particularly well. Endres and Frazer have forced the ball at times. The Irish defense must take advantage of this by forcing consistent execution, i.e. minimize the number of big plays. Connecticut doesn't have a lot of home run threats, but Easley certainly fits the bill.
Field goals are fine. It was true last week, but is even more critical in this contest. Connecticut scores touchdowns and prevents touchdowns in the red zone. The Irish offense struggles to notch seven on a short field and the defense hasn't played particularly well inside the 20-yard line. For Notre Dame to have a chance in this game, they must force Connecticut's kickers to generate points, something they have been fairly incapable of doing this year. This means forgoing the blitz, playing softer coverage, and using the sidelines and back of the end zone as extra defenders on a short field.

Summary

The Irish offense must run the ball effectively and frequently to win this game. Connecticut can pressure the passer and is very good with the ball in the air. Relying solely on a spread passing attack is not a viable option and the Irish offense has struggled against the two best defensive lines they have faced this year.

The Huskies aren't as talented as Pittsburgh or USC, but they don't necessarily need to be. The match ups favor Orlando's unit unless the Irish passing game becomes less predictable. Weis must use the run to force extra defenders in the box and then use play-action to exploit the secondary downfield. Moving the pocket and effectively using screens and draws would also go a long way to keep Connecticut's defense off-balance.

Defensively, the Irish must play well on first down and prevent the big play. If Moorhead is able to maintain favorable down and distances he will be able to mix the run and pass and use play-action to go downfield. Notre Dame must force obvious passing downs and put the game on the shoulders of the Husky quarterbacks without the threat of play-action.

Saturday is Senior Day, the last home game for Irish seniors like Sam Young, Eric Olsen and Kyle McCarthy. The Irish should be motivated to play. If that isn't enough, the future of Weis' career in South Bend and preventing another downward spiral after a promising start are also at stake.

But in the end, the match ups in this game do not favor Notre Dame. Weis hasn't shown a commitment to the running game or a willingness to minimize the burden of execution on both Clausen and his offensive line. Additionally, first down defense and preventing the big play have hardly been staples of the Irish defense.

Unless something dramatically changes, the visitors have the edge.

Notre Dame 24, Connecticut 27

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Should Notre Dame Roll the Dice And Make a Deal with the Devil?

Eric Murtaugh — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:47:05 -0500

Everyone inside the college football world seems to agree that this will be Charlie Weis' last season as head coach at Notre Dame. After only two and a half weeks of red hot speculation, dozens of coaching candidate replacements have been scrutinized and debated without end.

But one topic that keeps popping up when discussing the future of Notre Dame football is all of the off-field issues the program has to deal with. These problems, some would say excuses (what I call internal issues), can be summed as follows:

The high academic standards prevents Notre Dame from recruiting at the highest level in college football. It does not prevent Notre Dame from recruiting at a high level, as evidenced by the likes of Clausen, Tate, Floyd and Te'o, but the program has to fight an uphill battle (especially on defense) in this realm which it has been losing to the likes of Florida, USC and Texas for nearly 20 years.

Additionally, Notre Dame players are true student-athletes who are forced to live with the general student population and devote sufficient times to their studies all with a heavy emphasis on maintaining high grades.

In short, Notre Dame is not a football factory. It is not a place where a recruit can sleepwalk through three years of school, breeze through unchallenging classes and focus their attention exclusively on football.

Moreover, this does not include other factors (external issues) that have hindered the Irish football program over the past fifteen years or so:

Reduced scholarships, increased parity, the abundance of televised games (and the marketing of programs via the internet, phones, etc.) and the penchant for the best athletes to enroll in southern or western schools, not just because of academic concerns, but because of warm weather and beautiful co-eds.

Now, there are clearly two groups of people who take opposing views on these issues.

One group views these problems as the main deterrent holding Notre Dame back from regaining its stature in the college football world, while the other group tends to view the coaching as the main problem, with all of the external issues mentioned above merely being weak excuses.

My opinion on the matter is that these issues are definitely real, they are making it increasingly difficult for Notre Dame to compete, but dealing with these issues goes hand in hand with picking the right coach.

The real question is, what should Notre Dame do in the future if, or when, it decides to hire a new head coach?

Does the school need to relax its academic policy, turn a blind eye and make more of a commitment to winning football? Or does the school only need to hire a top level coach like Urban Meyer to fix things? Is it necessary to do both?

The rumor is that back in 2004, when Meyer turned down the coaching gig in South Bend in favor of Florida, the Notre Dame Administrations refusal to budge on the academic issue was a big problem and ultimately stalled the negotiations between the two parties.

No matter if you believe this or not, I think it is tough to overlook this.

So another question must be asked: Can Notre Dame win with someone like Urban Meyer as coach and sticking to its current academic policy?

Could Meyer recruit like he does in Gainesville on a consistent basis while coaching at Notre Dame? Should we expect a return to .725 percent winning football and national title contention once a great coach finally graces the sidelines of Notre Dame Stadium?

Or what about someone like Jim Harbaugh who is the newest hot candidate for the Irish job? I have no doubt he'd improve Notre Dame because he seems to do more with less at a similarly academically stringent Stanford school. But how much better could he really do?

Would Irish fans be happy if Harbaugh wins 65% percent of his games, a significant improvement over Davie/Willingham/Weis?

Take a look at this year as well: Harbaugh has defeated two top-ten teams in Oregon and USC, but also lost to Wake Forest, Oregon State and Arizona.

Will Notre Dame fans be content to win a little bit more, beat some top teams once in a while and be more competitive, but not really approach the level of success of the Holtz/Devine/Parseghian regimes?

I think there's really only one answer to this problem: Notre Dame has to roll the dice and make a deal with the devil in order to start winning again.

Here's a scenario that I think would be twice as devastating as the last fifteen years:

Notre Dame hires Urban Meyer (or another "can't miss" & "proven winner") as head coach. But the administration won't budge on academics and Meyer ends up being a severe disappointment.

Perhaps Meyer will look good when compared to Notre Dame's last three coaches, but what if he never wins a title, loses some big games, and is saddled with many of the same problems we've seen the past 15 years?

The impact of having the "best coach in college football" and still not winning will place such a stigma to the program that it may not fully recover. If Meyer can't do it then it’s unrealistic to think that anyone can.

How much longer can Notre Dame stay relevant when it accepts mediocrity on the football field in favor of academics? What will become of the program when someday NBC doesn't televise home games and it’s more difficult to watch the Irish each week?

How far off is Notre Dame from not selling out home games, losing money and turning into a sparkly version of Northwestern?

Do the priests really care about winning football games as long as the program continues to pour millions into the school each year? Perhaps the best thing that could happen to Notre Dame football is to start losing money?

I may be overreacting to an eventual and massive downfall for Notre Dame, but I think these are some of the issues fans of the program have to seriously ponder.

What if even the greatest coach doesn't solve these problems?

That is why in the end, it is paramount that the Notre Dame administration make some tough but necessary concessions in order to bring winning football back to South Bend.

I'm not saying throw caution to the wind, but if the school wants to get serious it must bring in someone like Meyer, Brian Kelly or Gary Patterson and let these great coaches take over the entire program with no interference from the priests. Give the next coach five years of free reign like Lou Holtz was given.

Will there be trouble, suspensions, and a few problem players if this happens? No doubt, but it's a tight rope the University must walk at some point in the future.

Do you remember Holtz teams fondly for dominating on the field from 1988-1993? Or do you shake your head at the few problem players that caused the priests to blush during that same time?

Irish legends like Paul Hornung and Joe Montana have been stating for years that Notre Dame cannot be an Ivy league-type school and recruit the defensive players necessary to win in today's college football. And what has been the weakest aspect of Irish football the past 15 years?

The defense!

Why have we been so quick to dismiss these legends, who by the way, never had to deal with a tenth of the restrictions today's players do when they slipped on their gold helmets?

It makes me proud as a Notre Dame fan to know that the current team has a cumulative GPA over 3.0 and that they are nice young men who stay out of trouble. But I'd much rather have a team full of nasty football players who battle and bring pride to Notre Dame with their success on the field.

Since the 1950's, Notre Dame has deemphasized football and made it increasingly harder to compete. But the internal issue of academics was never the hindrance that it is today because Notre Dame has become a bonafide elite academic school in the past 20 years.

Even more important, there was never the external issues making it harder for Notre Dame to compete until the early 1990's. So, Father Hesburgh may have tightened academics the best he could for thirty years, but Notre Dame was still "the place" to play and was full of ridiculous amounts of talent in the “down” years of the late 50’s/early 60’s and early 80’s.

There have been some admittedly horrible coaches at Notre Dame before Holtz took over, but even those coaches had deeper and better talent than what Weis is bringing in today. Notre Dame could win five games and still end up with a few All-Americans and send a handful of players to the NFL each year.

Now the ball is in the other corner, with external forces working against Notre Dame and the academics are as strict as ever. It's a policy that will not work and cannot work. It has never worked at Notre Dame.

The example of Lou Holtz is pertinent to this discussion. He was great friends with the Notre Dame Athletic Director and it is generally agreed that the administration “left Holtz alone” to get the Irish program back on its feet.

With the services of super-recruiter Vinnie Cerrato, Holtz was able to assemble incredible talent and dozens of impact players including 21 NFL draft picks in the first two rounds (10 1^st round) from 1989-1994.

Eventually, Notre Dame’s leaders grew “uncomfortable” with Cerrato and his players and by 1991 he had left for a position with the 49ers. The administration also began its academic clamp down (that has continued and increased till today) beginning around this time.

With Cerrato’s recruits as upperclassmen (beginning in 1988) and until his last recruiting class played their collective final game in 1993, Notre Dame went 64-9-2 (.866%).

Without Cerrato’s recruits making an impact on the program, Lou Holtz went 36-21-1 (.629%).

Do you see the correlation? Lou Holtz was a great coach, but without the ability to recruit like Texas or Florida, Holtz became just a very good coach.

That’s why if Urban Meyer or someone of that stature comes to Notre Dame I would fully expect an improvement over the past 15 years of Irish football, but without the chains being removed from recruiting, no one will bring Notre Dame back to elite status.

That's why I say President Jenkins and AD Jack Swarbrick need to roll the dice, lay it out on the line, and commit to winning.

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Time For Notre Dame Players To Take Their Season Back

Erin McLaughlin — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:18:08 -0500

I just have to vent here.

Over the past two weeks, all that is talked about in regards to Notre Dame is the future of Charlie Weis and who will replace him. I can see something is broken and a change of some kind needs to be made.

Whether that change involves bringing in a new head coach or bringing in new defensive coaches, that is Jack Swarbrick's decision and I know he will make the decision that is best for Notre Dame.

My point is that the players should be held accountable for their part too. Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate have had a magical year. If Michael Floyd had stayed healthy, he would have been part of it too. These three have been outstanding but have also had their share of mistakes.

The interception against Navy where Floyd and Clausen clearly were not on the same page was big. Tate had some key drops against Michigan that made a difference.

The line has been improved this year but has still let Clausen down in critical situations.

The running game has been disappoiniting lately. I expected a big year out of Armando Allen. To be fair, he has been solid when he has been healthy. Unfortunately, that has been a big problem.

Robert Hughes has filled in alright, but I was hoping to see more from Jonas Gray. He has been a disappointment in my opinion. I do like what I have seen from Theo Riddick, but he is still raw at this point.

Then there is the defense—what do I really need to say? Other than Manti Te'o and Kyle McCarthy, this unit has just been disappointing. I expected Brian Smith to really be a leader out there and serve as a bit of a mentor to Te'o. Instead Te'o has outperformed him.

Toryan Smith was doing horrible in the area of pursuit and overrunning the play. Missed tackles were the result. That is why Te'o replaced him. Toryan Smith isn't the only defender guilty of this.

The guy I am most disappointed in on that defense is Robert Blanton. After showing so much promise late in his freshman year and following it with a great spring game, I really expected Blanton to be the man in the secondary. Instead it seems the only time we hear his name called is when he gets beat.

On special teams, where is Mike Anello? Last season he was simply the man on the kicking teams. This year I think I have heard his name called twice.

The punting has been a disaster lately. Kicking has been better but Navy would never know.

With two games left, these players need to look at themselves in the mirror and ask if this is what they want their legacy to be. It is not about what coach will be there next year. It is about how they want to be remembered at Notre Dame.

Weis will likely be out. John Tenuta will probably be gone too. Certainly they deserve their share of the blame. However, every player in that locker room should consider it a failure on their part to get these guys fired.

With Connecticut on the slate for Saturday, it is time for the players to take this back. Just two weeks ago we were talking about BCS. While that is out of the picture, a Gator Bowl would definitely be an upgrade from the Hawaii Bowl. An 8-4 record may not be what we hoped for but it is still a lot better than 6-6.

Connecticut is a good team. However, if Notre Dame finally shows that fire that makes winners,they will win. I want to see that "Play Like a Champion Today" sign really something on Saturday.

The bottom line is that the players need to realize that it is not about the coach's legacy, it is about their legacy.

This article is also posted on http://fightingirishgameday.com/

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Irish Tale of the Tape: Jim Harbaugh and Brian Kelly Fight for the Heart of ND

Marc Halsted — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:31:12 -0500

Forget Pacquiao v. Mayweather. Stop talking about Colts-Pats. Don’t even worry about the Ohio State v. Michigan game this weekend.

It's time for (Brian) Kelly v. (Jim) Harbaugh and the tale of the tape that will determine who will be the next head football coach at Notre Dame.

The cold reality is that Urban Meyer will stay at Florida, Jon Gruden loves ESPN, Bob Stoops won't leave the academic "standards" of Oklahoma, and Ara, Lou, and Knute aren't walking through that door.

It's down to Kelly v. Harbaugh.

Get ready for the Showdown in South Bend.

AGE

Harbaugh, 45, has Kelly, 48, by three years.

Recruits like youthful energy. Advantage Harbaugh.

SIZE

Harbaugh still stands an impressive 6'3" and appears to have his post-playing days weight a snack cake above 225. Kelly, appearing a bit undersized, actually steps in at a husky (and estimated) 5'10", 240. Sorry Coach, there’s no hiding that spare tire on weigh-in day.

Although Harbaugh looks like he could still sling it around the ol’ ballyard if needed, the feisty Kelly will look to use his leverage and low center of gravity to take down Goliath.

I’ll take the hard-headed middle linebacker with 314 career tackles over the well-coiffed Michigan quarterback. Advantage Kelly, in a stunner.

PLAYING BACKGROUND

Kelly did all he could at Assumption College as an All-Conference captain. He tallied the aforementioned 314 career takedowns and put up 19 tackles in his final game for the Greyhounds in 1981. Admirable, but Saint Anselm’s, Stonehill, and a team called the Pace Setters (I’m not kidding) don’t compare to the Big Ten.

Harbaugh finished his Michigan career as a three-year starter, Big Ten Player of the Year in 1986, and the third highest vote-getter in the ‘86 Heisman race. “Captain Comeback” put together a solid NFL career with over 26,000 yards passing and 129 touchdowns for six teams.

All due respect to the little Greyhound linebacker that could—advantage Harbaugh.

COACHING RECORD

Kelly turned the Central Michigan Chippewas into a MAC power, going from 4-7 in 2004 to 9-4 and the Motor City Bowl in 2006.

From there Kelly worked his way south to Cincinnati, where he’s pushed the Bearcats to three straight 10-win seasons, a Big East title, three bowl games, a top-25 ranking in 2007, and a top-10 ranking in 2009.

Kelly comes in at 169-57-2. Jimbo has put together a 74-30 mark. With potential apologies to my seventh grade math teacher, my abacus puts it at a .741 to .711 win percentage comparison.

Advantage Kelly.

THE “I PUNKED COACH CARROLL” EFFECT

Harbaugh went for two last Saturday when the Cardinal already led by 27 in the fourth quarter. He didn’t blink when Beach Boy’s post-game handshake started to get uncomfortable.

Apparently Jim went for two because he couldn’t go for three, i.e. Woody Hayes.

Kelly has never played USC and can’t claim anything as cool as that.

Ashton Kutcher says that this is a no-doubter; advantage Harbaugh.

RANDOM FACTOID FACTOR

Panther Racing won the IRL championship in 2001 and 2002 in the ever-appropriate No. 4 car, which is co-owned by Harbaugh.

Kelly elevated the Assumption College softball team to lofty New England small college fast-pitch status during his reign as head coach.

Jimmy’s a gear-head. Brian can teach the slash bunt.

There are a lot more ’74 Camaros in South Bend than girls' softball leagues. Advantage Harbaugh.

BUFFET CIRCUIT ABILITY

Coach Kelly has made Cincinnati relevant throughout Ohio. He shakes hands, kisses babies, attacks chicken cordon blue with reckless abandon, and will speak everywhere from Lions Club luncheons to bar mitzvahs.

Coach Harbaugh has sold Palo Alto, the state of California, the Pac-10, and the country on Stanford football. He’s never met a microphone he didn’t like. He’ll say anything to anybody.

Kelly is as real as the Chelsea, Massachusetts folks he grew up with.

Harbaugh is California born, bred, and manufactured.

Kelly had to do it at Cincinnati. Harbaugh got to do it at one of the great athletic and academic powers in the country.

They like them real and Rudy-like at ND. Advantage Kelly.

THE PROGNOSTICATION

Harbaugh has the size, speed, athleticism, and pedigree to shock the Irish back to national prominence. But will his shtick hold up with the good people of northern Indiana? Can South Bend tolerate a former Wolverine, especially with RichRod on the proverbial ropes in Ann Arbor?

Kelly is older, more experienced, and one of the best pitchmen in all of college football. If you can make it work in the ‘Nati, you can make it work anywhere.

This one will go all 12 rounds, but I like the tough kid who grew up in Chelsea, went to high school in Danvers, and played his college ball in Worcester. I like the guy who can pull up a stool at the bar, stand and deliver in front of hundreds at the banquet hall, and talk a five-star receiver into his school from the living room sofa.

I like substance and grit, and I don’t like Michigan.

Plus, his name is Kelly.

Break out the green jerseys, Coach, and welcome to Notre Dame.

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THE NFP Super 30: A Look at the Top Prospects for the 2010 NFL Draft

Wes Bunting — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:11:10 -0500

In the fourth installment of the NFP’s Super 30 , we break down and rank the nation’s top draft-eligible prospects through the first 11 weeks of the college football season.

1. QB Jake Locker, Washington (6-3, 226)
The nation’s top quarterback prospect.

2. DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska (6-4, 302)
Even with the consistent double-teams throw his way, Suh is still finding ways to control the line of scrimmage.

3. DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma (6-4, 298)
Has been downright dominating at times this season and has the ability to be a factor both in the pass and run game at the next level.

4. ILB Rolando McClain, Alabama (6-4, 256)
Possesses an impressive athletic skill set for his size and has the ability to play in either a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme.

5. S Eric Berry, Tennessee (5-11, 203)
One of the most instinctive safeties to come along in years; looks like an instant impact player in the NFL.

6. OT Anthony Davis, Rutgers (6-6, 325)
His athleticism and overall power are what really pop out on tape. Does a great job keeping his base down and anchoring on contact.

7. C Maurkice Pouncey, Florida (6-5, 318)
Plays with impressive power and fluidity for his size, and looks like a guy capable of starting from day one.

8. RB Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech (5-11, 235)
A violent runner who exhibits good vision between the tackles and has the initial burst to separate from defenders at the second level.

9. WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State (6-2, 220)
Will have to answer questions about his character, but he has the talent to consistently separate on the outside in the NFL.

10. DT Terrence Cody, Alabama (6-5, 365)
All the guy does is make everyone around him better; looks like an ideal 3-4 nose tackle who can anchor an NFL defense.

11. QB Ryan Mallett, Arkansas (6-7, 238)
The guy is getting better every week and has all the tools needed to be a successful NFL quarterback.

12. DE Carlos Dunlap, Florida (6-6, 290)
Is as physically gifted as it gets, but consistency is his main problem at this stage.

13. OT Bryan Bulaga, Iowa (6-6, 312)
Still hasn’t quite regained his form from a year ago, but he looks like a guy capable of anchoring the left side of an offensive line for years to come.

14. DE/DT Cameron Heyward, Ohio State (6-6, 287)
Has been downright dominant at times, and when his motor is running, he’s nearly impossible to block. Plus, he has the ability to add a lot of versatility to an NFL defensive line.

15. OT Russell Okung, Oklahoma State (6-5, 302)
Looks effortless in pass protection and was absolutely brilliant shutting down the best pass rushers that Texas had to offer.

16. RB Jahvid Best, California (5-10, 195)
A big-play threat every time he touches the ball, but he has to hope his concussion problems don’t linger throughout his career.

17. DE Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech (6-4, 272)
Possesses the tools to get after the quarterback in a variety of ways off the edge.

18. QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma (6-4, 223)
There are concerns about his durability at the next level, but he’s an accurate passer who will be in high demand in a quarterback-starved league.

19. DE Jason Pierre-Paul, South Florida (6-6, 265)
He’s still raw, but possesses a wingspan that goes on for days, and might have more upside than any prospect in next year’s draft.

20. QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame (6-3, 223)
Clausen has been impressive all season, but does he have the demeanor needed to be a team’s starting quarterback?

21. S Taylor Mays, USC (6-3, 235)
The more I watch him, the more I question his overall instincts in all areas of the game.

22. RB C.J. Spiller, Clemson (5-11, 195)
Looks like a potential Felix Jones-type player at the next level.

23. OLB/DE Ricky Sapp, Clemson (6-4, 248)
The guy makes a living behind the line of scrimmage and has the ability to consistently shed blocks and quickly close on the football.

24. OLB Eric Norwood, South Carolina (6-0, 252)
A bit short by NFL standards, but he does a great job playing with power and suddenness when rushing the passer.

25. DT Arthur Jones, Syracuse (6-3, 295)
Doesn’t get the fanfare of some of some other highly rated defensive tackles in the class, but he’s stout at the point and uses his hands well to defeat blocks.

26. DE Greg Romeus, Pittsburgh (6-5, 270)
His combination of length, burst, and flexibility makes him really tough to block off the edge, and I love his ability to play with power as well.

27. OG Mike Iupati, Idaho (6-5, 330)
Makes everything look so easy inside. Possesses an impressive blend of size, power, and fluidity for the position and is ready to take his game to the next level.

28. DT Jared Odrick, Penn State (6-4, 298)
Plays bigger than his frame would indicate and does a great job firing off the snap, gaining initial leverage, and finding the ball inside.

29. ILB Brandon Spikes, Florida (6-3, 256)
A natural born leader who has the ability to come in and make an immediate impact.

30. OT Charles Brown, USC (6-5, 292)
He not only possesses the footwork to consistently mirror in pass protection, he’s also very natural on the move in the run game. Looks like a starting-caliber left tackle in the NFL.

Super 30 no more…

DE Jason Worilds, Virginia Tech (6-2, 252)
Lacks the power to consistently disengage from blocks once an opposing tackle gets hold of him. Might be limited to more of a 3-4 OLB role at the next level.

CB Kareem Jackson, Alabama (5-11, 192)
Has recently struggled maintaining his balance and playing up in press man.

DT Phil Taylor, Baylor (6-4, 355)
Sill learning how to keep his pad level down when rushing the passer.

WR Mike Williams, Syracuse (6-2, 204)
Character concerns are going to kill this talented wideout on draft day.

DT Marvin Austin, North Carolina (6-3, 305)
I love his physical skill set, but he still needs to learn to use his hands better to shed blocks and make more plays on the ball.

DE Everson Griffen, USC (6-3, 278)
Has been slowed in recent weeks, and like the rest of the USC front seven, has struggled to disengage from blocks and consistently stop the run.

Just missed the cut…

WR Brandon LaFell, LSU (6-3, 206)
WR Arrelious Benn, Illinois (6-2, 220)
DT Allen Bailey, Miami (6-4, 288)
CB Joe Haden, Florida (5-11, 190)
OLB Von Miller, Texas A&M (6-2, 240)
OLB Bruce Carter, North Carolina (6-3, 225)
OLB/DE Jerry Hughes, TCU (6-2, 257)
FS Morgan Burnett, Georgia Tech (6-1, 210)

Follow me on Twitter: WesBunting

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Notre Dame Football Dominance: Gone For Good

Bob Evans — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:28:58 -0500

Alright so the time has come for someone to say it, but I’m sick of hearing about Notre Dame.

I’m sorry to all of the Notre Dame Football fans out there, the lovers of college tradition, the people who cannot let go of Knute Rockne, Dan Devine, Lou Holtz, and all of the other greats of Notre Dame’s past. The fact is, Notre Dame isn’t relevant anymore; they haven’t been for quite some time.

Notre Dame is supposed to be college football’s version of the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Lakers, but since Lou Holtz left they are more like the Chicago Cubs and the Dallas Mavericks. These teams are hyped up every year for the moves they have made to take them to the next step of greatness, only to flame out at the first sign of success.

Maybe it’s the coaching, the poor recruiting, or the cupcake schedule that Notre Dame plays every year, but the fact is that they aren’t much better than the fifth or sixth place finishers in any one of the big conferences any year.

The Fighting Irish have proved to be college football’s version of a literary tragic character, except it doesn’t seem like there will be an end to their current run of picking bad four-leaf clovers.

They feature an 85-62 record since 1997. They have won exactly ONE bowl game in that time period, and that was the Hawaii bowl last year versus the host team of Hawaii. They have finished the season inside the top ten once, that was number at No. 9 in 2006.

The fact is that Notre Dame’s program has fallen so far from grace in college football that they are now losing to programs like Navy and Pittsburgh on a regular basis. Now don’t get me wrong, Pittsburgh’s team is tough this year, but Navy…really?

I couldn’t tell you what the formula for reviving the Notre Dame program is. They always have their choice of the top recruits, some of footballs most respected coaches would give up anything to coach there, and with the exception of playing USC every year, they have a powder-puff schedule.

Maybe Notre Dame dropped the ball by remaining an “Independent” team and not joining the Big-Ten conference. Maybe they haven’t found the next Holtz, Rockne, or Devine. But something has driven Notre Dame from the area of being a factor in college football over the last 12 years.

I’m just saying that it’s time to for the national media to remove Notre Dame Football from the pedestal of greatness they have placed them upon. It is time for the rumors about coaches like Urban Meyer, Jim Tressel, Nick Saban, and Les Miles leaving their successful programs to revive what is left of the Notre Dame legacy.

The fact is that Notre Dame has fallen from relevancy. Their reign as the face of college football has fallen. They will not return to NCAA dominance, nor will they even become good enough to be mentioned in the National Championship picture. Notre Dame Football is dead, so let’s stop talking about them already.

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Golden Tate vs. Jordan Shipley: Why Notre Dame Has the Better Receiver

Dan Scofield — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:01:59 -0500

Walking into the door as a scrawny freshman out of Hendersonville, Tenn, Golden Tate knew one route.

Finishing with a 3-9 record that year, Tate gave Irish fans a glimpse of his potential, mostly athletically, and a reason to put on a smile here and there in 2007. But labeled as purely an "Athlete" on most recruiting services, he had plenty to work on in order to become a complete wide receiver.

Fast forward to the current season, where Tate sits among the elite in almost every category that a receiver qualifies for.

He leads the nation in total touchdowns for receivers with 14, which includes 11 through the air. To go along with that, he is fourth in the nation in receiving yards per game coming off of 72 catches and 1,172 yards. In seven of his 10 games this year, Golden has passed the 100-yard receiving mark.

Compared to past Irish greats, he needs only five catches and 78 yards to past current Cubs pitcher, Jeff Samardzija's single-season records. Not to mention, with 211 more receiving yards, Tate will become the leading receiver in Notre Dame history.

And maybe the most impressive thing on Tate's resume—he's only a junior.

Taking a look at those numbers, eyes will open. In fact, if it weren't for the major disappointment of a season the Fighting Irish have produced this year, Tate might have been a darkhorse for the Heisman trophy.

But even more impressive is the fact that he attained those numbers without Notre Dame's other stud receiver, Michael Floyd, for much of the season. Many thought that with Floyd down, Tate's numbers would begin to come back down to earth.

Taking the critics' words as a challenge, his performance without Floyd sky-rocketed Tate's name up many draft boards and added the title of "best wide receiver" to go along with his "athlete" title.

There is no doubt that Tate is the most electrifying player in college football today. On any given Saturday, it isn't rare to see him leaping into the opponent's band or even flipping in mid-air after being missed by defenders.

Not only is he electrifying for fans, but he may as well be Notre Dame's most valuable player. It's scary to think how abysmal Notre Dame's season truly would be if it weren't for their No. 23.

Jimmy Clausen may be the most talked about player on the Irish offense, but Tate is their true playmaker and game-saver, as evidenced in many fourth quarters this season. Not only that, but he is one of the few Irish players that have shown consistent love for the game and will never give up, no matter what the scoreboard reads.

The ironic thing is, football may not even be his best sport. You can find Golden Tate guarding center field in South Bend on a breezy, Spring afternoon.

Now read why Carl Vandervoot thinks Jordan Shipley has the edge.

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Dear Brian Kelly: Don't Dig Your Own Grave in South Bend

Brendan Collins — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:50:20 -0500

Dear Brian Kelly,

Nice work this season with Cincinati. Undefeated is pretty hard to come across these days, no matter what division you are in. It's even more impressive given that your stud quarterback went down with an injury and now your backup quarterback is a household name.

As the skies in South Bend take on a gray hue and a storm appears to be brewing, your name gets tied to future coach of the Blue and Gold. Fans across the country are praying for you, and for several other coaches, to come and put some life back into the fading Golden Domers.

The salary may be high, the tradition may run deep and the media attention may be focused. But do not ignore history. How many coaches have left Notre Dame and gone onto careers elsewhere? Very few. How many have all but retired after Notre Dame? Plenty.

OK, so retiring at Notre Dame doesn't sound so bad. If you want to retire in 3-5 years, there is nothing wrong with it.

But you seem like a coach with a great deal of potential who'd like to stick around for longer than that.

Those same fans who cheer your name in South Bend are the ones that will eventually kick you to the curb. Well what if I do well, you might ask. Nothing is good enough in South Bend; just ask Lou Holtz.

Just when you think nine wins is enough, 10 the next season is a disappointment. After that you'd better make sure you win a National Championship.

Today they want to be in the BCS discussion; that's do-able, you might presume. But once you are in the BCS discussion they will expect you to compete for the national title; if you fall short, it'll be "bye bye Coach Kelly". By then you will be so frazzled by the constant pressure and ridiculous expectations that you will never want to pick up a whistle again.

So take some advice from a Notre Dame fan. Stay where you are, enjoy the game you have brilliantly coached and spare your kids having to read how horrible of a person and coach their father is in every American newspaper. Take it from the fans, we have seen coaches come into South Bend on chariots only to get thrown to the curb a few short years later.

Sincerely,

ND fan with a heart

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Notre Dame Must Lose Weis Clown To Purge Circus

Jonathan Mathis — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0500

The mental state of humiliation doesn’t settle too well in the scenery where mortals are a theme now, tattering respectability for Notre Dame believers witnessing yet another hopeless season.

Dooming a period when the Irish were praised, and presumably entering a promising season with high expectations, South Bend critics are bashing embattled coach Charlie Weis for all the letdowns. All the burdens and finger pointing is specifically leaning towards the Weis Clown, generating a dreadful circus in South Bend where the Big Top has arrived.

The Irish, of late, is utterly a joke and laughable. As one of the most prestigious programs athletically in the country, reliance at Notre Dame has deteriorated.

I'm not too sure if the Irish are cursed by demons or ghosts, but I will admit, the program is cursed as long as Weis remains in command of a school in desperate need of an inspirational voice, rather than a liberal coach.

The problem is, Weis’ soft mannerism isn’t steadfast in sending a beneficial idea for elevating a subordinate school. If the Irish aren't at the top of their game signifying they are top-flight in college football, the season seems depleted. As of now, a promising year is ruined when the Irish mentally and physically self-destructed at Pittsburgh in a loss.

To suggest the Irish moved too fast in signing Weis to a $40 million contract, good for at least five seasons, might have been a ghastly blunder. Because wins are considered an illusion at Notre Dame, burnt out fans are expecting a coaching change, but athletic director Jack Swarbrick isn’t in a hurry on judging Weis’ future, carefully pondering and evaluating options.

As usual, Weis is downplaying all the brouhaha of his job status, in which his return next season is dubious while lingering questions continuously annoy and disturb the Irish.

Rather than speaking arrogantly at press conferences, it would be nice if he was a gentleman. If he wants to downplay the status of his job, that is fine and dandy, but rudely delivering arrogant remarks makes Weis a laughable clown under the Big Top.

The lousy losing streaks have become a notorious routine at Notre Dame, sadly, impairing mystique and gratitude to define the Irish as underachievers. In the last 10 games, the Irish aren’t nearly as flawless and performed pathetically in the previous years under Weis, with a 1-9 winning percentage against ranked opponents.

Didn’t the Irish used to fight in contests? Wasn’t ND known as the Fighting Irish? Lately, the word Fighting is removed from in front of Irish.

In a long time, under Weis, they haven’t delivered powerful jabs to avenge a tremendous 0-5 record against rival USC, a team which has suffered embarrassing trounces to ruin shots of bidding for a national title.

No! He never beat USC.

In the last three seasons to date, Weis is 16-19—losing respectability in failing to revive the Irish and stop losing winnable contests.

Assuming he had possessed a matchless resume standing behind the crafty and Spygate criminal Bill Belichick and built a workable offense around Tom Brady at New England, Weis respectively was legit for accepting a coaching offer to establish a righteous identity at a prestigious program.

What we didn’t know and never took into account was the difficulty of guiding a demanding program, especially the Irish.

What we didn’t expect was an acute disaster.

One reason Weis still is employed is for his sublime recruiting classes he has built and assembled.

But, obviously, he hasn’t produced enough wins, and with a horrific track record, Weis’ job should be on the line. Whenever the Irish failed to produce victories, however, firing coaches was a usual practice they’ve followed in recent seasons, which is the reason I’m surprised Weis hasn’t been terminated for all the recent letdowns.

Given their cultural reactions to failures: Tyrone Willingham built a winnable program, but apparently wasn't good enough so was tossed overboard.

There was Bob Davie, who didn’t last any time, tossed over in the deep end.

And now this, Weis, who has turned into the biggest tragicomedy, each season bringing the circus to town and destroying the tradition of Touchdown Jesus as a billboard of Weis’ downfalls epitomizes a miserable season.

This season alone, the defense has faltered, a usual stumble during Weis’ tenure. So the most sub-par program in the country is releasing unseen results, ranking 83rd in total defense and allowing a staggering 391 yards a game.

Not matching up to the pedigree as advertised, opponents usually have their way against the Irish and turn a typical afternoon into a terrifying outing.

Bringing back reminders of the insulting billboard directly on the corner of Edison Road and State Road 23, is a message that ND faithful are tired of the typical outings. The sign states a distasteful message, which Weis will never forget when he does depart from South Bend.

“BEST WISHES TO CHARLIE WEIS IN THE FIFTH YEAR OF HIS COLLEGE COACHING INTERNSHIP,” signed “linebacker alumni."

No sympathy at all. No sympathy whatsoever.

I feel where unhappy campers are coming from.

Multitudes of people living in South Bend are used to winning, but not coughing up enough victories to barely qualify for a bowl game. No luck for the Irish, currently standing at 6-4 under a careless Weis.

Well, at least some things were right during a brief moment, when Jimmy Clausen earlier in the season had a breakout moment. Honestly, to think Weis could’ve turned the recruiting prospect into a legitimate Heisman candidate, similar to the time he turned Brady into a Super Bowl champ.

But, he can’t win without Belichick or Bill Parcells. So, Weis isn’t nearly as great as Lou Holtz, who sustained memorable victories in his coaching days.

With all the depth of excellence, it seems Notre Dame would be unbeaten this late in the year, but instead they’ve struggled to preserve victories and have preeminent receiver Golden Tate and prevailing tight end Kyle Rudolph.

Dating back to the demoralizing 23-21 loss against the Navy two weeks ago, Weis became a hot topic. But now, he owns a 35-25 career record, and a .583 winning percentage.

By now, the only way to avoid circus activities is to ride the coaching carousal and fire Weis Clown.

If so, maybe next year the circus won’t arrive in town and form a joke.

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Three Reasons Why Notre Dame's Troubles Run Far Deeper Than Charlie Weis

Michael Fitzpatrick — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:25:28 -0500

1) The SEC, Big Ten, Pac-10 and Big 12

Yes, Notre Dame Football is rich in history and tradition; there’s no question about that.

Countless books have been written and Hollywood movies have been made about the tradition that is Notre Dame Football.

However, that was then and this is now.

Let’s be completely honest with ourselves. These days there’s no way that the best running back in the country is going to choose Notre Dame over Florida, LSU, USC, Ohio State, and Penn State … it’s just not going to happen.

Notre Dame is no longer in that top-tier of elite college football programs.

You could fire Charlie Weis and bring in Bill Belichick with Steve Spagnuolo as his defensive coordinator, and Notre Dame is still going to have an extremely difficult time luring top high school players away from schools like Florida, LSU, Ohio State, etc.

The SEC in particular has become the premier college football division in the country over the past decade. The game in the SEC is faster and more closely resembles an NFL-style game, which is one of the main reasons why NFL scouts have been and will continue drooling over SEC players.

There’s nothing Charlie Weis or anyone at Notre Dame can do about that.

2) Academics

Sure, the athletic directors at the University of Florida or Penn State University will undoubtedly tell you that athletes face the same admission requirements as everyone else.

But once again, let’s be honest with ourselves. The coaches at Florida, Penn State, LSU, etc. are going to have a much easier time getting that top-ranked high school linebacker—who also happens to be a D student—into their programs than Charlie Weis will at Notre Dame.

It’s one of those dirty little secrets that are … well … not really a secret at all.

In terms of academics, Notre Dame is an excellent school, which at the end of the day is more important than how far a 19-year-old can throw a football.

However, stringent academic requirements and big-time college football don’t always mesh well together.

3) South Bend, Indiana

With only 8,000 undergraduate students, Notre Dame is a small school, and it’s located in an even smaller town.

Let’s think about this for a moment. The top running back in the country goes on a recruiting trip to Notre Dame.

The football game that he attends is, of course, an experience like none he’s ever had before.

However, South Bend is very small and very cold. The student population is also small and Notre Dame is not what you’d consider to be a big party school.

The next week, that same top running back visits LSU. The game is also a great experience. Maybe it’s not quite like attending a football game at Notre Dame, but it’s still awesome in his eyes. Additionally, he sees 18,000 girls walking around in shorts and tank-tops in November, he’s brought to a series of parties that are larger and more wild than anything he’s ever imagined, and he sees first hand how the 30,000-strong student population worship their athletes as if they were Greek Gods.

Older readers of this article might be thinking that they’d rather attend a strong academic school with a legendary football program like Notre Dame.

OK, that’s great.

But we are talking about 18-year-old athletes who have nothing on their mind other than girls, parties, and making millions of dollars in the NFL.

Which recruiting visit do you think is going to have a larger impact on that 18-year-old running back's decision?

Exactly.

And once again, there’s nothing that Charlie Weis or anyone else at Notre Dame can do about that.

There’s no denying that Charlie Weis has not done the best job while at Notre Dame. However, Notre Dame Football has some serious issues that run far deeper than just the coach.

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Five Coaches That Can Replace Charlie Weis And Return Notre Dame To Glory

Will Ayers Jr. — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:11:25 -0500

With a 35-25 record, one bowl victory, one BCS appearance, no national titles and only one 10 win season at Notre Dame, Charlie Weis is on track to become yet another head coach in South Bend that could not get the job done. Although Weis' recruiting classes have been rated high, he has not turned that into success on the field. Some even argue his first two winning seasons should have an asterik by them because most of those players were recruited by Ty Willingham. Since Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick is supposedly going to wait until the end of the season to evaluate the program, here is list of coaches that he needs to have on the top of his list if he truly wants to bring football back to South Bend.

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Who's Next at Notre Dame?: Making Cases for Brian Kelly and Urban Meyer

Dan Scofield — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:58:06 -0500

Charlie Weis addressed the media yesterday, cancelling his traditional Sunday press conference after a ship-sinking loss against Pittsburgh.

The biggest piece of information coming from his mouth was he believes a decision hasn't been made on his future, even though most of Notre Dame nation has already made that decision for the program.

"Oh no, I don't think that any decision's been made because I probably would know, and I don't know," Weis said Tuesday.

Charlie is half-correct on that response to a difficult question. A decision hasn't been made, but the search has already gotten underway.

The next two weeks are going to be two of struggles and question marks for Irish fans. Many will be anxious to get the season over with in order to unwrap their Christmas gift early and find out the next big name to sit on the throne of the Notre Dame football office.

Well, who are the heir apparents?

There are plenty of names being thrown around in the replacement theory of Weis: Paul Johnson (option, anyone?), Jon Gruden (MNF bound), Pat Fitzgerald (squashed), and Bob Stoops (definite possibility) to name a few.

However, the following two names stick out the most in this process, and by taking a look at their résumés and bios, here is why:

Brian Kelly, Cincinnati Head Coach

-Consistent, experienced head coach (will have 231 games under his belt at the end of the '09 season) who defines the word "improvement" in the dictionary of college football coaching.

-As close to Urban Meyer at Utah as you will find; 48 years old and in his prime.

-Irishman from the north shore of Boston.

-118-35-2 record at D-II school Grand Valley State, which includes two national championships.

-Turned Central Michigan into a conference winner in his third year in the program. Improvement case No. 1.

-In the middle of the four greatest years of Cincinnati football. His team sits at No. 5 in the BCS rankings and is undefeated at 10-0.

-Can coach, but can also coach academic excellence. His current team holds the highest team GPA in the Big East and is one of seven teams to post a 90 percent graduation rate in 2008.

-Proven recruiter, especially in the backyard of Notre Dame and in the Northeast.

Urban Meyer, Florida Head Coach

-45 years young and a Catholic who was named after a pope.

-Former assistant coach under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame who has proclaimed the Irish head coaching gig as his "dream job."

-Notre Dame is one of three schools that his wife Shelley apparently cannot veto him from taking the job at. I believe if Shelley says yes, he ends up an Irishman.

-Two national championships and considered the top coach in college football today.

-A small buyout ($500,000) makes the move even more appealing and friendly to the economy of South Bend.

-Tim Tebow graduates this season, leaving the Gators heading into the post-Savior era. If Meyer doesn't leave this year, there is a good chance he will never end up leaving.

-Overall coaching record sits at 93-17, including a 5-1 bowl record.

-One of the best, if not the best recruiter in the nation (as many Irish fans know). Think Omar Hunter and Justin Trattou.

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UConn Next for Notre Dame: Huskies Try to Deal Irish Fifth Loss

jeff kalafa — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:59:04 -0500

The University of Connecticut's football team brings their 4-5 record west to take on Notre Dame (6-4) on Saturday. The Irish opened as a six-point favorite but the Huskies are confident and capable of dealing the Irish their fifth defeat of the season.

No team has had to deal with more adversity this year, on and off the field, than UConn. When defensive back Jasper Howard was murdered on Oct. 18, the Huskies could have fallen apart. With the leadership of coach Randy Edsall, the team stuck together and dedicated the rest of the season to their fallen star.

Nothing can compare with the loss of Howard, but this year's Huskies have had more of their share of heartbreaks on the field. The five UConn loses, all to to teams either ranked when they played or currently ranked, came by a total of 16 points.

This is not your average five-loss team! The Huskies are capable of staying on the field with the best teams in college football, and they've shown it this year.

UConn dominated North Carolina for three quarters but a freakish holding penalty in the end zone casued a saftey to be called on UConn. North Carolina won 12-10.

Pittsburgh came back in the fourth quarter to win 24-21. West Virginia needed Noel Devine to tip-toe down the side line, with two minutes left in the game, to beat them 28-24.

Rutgers threw an 80 yard pass with 33 seconds on the clock, after UConn took the lead, and won 28-24. Two weeks ago, after trailing Cincinnati by more than two touchdowns, UConn fought back to lose by two points, 47-45.

Besides dedicating the season to Howard, there are other reasons why the Huskies want to leave South Bend with a win:

If UConn wants to go to a bowl game, they need to win two of their last three games to become bowl eligible. In order to better their hopes, they'll need to win all three games and finish 7-5.

Zach Frazer, a Notre Dame transfer, quarterbacks UConn. Frazer will want to play well against his old team.

UConn and Notre Dame have a proposal to play 6-10 games in the coming seasons. Notre Dame wants the Huskies to play their "home" games at neutral sites in New Jersey and Massachusetts.

The Connecticut legislature isn't happy about playing these games out of state. A win on Saturday would help UConn encourage the Irish to play the games at UConn's home field.

The Huskies will bring a balanced offense with them on Saturday. Jordan Todman (826 yds) and Andre Dixon (730 yds) are two punishing runners who've done a good job replacing Donald Brown, now with the Indianapolis Colts. They run behind a huge offensive line that has no trouble pushing other teams around.

Frazer, who replaced the injured Cody Endres at quarterback, needs to pick up his accuracy but if he gets the ball to Marcus Easley, UConn's leading receiver, defenses have problems. Easley broke one for 88 yards earlier this year.

UConn's defense is solid. Cincinnati was the only team to score more than 28 points against them. Lindsey Witten, one of the country's sack leaders, will be trying to get to Clausen but the UConn pass defense has given up too many passing yards.

Pittsburgh's Bill Stull passed for 268 yards against the Huskies. Louisville's Adam Froman (295), Rutger's Tom Savage (236), and Cincinatti's Zach Collaros passed for 480 yards. Expect Clausen to have a huge day, what else is new!

EXTRA POINTS

Six points is too many to give away. I expect UConn to cover the spread.

UConn has shown, throughout the season, they don't quit. They come off a bye week and have had time to prepare for Clausen.

All the rumors swirling around Notre Dame about Weis' job can be a huge distraction.

PREDICTION: UConn 31 Notre Dame 26

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Hey Notre Dame, Maybe It's You

Jeff Dillon — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:15:40 -0500

Everyone has that friend.

You know the type. Deep down, he’s a good guy, really. But he’s never been able to hold a long-term relationship.

Time after time, girl after girl, he gets the same result—a failed relationship. Even when things start out magically, they never end well.

And every time this happens, he blames the girl. It was her fault it didn’t work out. She was the one who didn’t make the necessary changes. She was the one who needed to go.

You and everyone around you know the truth, but you don’t have the heart to tell the guy. The problem isn’t the girls, it’s him.

And in South Bend, Indiana the problem isn’t the coach; it’s Notre Dame.

Look, I have nothing against the Irish, I really don’t. I think that college football, like any good organization, league, or sport, thrives when its premier programs are at their best.

College football needs Notre Dame. I need Notre Dame. Heck, even USC needs Notre Dame.

But the Irish seem to be in a dark phase of denial, one that has lasted well over a decade. Coach after coach, the results are the same in South Bend, yet nothing major seems to change.

First, it was Bob Davie.

Davie, who took over for the retired Lou Holtz in 1997, racked up a career record of 35-25 in five years with the Irish.

There were some highlights, including a BCS bid in 2001. But the Irish went 0-3 in bowl games, and twice missed bowl season altogether.

So the Irish dumped Bob Davie.

After a brief (and embarrassing) flirtation with George O’Leary, in came Ty Willingham.

Things started off beautifully for Willingham, including an 8-0 start to the 2002 season. But the Irish would go on to lose three of their final five games, including the Gator Bowl to North Carolina State.

Then things got ugly fast. The Irish were not only losing games, they were getting blown out.

A 38-0 loss to Michigan.

A 45-14 loss USC.

A 41-16 loss to Purdue.

So what did Notre Dame do? They sent Willingham packing.

Next came Charlie Weis, the man who helped build the New England Patriots dynasty in the NFL. Surely Weis would bring a new attitude and a new style to South Bend. Surely Weis could bring in the talent needed to compete for national titles once more.

For a season or two, all of those statements seemed true. The Irish were among the best teams in college football in 2005 and 2006, earning trips to BCS bowls in both seasons.

But in 2007, the wheels came off. The Irish fell to 3-9—the worst season ever for Notre Dame football. The 2008 season saw improvement, but only slightly, as the Irish racked up a record of 7-6.

And here in 2009, despite Weis coaching for his job and Jimmy Clausen garnering Heisman attention, Notre Dame still has not been able to get back to being, well, Notre Dame.

And so, most likely, the Irish will soon say goodbye to Charlie Weis.

But at what point do we realize that the recent failures in South Bend are no longer an aberration, but rather a trend?

Notre Dame is 91-66 since Holtz retired in 1996. That’s a winning percentage of 63 percent.

The Irish have lost nine of their last 10 bowl games, with the only win coming this past December against Hawaii.

Once again, Notre Dame is ranked highly in recruiting for the 2010 class (11th in the country by Rivals.com). Yet, year after year, this highly touted talent has not produced wins on the field.

If the problem really is Notre Dame, what exactly is the problem?

Is it the high academic standards? It’s certainly true that Notre Dame cannot recruit all of the same players Florida, Texas, and USC can.

Is it the overinflated expectations? There’s no question the pressure is intense in South Bend, where anything less than a major BCS bowl or being in contention for the national championship is considered a failure.

Is it the administration's fault for hiring the wrong guys? Is it the booster's for demanding too much—or not demanding enough? Is it the fact that there just isn’t as much appeal in wearing the Golden Dome as there was 15 to 20 years ago?

In reality, it’s likely a combination of all of these things.

Whatever the case, it clearly is time for the program to sit down in front of the mirror for a long, hard, self-evaluation. Before the program goes out to find its next Bob Davie, Ty Willingham, or Charlie Weis, it needs to find itself.

Perhaps that means realizing that Notre Dame will never again be what Notre Dame was.

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Notre Dame Running Game as Suspect as Its Defense

jeff kalafa — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:25:40 -0500

Everyone wants to pile on Notre Dame's defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta. They say there's nothing wrong with an offense that puts up 30 points a game—an offense that has only lost the total yards battle twice this season (USC & Pitt). They say it's the defense that's been responsible for this year's demise.

It may be true, the defense has had problems. It's allowed too many big plays and has given up about as many points as the offense has scored—a sure-fire way to produce a 6-4 record.

When distributing blame for this year's disappointments, it's just not about the Irish's defense. Have you seen the running game this year? I'm guessing you haven't because it's been hard to find—it's been almost non-existent.

I don't know if you need a running game. Notre Dame has only gotten fewer total yards than two of it's opponents. In a loss to USC, Notre Dame had 30 fewer total yards than the Trojans and last Saturday, in the loss at Pitt, the Panthers had close to 100 more total yards.

A lot of Notre Dame's big yardage totals are the result of comeback wins, and comebacks that fell short. They come from having to pass the ball in desperation. This isn't the way an offense wants to rack up yardage.

While good teams can kill the clock with the running game, Notre Dame doen't have that luxury. Not only don't they have a strong running game, but they've hardly been in position to kill the clock at the end of most games this year.

Nothing against the great Dan Marino, but a lot of his 50,000 passing yards are the bi-product of the Dolphins not having a good running game while he was there—very similar to Jimmy Clausen. I'm sure Clausen would gladly give up some of his passing totals to be able to control the game with a better running attack.

Last Year the Irish knew things were bad when they rushed for only 1426 total yards. They knew it needed fixing and were basing their hopes on four returning backs, all of whom saw playing time in 2008.

There's been a slight improvement this season in total yards. After ten games, they've rushed for 1309 yards. With two remaining regular season games, and a bowl game, they'll likely exceed last year's total.

However, of the 12 teams on Notre Dame's 09 schedule, only Washington and Washington State currently have fewer total rushing yards.

Nevada (3531) and Navy (3108) are two of the best running teams in the country—no one's comparing the Irish running game to these teams.

It's Stanford (2224), UConn (2169) and Michigan (2154) that have run the ball the way Charlie Weis and company would have wanted

Pitt (1876) and USC (1812) also have good running games.

It's not just that these teams are running the ball, but they have complimentary passing attacks-they're balanced. They're balanced and they keep their opponents off balance--the key to winning football games.

What's more remarkable than the shortage in rushing yards is the lack of big plays the the running game has seen. Robert Hughes has the longest run this year—37 yards. Armando Allen's longest is 24 yards.

Every team on the schedule, including Washington State has had at least one running play longer than Hughes' 37 yard run.

The numbers are staggering! Nevada's had three different runners with runs of 75 yards or more, Michigan's had three with 55 yards or more, and Michigan State's had two with 71 yards or more.

Purdue's had two different runners with runs longer than 58 yards, UConn's had three runners rip off runs of 50 yards or more, and Pitt's Deon Lewis broke one for 85 yards.

Navy, Washington, USC and Stanford have had at least one running play longer than 50 yards.

It's hard to understand how most defenses that the Irish have seen, being so focused on Jimmy Clausen and the passing game, haven't gotten stung with one big running play.

This has been going on for quite some time. Notre Dame hasn't had a running back break one for over 40 yards since Julius Jones had a run of 61 yards in 2003.

Lack of production like this is incredible. With an outstanding quarterback and two great receivers, Charlie Weis may have geared his offense around the passing game. That's fine, but balance is still what's important to most good football teams—it's just not there.

As an assistant in the NFL to Bill Parcells, Weis, if anything, must have learned the value of a good running game.

Notre Dame without a "smash mouth, in-your-face" running game? It's just not Notre Dame football!

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Notre Dame Football, Irish Optimism, and Severe Liver Damage: An Open Letter

Marc Halsted — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:26:47 -0500

Dear Notre Dame football fans,

Don’t try to be a hero. Just manage the pain. If you feel the irrepressible drive to drink, give in to that urge and hoist away. Sometimes a little of grandpa’s cough syrup is just what you need to make that pain go away.

Now that we have that clear (so to speak), let’s get to the issues at hand. We’ll start with you.

Ease up. Go read a transcript of former Memphis coach Tommy West or YouTube the video replay of his press conference. Listen to the guy; he’s got a few good points about standing by your team, staying positive, and remaining optimistic.

I know, I know, you’re tired of the losing. You’re tired of Coach Weis and the acclaimed “decided schematic advantage” that has dissolved into a mixture of mediocrity and predictability.

You’re tired of the pregame arrogance and postgame contrition.

You’re tired of being the bug on the windshield for every top-25 team from the sunny beaches of southern California to the old steel towns of Pennsylvania.

Look, I’m tired too, but we have a saying up here in New England: You can only kick a dead cow so many times before something nasty comes out.

The sun still went up Sunday morning, nobody has bailed from the recruiting class of 2010, and there’s still enough talent in the cupboard to make a run at UConn, Stanford, and a respectable bowl game. Life is good, right?

If Notre Dame finishes 8-4, heads south for a quality sunburn and a respectable bowl opponent, Jimmy and Golden stay in school, and Manti Te’o passes up his chance at his Mormon mission, the future is bright.

I know there are concerns on the field, but those can be dealt with.

Jimmy and the boys obviously prefer to show up fashionably late these days, but the numbers are still impressive. Clausen’s 3000 yards, 21 TD passes, and just four interceptions are Heisman worthy. Golden is over 1100 yards, Floyd averages 121.2 yards per game, and six receivers have 20 or more catches. And don’t forget the 29.3 points per game so far this season.

The oft-criticized run game has been impressive in spurts as well. I have no idea why Armando Allen and his 5.5 yards-per-rush average weren’t used more against Pitt, especially early in the second half when he was ripping off eight-yard runs like it was his job (which, unless I've imbibed a little too much of late, I think it is). But hey, at least we have a legit every-down back for another season, correct?

The offensive line will lose a few players to graduation but Trevor Robinson will be back for more nastiness, Chris Stewart has a fifth year to lay more pavement, and Dan Wenger will have had enough playing experience to make us think that those penalties and "o-lays" will not be problem in the future.

The defensive line rotation has improved over the past few weeks. I know, Bill Stulls' mom didn’t even have to wash his jersey Saturday night, but let’s chalk that up to an aberration.

Kapron Lewis-Moore is a physical specimen, Ethan Johnson is almost over his sophomore slump, Sean Cwynar has shown promise, and Kerry Neal and Darius Fleming have shown bursts of potential (just ignore the whole Tate Forcier thing, Darius).

The bottom line here is that all of us have spent enough time with Johnny Walker, Captain Morgan, and Uncle Jack these days to be able to spin this whole mess into the illusion of potential success and the dream of a national championship.

Ignore the play-calling disasters, accept C.W. for what he is, and pay no attention to the long list of depressing numbers that accompany the Weis era. They’re just window dressing for pending brilliance.

Beat the enigmatic UConn Huskies on senior day, put 10 guys in the box to stop Toby Gerhardt in the season finale, and finish with eight wins.

It can be done.

It should be done.

It must be done.

Cirrhosis of the liver can wait.

Sincerely yours in Domerdom,

-Marc Halsted

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Is There an Argument for Keeping Charlie Weis?

James Secoloff — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:28:54 -0500

Alright, so the talk seems to have turned at this point to the obvious firing of Charlie Weis and who should and will be the next coach...

In my opinion the question should be whether or not firing him would be in the best interest of the university.

After the game I was admittedly the most depressed about the state of Notre Dame football I have been in recent memory. This was a brutal loss especially since the irish had a chance at the end which was stolen by a somewhat questionable call .

However after a very serious and admittedly somewhat drunken discussion with a close friend that night, I would agree that the new AD, Swarbrick has several good options (not necessarily in this order):

1) Fly to Gainesville...with a blank check, the rest is obvious.

2) Find another coach other than Urban. There are options that people aren't talking about enough. How about TCU's coach Gary Patterson ?

I don't know about anyone else, but it looks like he has a proven track record, and is able to coach defense, which is what we need the most. He also would be able to recruit, potentially even from the great state of Texas which is where Charlie has had some trouble.

3) And finally, dare it be said? Swarbrick keeps Weis, sits down and explains what needs to happen next year.

Now wait...

Imagine this scenario...

Charlie stays one more year. What does this mean?

Do Jimmy, Tate, and the offensive lineman with fifth year eligibility stay? And if this does happen...if everyone comes back next year...then the question becomes this.

How good is this team and how far can they go if (and only if) they stay together in 2010?

And that my fellow Irish faithful should and hopefully will be the number one priority on Swarbrick's list. Making sure that this team with so much potential does not fall apart. I have faith in Swarbrick and in this program that we can pull through this incredibly rough patch in our proud history.

So Swarbrick, even though I'm sure you probably won't read this, the fate of an entire football nation rests in your hands.

Good luck, and we'll be rooting for you.

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Could Jimmy Clausen Save Charlie Weis' Job?

Bryan Flynn — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:53:57 -0500

Many experts think that Charlie Weis’s tenure is done as head coach of Notre Dame. The final nail might have been added by a 27-22 loss to Pittsburgh.

This 2009 Fighting Irish team was supposed to be a BCS contender this season. At 6-4, the Irish hope to win their final two games and, with luck, make a New Year’s Day bowl based on their name.

Their record alone and the teams they have beaten might not look super attractive but Notre Dame sells tickets. Even a bowl win might not be enough to save Weis’s job.

Right now, his record is equal to that of Bob Davie, and his win percentage is equal to that of Tyrone Willingham. Both Davie and Willingham were fired as head coaches of Notre Dame.

There might be one thing that could save Weis and give him another season in South Bend. It would depend on a number of things, but what if Jimmy Clausen decided to return for next season, but only if Weis was the coach.

The 2010 NFL draft already looks to be very quarterback heavy. There are a number of senior quarterbacks that will be in the draft. Below is a list of just a few of them:

Tim Tebow- Florida Gators

Colt McCoy- Texas Longhorns

Dan LaFevour- Central Michigan

Max Hall- BYU

Zac Robinson- Oklahoma State

Tony Pike- Cincinnati

Tim Hiller- Western Michigan

Todd Reesing- Kansas

Ryan Perrilloux- Jacksonville State

That is just to name a few of the senior quarterbacks in the 2010 draft. Only one underclass man has declared for the draft so far and that is Sam Bradford of Oklahoma. Here are some other underclassmen who could declare for the draft:

Case Keenum- Houston- Could leave while his stock is up.

Jevan Snead- Ole Miss- Should comeback after very poor 2009 season.

Jake Locker- Washington- Might want to finish the turnaround he helped start this season in Seattle in 2010.

Christian Ponder- Florida State- After injury against Clemson, he could stay or go.

Andy Dalton- TCU- Might declare early if he has an outstanding showing in a BCS game.

So I think we all can agree with the senior quarterbacks and big-named underclassmen the 2010 draft will be quarterback heavy. It might be best for Clausen to see who is staying and who is going before declaring for the draft. This could be Clausen’s bargaining chip with the university.

One thing that might also sway underclassmen to come out might be if the NFL institutes a rookie wage scale for the 2011 draft. For the sake of argument, let us say the new collective bargaining agreement does not have a rookie wage scale.

If Clausen knows he can play next season for the Irish and it not affect his payday when he does leave school, then he may be inclined to stay. One thing is for sure, he will not stay if Weis is fired.

Clausen’s draft stock would suffer if he came back to Notre Dame only to have to learn a new offense. More than likely, for Clausen to even consider coming back, he would have to know Weis would be back as well.

The major factor that could keep Clausen at school would be if he has the chance to be the top pick in next year’s draft. Another year in college, as long as he is not injured, can only help his already high draft stock.

The contacts Weis has in the NFL would be a plus for Clausen if he decided to return next season. The money, the recognition, and a top-25 ranking in 2010 could make it worth keeping Weis around for one more season.

Clausen’s return could also have a domino effect in South Bend. Golden Tate could also return and along with Michael Floyd would be the best quarterback and receiving crops in college football.

Yes, the University president and the board of directors will decided if Charlie Weis is given another season at Notre Dame. The biggest factor could be if Jimmy Clausen said he would like to comeback but only if Weis is the coach.

This could be the first time in college football that a player dictates if a coach gets to keep his job. Clausen staying would be beneficial to university and more than make up for the record and winning percentage Weis has.

Clausen might be the only thing that can save Weis at this point. Which is worth more to the Irish an $18 million buyout and a new coach?

Or Jimmy Clausen a potential Heisman winning quarterback in 2010. If Clausen does want to comeback everyone will get a chance to see which means more to the university.

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Statistically Speaking: Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh

Anthony Pilcher — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:51:15 -0500

Notre Dame couldn't complete the comeback Saturday, falling 27-22 to Pitttsburgh at Heinz Field. The Irish offense sputtered for three quarters while the defense kept the score close in the early going.

For the second consecutive week, the team looked unprepared and unmotivated until the fourth quarter. This final 15 minute period showed some potential for the Irish, but head coach Charlie Weis hasn't found the motivational recipe this year or last. Other than the Hawaii Bowl, it is difficult to point to a complete game over the past 23 outings.

Offense

Notre Dame ran 67 plays for 349 yards (5.2 yards per play) and 20 first downs. The total yard and first down totals were the worst all season and the per play average wasn't far from the season-low 4.6-yard per snap value set against Boston College.

Like last week's game against Navy, Weis heavily favored the pass. Excluding carries by quarterback Jimmy Clausen, only 18 runs were called compared to 42 passes for a 30/70 run/pass split. Accordingly, 81.1 percent of the total yardage came through the air, second only to the Navy game.

The Irish recorded only five big gains for 125 yards (25-yard per play average). These plays accounted for 35.8 percent of the total offense without which Clausen and company averaged only 3.6 yards per play, only higher than their outing with Washington.

The offense managed to convert nearly 43 percent of third down opportunities, but this was largely helped by an explosive fourth quarter. Through the first three quarters only three of 10 tries were successfully converted.

This poor third down efficiency was directly responsible for the lack of red zone production, something that is becoming a recurring theme for the Irish. In contrast to the Navy and Washington games, Notre Dame managed to score touchdowns every time they crossed the Panther 20-yard line. The problem was that this only happened a season-low two times, both late in the game.

Rushing

Just like the game against Navy, the Irish running game was effective but almost never used.

As a team the Irish gained only 66 yards at a 2.6-yard per carry average, but without Clausen's two sacks this number climbs to four yards per attempt.

Running backs Armando Allen and Theo Riddick and wide receiver Golden Tate combined for only 18 carries. These 18 rush attempts were good for 75 yards (4.2 yards per attempt) as the running game produced a season-low six first downs. Allen was particularly effective with 77 yards on 14 attempts (5.5 yards per carry).

The sporadic use of the running game allowed Panther defensive coordinator Phil Bennett to keep the Panther secondary back and defend the run with only six or seven players in the box, forcing precious few passing lanes and preventing the vertical passing game that has been the strength of the offense all season.

This irregular use of the ground game was never more evident than the first drive of the third quarter which generated the following play sequence:

Run by Allen for two yards
Run by Allen for nine yards, first down
Pass incomplete to wide receiver Duval Kamara
Run by Allen for 11 yards, first down
Pass to Tate for 22 yards, first down
Pass to wide receiver Michael Floyd for a loss of one yard
Pass to Floyd incomplete
Pass to Floyd incomplete

Three of the first four plays were runs by Allen that averaged 7.3 yards per carry and notched two first downs. Rather inexplicably, Weis abandoned the run as the final four plays of the drive where passes that went for 22 yards (5.5 yards per play) and one first down.

Passing

After showing strong improvement in 2008, the offensive line has regressed protecting the quarterback.

Clausen has been repeatedly pressured for most of the season as the Irish front five have surrendered 21 sacks over the last eight games (one sack per 14.8 attempts). But these numbers don't capture the whole impact of the pass protection problems.

Clausen has also been forced to throw on the run or throw the ball away a host of times this year. The former contributes to inaccuracy while the latter hurts the ability to sustain drives. If Clausen consistently had time, his numbers would undoubtedly be better than they are.

The play-calling doesn't offer much relief. The screen game reappeared this week (although it wasn't executed particularly well), but Weis does little to help his offensive line execute. Running the ball is an afterthought, Clausen is almost never tasked with moving the pocket, and the Irish are predictably pass-heavy out of certain personnel groupings and in the shotgun.

Against Pittsburgh Clausen completed 64.3 percent (27 of 42) of his passes for 283 yards, one touchdown and one pick. The interception was arguably the first truly poor decision he has made all year. Clausen averaged 6.7 yards per attempt and 10.5 yards per completion, both near the bottom of the season totals.

Four completions exceeded 20 yards and amassed 27.5 yards per play, good for nearly 39 percent of the passing yardage. Without these plays Clausen averaged only 4.6 yards per attempt and 7.5 yards per completion. The former is a season-low while the latter is second only to Michigan State.

Tate and Floyd both continue to torch opposing secondaries. The former caught nine balls for 113 yards (12.6 yards per reception) and a touchdown while the latter hauled in seven passes for 107 yards (15.3 yards per catch). There is little doubt that the Irish receiving tandem is the best in the country.

Defense

For the defense this game was characterized by bipolar production on first down and an inability to stop the run. The defense also failed to force a turnover for the second consecutive week after recording at least one in their first six games.

The Panthers racked up 429 yards of offense and 17 first downs on 59 plays (7.3 yards per play) with nearly even play-calling (32 rushes to 27 passes) and nearly even production on the ground (45 percent of total offense) and through the air (55 percent of total offense). In other words, Pittsburgh was the very definition of balance.

Six plays went for 232 yards, a season-high average of 38.7 yards per explosive gain. These six plays accounted for better than 54 percent of the total offense. The Panthers also scored three times in four red zone opportunities, two of which were touchdowns.

Out of 26 first downs, the Irish defense held Pittsburgh to two or fewer yards 16 times (61.5 percent). However, Notre Dame allowed a mind-boggling 9.7 yards per first down play, allowing 10 plays to exceed five yards including gains of 36, 51, 53 and 50 yards. The balanced Panther offense kept the Irish guessing incorrectly on virtually every first down.

This poor first down defense made the third down production largely irrelevant. While the defense held the Panther offense to only three of 12 on third down, the reality was that Pittsburgh's offense didn't need third downs on many of their play series.

Notre Dame currently ranks poorly in multiple categories including 102nd in yards per play (6.2), 93rd in yards per rush attempt (4.6), 72 in rushing yards per game (153.2), 103rd in yards per pass attempt (eight), 114th in yards per completion (13.9), and 85th in passing yards per game (237.3).

With so many returning starters from last year's squad, it is difficult to understand how the defense has regressed. Shifting coordinators (Rick Minter, Corwin Brown and Jon Tenuta) and schemes (4-3, 3-4 and a pressure-heavy 4-3) has stunted player development. At some point more change begets more inconsistency.

Rushing

Against the run, Notre Dame allowed 193 yards on 32 attempts (six yards per carry), the second highest yardage output and per-rush average of the season.

Three runs went for 124 yards and averaged 41.3 yards per attempt, a season-high value. In other words, three rushing attempts gained over 64 percent of the total yardage on the ground. Without these big gains Pittsburgh only averaged 2.4 yards per carry.

On first down the Irish allowed 8.9 yards per rush, only 2.3 yards per carry in the first half but 13.3 yards per rush attempt in the second.

Freshman running back Dion Lewis had an excellent game, gaining 154 yards on 21 attempts (7.2 yards per carry) and scoring a 50-yard touchdown on the ground. Fellow freshman Ray Graham added 57 yards on only three attempts (19 yards per rush), and a touchdown of his own.

Passing

For the third time this year, the Irish didn't notch a sack. Despite frequent blitzing and a scheme predicated on pressuring the passer, the Irish have only recorded one sack per 16.4 passing attempts.

The pass defense on first down was the primary problem. In the first half Pittsburgh averaged 7.3 yards per first down pass attempt. In the second half, however, the Irish allowed 51 yards on only two first down pass attempts.

The Irish defense allowed 236 yards through the air on 15 of 27 passing (55.6 percent). Quarterback Bill Stull averaged 8.7 yards per attempt and 15.7 yards per completion.

Three big gains went for 108 yards (36 yards per pass attempt) and accounted for 45.7 percent of the passing offense. Without these big gains Stull averaged 5.3 yards per attempt and 10.7 yards per completion.

Stull's favorite target was wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin who caught five passes for 142 yards (28.4 yards per reception) and a touchdown.

Special Teams

Notre Dame's punting has gone from awful to inept. Punter Eric Maust averaged 24.8 yards on five punts with a long of 35 yards. Maust's performance included punts of 17, 19 and 20 yards. Weis tried to play a game of field position early in this contest, and it appears this is an effort in futility.

Entering Saturday's game the punt return unit was largely ineffective. Only 11 returns were attempted for an average of nine yards per return. With 7:16 remaining and the Irish desperately in need of an energy injection, Tate took a 44-yard Dan Hutchins punt 87 yards for a touchdown.

Summary

The inability to stop the run combined with an offense that is overly reliant on the pass is never a good combination. The Irish defense ranks 93rd in yards per carry and 72nd in rushing yards per game while the Irish offense ranks 114th in rushing attempts when sacks and Clausen's carries are excluded.

Pittsburgh made plenty of mistakes that kept the contest close, particularly early in the game. But there is a lot more margin for error for a team with dominant line play.

The Panthers used the now too familiar technique to foil the Irish offensive game plan-get pressure with four and drop seven-as the offense couldn't sustain execution due to untimely penalties and constant pressure on Clausen. It shouldn't have come as a surprise, Weis' offense has always struggled against teams that can routinely get pressure with their front four.

Save one fourth down play-action pass, the dynamic downfield passing game was also missing as Weis abandoned the running game and failed to force Pittsburgh Bennett to bring additional help into the box.

On the other side of the ball, the Irish produced their worst first down defense of the year and couldn't stop the run. Coupled with the inability of the offense to sustain drives and a terrible punting game, this cost valuable field position for the duration of the first half. Through the first two quarters the Irish suffered through an 11-yard deficit in field position including drives that began on the Notre Dame nine, 13, 10 and 17-yard line.

The Irish defense has been well below average the past two seasons. The offense has looked good at times over the same duration, but much of the success is artificial. Notre Dame doesn't run the football and isn't efficient on third down or in the red zone. The problems are both fundamental and numerous, and this team rarely plays with any sense of urgency until the situation is dire.

It is tough to know where the Irish will go from here. Connecticut travels to South Bend next weekend for the final home game before the Irish travel to Stanford after the Thanksgiving holiday. The former isn't a guaranteed victory and the latter is looking more and more like one of the tougher games of the 2009 season.

It appears as though a second consecutive second-half season slide is a real possibility.

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N.D. Stands For Not Dumb: Why Bob Stoops Won't Coach the Irish

Carl Vandervoort — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:25:20 -0500

In no specific order USC, Texas, Florida, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma. That's it. Those are the big dogs in college football.

Note: Notre Dame is not on that list.

Disagree? Then please enlighten me.

In his 12th season at OU Stoops is 115-29 and 4-6 in bowl games. He has the third best regular season winning percentage from 2000-2008 (1. Boise State, 2. Texas). He has coached three Heisman trophy winners, and played in the most BCS National Championship games.

So why? Why look for a greener pasture?

The Adrian Petersons of the world don't go to South Bend, Indiana in November and commit on the spot. The three inches of snow, pale women, and high academic standards just don't compare to a packed Gaylord Memorial Stadium on a beautiful fall afternoon, where Stoops is only 60-2.

The Irish, who are ranked 77th since 2000, are likely losing Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate to the NFL this upcoming Spring and would be back in rebuilding mode after three weeks in D-1 relevance.

Stoops' tenure in Norman has been rocky as of late, however how could it be smooth after losing Sam Bradford and Jermaine Gresham? There's no doubt Stoops has thrown in the towel for 2009, but he's already licking his chops for 2010.

If Oklahoma can develop the talent at WR and offensive line, to match a loaded defense, and an offense returning Landry Jones, Ryan Broyles and touted RB Jermie Calhoun. Those players returning alone will garnish a top five ranking.

Even if all things were equal, which they are not, could you imagine Bob Stoops on another sideline, especially in some Navy and Gold Adidas visor? No way.

The artist formerly known as Big Game Bob, would change his handle to Bob Stoopid if he were to leave Norman for South Bend. The only green pasture in Bob Stoops' future is a contract extension from Oklahoma.

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Is Firing Charlie Weis the Answer for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish?

Tim Altevogt — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:59:06 -0500

So...here we go again. After a tough loss to a top ranked Pittsburgh team, Charlie Weis is on the proverbial hot-seat and Notre Dame fans are left to wonder, whats next?

I understand everyone's disgust with what has happened to a Notre Dame team that was picked by many to be playing in a BCS game. Heck, Lou Holtz even declared them a "Dark Horse" for the national championship!

However, I find myself questioning whether Charlie Weis should be fired.

A humiliating loss to Navy, losses to Michigan and USC and now a tough loss to Pitt are hard to get over and I truly feel that changes have got to made. But as a life long Notre Dame fan I'm not sure I am prepared to go through another "re-building" year or two.

I will say that the lack of motivation and discipline shown by the Irish has been hard to endure and I feel that it is the responsibility of the coaching staff to make the necessary adjustments.

I think if Weis is going to keep his job the first person to be handed his walking papers should be defensive coordinator, Jon Tenuta. Missed tackles, getting burnt in the secondary and inability to make necessary adjustments to what is happening are unforgivable.

The offense is looking great despite their lack-luster performance in the red-zone. In four losses this season Jimmy Clausen is averaging 332.75 yards passing. The talent is there but there are a couple of very concerning issues.

Is Jimmy Clausen going to enter the NFL draft? Heck, Is Golden Tate going to enter the NFL draft? Where has Kyle Rudolph been prior to his injury?

For all of you out there that have been so hard on Notre Dame for their handling of Ty Willingham I would like to remind you that he was fired under then Athletic Director, Kevin White. White resigned in June 2008 and current AD Jack Swarbrick took the reins.

Notre Dame took a lot of heat for firing Willingham and I'm not sure that they should set a precedent of firing coaches after four or five years and no national championships. What is that saying to potential recruits? Hell, what is that saying to anyone looking at taking the head coaching position at the University of Notre Dame?

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What Notre Dame Should Do With Charlie Weis

Erin McLaughlin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:11:42 -0500

Just two weeks ago Notre Dame fans were talking about a possible return to the BCS. Sitting at 6-2, it appeared that Charlie Weis had finally righted the ship and his recruiting was finally paying dividends. Well this is college football and the outlook on things can change quickly.

After two disappointing losses to Navy and Pittsburgh, the outlook on Notre Dame's season and the future of Weis has taken a turn for the worse. Notre Dame was regarded as one of the most improved teams in college football. Now its 6-4 record is exactly the same record they had last season after 10 games.

We all know how that ended. It featured an embarrassing loss to Syracuse and then getting throttled by USC. Now with a Connecticut team that took Cincinnati to the limit and a hot Stanford team left on the plate, another 6-6 season is looking like a real possibility.

One thing is clear to just about all Irish fans. Weis is not the answer. I have been a Weis supporter. I thought what he did his first two years could not be overlooked. I also thought his recruiting efforts were adequate. I also gave him the benefit of the doubt the last two years since he played so many young players.

Since those young players are now seasoned players and the results are still not great, I can't give Charlie Weis the benefit of the doubt any more. It is time to move on.

However, I still appreciate all he did for Notre Dame and will never feel compare him to Tyrone Willingham. Therefore, I would like to see him go out a winner.

Based on that, Jack Swarbrick should make the announcement today that Weis will be replaced after the season. They should allow him to finish the year and coach the bowl game. That is what could create an emotional spark to the players. They will know that they are playing for the next coach and they would want to send Weis out a winner.

Without that emotional spark, Notre Dame will lose to both Connecticut and Stanford. The result will be 6-6 and who knows what bowl they go to? Who even wants to go to a bowl with that record?

However, an 8-4 record is still enough to get a decent bowl like the Gator Bowl. It is not BCS but is a huge upgrade over the Hawaii Bowl. Then the Irish can get an opponent like Miami and it could be a good game. Then the players can play for Weis one last time and send him out on a positive note.

This article is also posted on http://fightingirishgameday.com/

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What Does Notre Dame's Charlie Weis Bring To the Table?

Eric Murtaugh — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:03:01 -0500

For a long time I was a Charlie Weis apologist, someone who defended his poor performances the last two years and believed better days were ahead. Now, it’s pretty tough to stick up for Charlie.

But let me be clear: I think Charlie Weis is a really great coach.

It’s just he’s not the kind of coach one needs leading a program like Notre Dame. Weis’ coaching abilities are based largely around his teaching abilities primarily to offensive players. He is able to get teenagers and young men to understand and execute complicated offensive systems while honing the talents of his best players.

Most of all, Charlie Weis is adept at developing quarterbacks as evidenced by his work with Brady Quinn and Jimmy Clausen. While Weis has been coach at Notre Dame, the Irish offensive record books have been rewritten.

However, all this really means is that Weis may be nothing more than a glorified quarterback guru.

Weis can recruit top flight skilled players on offense and his aforementioned destruction of the record books is certainly admirable. But in the end, this type of coaching isn’t helping Notre Dame and it is plain this program is underachieving.

The funny thing is we are always told that Weis is an “offensive genius” and someone who can out-scheme any opponent that’s placed in front of him. Everyone says his offensive game plans are second-to-none in college football and the pro game.

I’m not so sure I agree.

What’s Weis’ biggest problem? He hasn’t developed a strict system on offense to work from and he loses his patience and cool far too much for someone who is a supposed game-planning god.

If you ask anyone what kind of offense Notre Dame runs they are likely to tell you it is a pro-style offense. But is it really?

NFL teams run the ball a majority of the time while Notre Dame rarely runs the ball. Watching the game against Pitt last weekend I couldn’t help but believe that it was Pitt who had the pro-style offense and not Notre Dame.

Pitt was pounding the ball on the ground and mixing in a solid short passing game, getting the fullback involved, and taking periodic shots down the field. In other words, Pitt looked like an NFL team.

Weis was fairly stable in his play-calling in his first two years, but ever since then it’s been a mess of epic proportions. With an injured Clausen in 2007, Weis decided to implement a spread option attack with Demetrius Jones.

After one half of football Weis reverted to his former system with Sharpley and later a healthier Clausen. Who knows how far this set the team back, but the results that year show that it wasn’t pretty.

Since then the game-planning has been more consistent and based around the arm of Jimmy Clausen, yet it isn’t really a pro-style offense and there’s no overriding identity to the offense.

Once in a while, Weis will have Notre Dame play a true pro-style offense, other times he’ll go five wide shotgun for long stretches of games. Some games he’ll give opponents (usually weaker ones) a heavy dose of a power running game, while other times he’ll flat out refuse to run the ball for an entire half.

As good as this offense has been this year statistically (especially in terms of yardage), this lack of identity is killing Notre Dame. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the red zone where Weis’ tendency to throw the ball at all costs and to rely on the ever difficult fade route to Floyd or Tate just doesn’t work against good teams.

When you add this lack of identity with the fact that Weis seems to panic even when the Irish are losing by one score in the first quarter, well it is clearly a recipe for disaster.

How many times have we seen Notre Dame come out and run the ball effectively, fall behind by three or seven points, then effectively stop running the ball the rest of the game? How many fourth down attempts have been squandered in close games because Weis would not settle for a field goal in a close game?

Nowhere is this style of coaching more apparent than the Navy game this year. Hughes was running hard as usual and Riddick was ripping Navy for serious yards early in the game. Then, Notre Dame faced a fourth and two deep in the red zone trailing 7-0.

What happened? Instead of kicking the field goal and gaining a little bit of momentum, Weis decided to gamble on a big momentum swing with a pass play to the end zone. The pass ended up incomplete and Navy took over.

First, there is no identity on offense where Notre Dame can run the ball as much as pass the ball. That put them in the predicament in the first place. Secondly, Weis panicked early in the game and ended up doing more harm than good.

Navy took over and marched down the field scoring a touchdown and gaining a momentum swing twice as large had Notre Dame scored a touchdown on their previous possession. The Irish never recovered, the red zone troubles continued, and the team lost a game they should have easily won.

What this all means is that Charlie Weis isn’t a very good football coach. I wouldn’t even call him a great offensive coordinator at this point either. And I’m not even taking into account that he seems to bring nothing to the table defensively, doesn’t fire his team up, and seems unprepared in far too many embarrassing moments.

There are times when it seems like Weis is more concerned with showcasing his talented skilled players and proving to everyone how much of an offensive genius he is by running dozens of different formations throughout any given game.

We were told that wide receiver Michael Floyd would see limited action against Navy to ease the budding star back into the lineup after breaking his collar bone.

“Boy did I trick everyone!” Weis exclaims!

Instead, Floyd was targeted early and often, including several failed fade routes that left the Irish empty handed and scoreless. Weis ended up showcasing Floyd all game long, but was it the best thing for the team?

So many of us just want Notre Dame to get tough again, run the ball with power, set up the play action and take advantage of the passing game this way.

Instead, we’re subjected to shotgun formations with no threat of running the ball and endless gimmicky gadget plays.

At this point, I’ve changed my mind and believe the odds are a new coach could improve this team offensively. You can’t argue with some of the stats Weis has been able to put up in his time in South Bend, but its becoming evident that his style doesn’t lend itself to winning football games at the college level.

That’s why probably the best position for Weis right now is being a quarterback coach. He can be successful as on offensive coordinator in the NFL, but even that position may be too much for him at the college level.

After five years it looks as though that is who has been leading the Irish on to the field each weekend, merely a quarterback guru who can talk a big game and recruit a collection of really great skilled athletes on offense.

With these players in place, Notre Dame should go out and find a proven coach who has won at the college level, will install a program identity, run the ball, and play tough defense.

It is imperative that a new coach commits to a system and recruits players to fit that system. Look at the top teams in the country right now and you’ll see the overriding theme is tough defense mixed with a consistent game plan and identity on offense.

It’s simple and fundamental: run the ball, play tough defense and play smart football. Notre Dame doesn’t do any of those things. And it is all but a foregone conclusion that the Irish never will with Charlie Weis at the helm.

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In South Bend, the Sky Has Fallen on Notre Dame's Golden Dome

Andrew Nuschler — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:31:22 -0500

When the 2009 college football schedule made its debut last winter, there were two very distinct camps of Notre Dame observers.

One group was rejoicing because the Fighting Irish were improving, going to a bowl game in paradise (which the Irish would win in impressive fashion over a home-standing and good Hawaii squad), and the slate looked soft. Only a date with the USC Trojans was truly daunting and that came in South Bend.

Unwisely sincere visions of 11-1 or 10-2 shimmered on the sunny horizon.

Contrarily, the other group huddled under an ominous black cloud. Even more troubling, the dour-faced horde wasn't composed exclusively of Notre Dame haters. There were many intelligent, reasonable (if cynical) Golden Domers who looked at the 2009 array and saw trouble. Big trouble.

Sadly for Notre Dame and its supporters, that trouble has arrived. And then some.

The soft schedule has reared up and taken a bite out of Charlie Weis' program—first it was the Michigan Wolverines.

The loss didn't look too bad in the weeks that followed as the Wolverines grabbed two more victories, including the Big Ten opener against the Indiana Hoosiers. Then the Winged Helmets took a highly-ranked Michigan State Spartan team to overtime before losing.

The bloom is off the rose, however, as Michigan has only heard The Victors once since dropping that game to Spartie. The team has lost five of six and the exception was a cupcake over the Delaware State Hornets.

Consequently, the loss to Michigan is beginning to stick out on Notre Dame's resume.

Even so, all was quiet on the Fighting Irish front until last weekend.

Weis and company rolled out a series of nice wins—they took out that same Spartan side that beat Michigan, a game Purdue Boilermaker team on the road, the Washington Huskies and Boston College Eagles at home, and the Washington State Cougars in San Antonio for some odd reason.

Nevertheless, the brightest reason for hope might have been the only loss in that winning jag. In the midst of all those victories, USC came to South Bend and left with a hard-fought, well-earned win. The Irish walked away with heads high and the respect of a lot of doubters.

Of course, the Navy Midshipmen came sailing into Indiana and blew all those warm, fuzzy feelings to smithereens.

We can heap all the praise we want on the service academy and we should—those kids came in and used an excellent game plan to put a whooping on Notre Dame in its own house. Still, the reality is the loss is unconscionable under the Golden Dome.

A program that fancies itself one of the big boys can't be losing to Navy.

Certainly not twice in three years. At home.

The disaster against the Midshipmen was the third blemish on a season that had many faithful expecting at least a 10-2 finish with a juicy bowl game reward. If the sky didn't crash that day, it certainly has now.

On Saturday, the Irish went into Pittsburgh and ultimately came up short against one of the better teams in the nation. No shame in dropping a game to the eighth-ranked squad in the country (No. 9 in the latest BCS) on its own field, but that's loss No. 4 for Charlie Weis and his program.

What about those two games left?

Looming this weekend is a confrontation with a Connecticut Huskie team that went bomb-for-bomb with the undefeated and fifth-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats, only to lose 57-45. Although the game is at home, the matchup can't be considered great news for a defensive unit that's already struggling.

The Fighting Irish end the regular season with a trip to Palo Alto, Calif. to take on the lurking Stanford Cardinal. You might've heard my guys blitzed those Men of Troy 55-21 in Los Angeles?

Again, that'll be a stiff challenge for Notre Dame.

Splitting the two games would be an accomplishment. It would also turn those 11-1, 10-2, or even 9-3 dreams into a 7-5 nightmare. Shoot, if Charlie-in-Charge can urge his youngsters to a sweep of the pair, the season will still be an 8-4 thud with two head-shaking losses.

Needless to say, whiffing on the duo and skidding to 6-6 would be...worse.

In all this ugliness, the ugliest element is the one that can't be avoided.

Given Notre Dame's history of impatience with mediocrity, Charlie Weis should get his walking papers at the conclusion of the year. Look at his record against those of his predecessors (since Lou Holtz and ignoring the temporary placeholders):

Bob Davie—35-25 for a winning percentage of .583 in five seasons.

Tyrone Willingham—21-15 for a winning percentage of .583 in three seasons.

Charlie Weis—35-25 for a winning percentage of .583 in five seasons.

Complicating matters, Weis' tenure has been marred by the sort of extenuating circumstances that finally landed Davie and Willingham on the chopping block.

The Irish has seen its share of lopsided losses under Weis—reputedly one of the primary reasons Willingham caught the axe—and neither of the guys who came before him ever lost nine games in one year.

Neither lost six consecutive home games. Neither dropped a contest to Navy.

In fact, no Fighting Irish coach had lost to Navy since 1963—a string of 43 consecutive games. Now, Weis has lost twice since 2007—a string of three games.

Against that backdrop, it should be impossible to keep Charlie Weis. Except he's already been retained; he's under a recklessly lucrative contract until 2015.

Everywhere you look, it's bad-news-getting-worse for Notre Dame.

And that means it's time to find shelter in South Bend because the real carnage is about to start.

**www.pva.org**

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Five Things This Notre Dame Fan Learned from the Pitt Game

Jim Miesle — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:59:41 -0500

1. Execution

While I may not have agreed with the conservative game plan, on paper, I agree that it could have and should have worked vs. Pitt on Saturday. The problem is that this team has struggled with execution (especially on the defensive side of the ball) all year long.

The only time the offense looked remotely comfortable was in the no huddle, and I thought we should have seen this from the start of the game to wear down Pitt’s front four. There were way too many dropped passes, and virtually every one of them would have resulted in a first down.

2. Heart

Sadly, this team didn’t display much on Saturday outside Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate. I realize that most people won’t agree with my assessment of JC, but he wants to win more than anybody on the field every Saturday. Tate continued to make big plays and the punt return was a beautiful thing.

I personally think that Tate will be playing on Sundays next fall, and Clausen will be back because he has too much to prove right now.

This team has been flat ever since the USC game a month ago. Perhaps they are emotionally exhausted. Maybe it has to do with the mounting injuries. Either way, a little motivation would be nice.

3. Offensive Line

...or lack thereof? The injury to Trevor Robinson (who started, but was replaced in the first half by Dan Wenger) had a major impact on this game, IMO. There is no better way to prove this than the chop block call on Wenger during the last series.

This group was showing steady improvement through the first part of the season peppered with an all-too-infrequent propensity for holding/personal foul penalties (poor officiating aside), but has now done a complete 180 and has regressed over the past month.

I think Frank Verducci has done a pretty good job coaching this group, but it’s obvious that it will take longer than a year to undo the poor habits that have developed in this group.

Looking back at 2005, we saw what a Charlie Weis offense did with a good line. Since then, it becomes ever more apparent what they can’t do without one.

4. Defense

Do I really want to go here? Let’s put it this way, the top four teams in total defense (currently) are, in order: Texas, Florida, Alabama, TCU. What do all of these teams have in common? They are all undefeated. The rest of the top 10: Ohio State, Oklahoma, Air Force, North Carolina, Penn State, Nebraska. Average winning percentage: 82.5 percent.

The last few weeks have been pretty simple for the opposing offenses. Put a blocker directly on Te’o in the middle and take your chances everywhere else.

At the beginning of the season, the weakness (on paper) was the line and the strength was the secondary. Well, as the season has progressed, those things have actually shifted. The line continues to improve its play (especially Kapron Lewis-Moore), while the secondary continues to underperform.

Simply put, John Tenuta has to be the most stubborn coach on the staff—and that is saying something.

5. Officiating

Let me be clear—I am not using this as an excuse for a loss. If you play in a game that comes down to a single call to determine the outcome, there were likely many opportunities during the course of the game to make a play that would change the outcome.

That being said, can anyone remember such poor officiating across all of college football in a season? There have literally been hundreds of poor calls this season. From a roughing the snapper call (in the Washington game) to the “fumble” on the final possession vs. Pitt and everything in between, I doubt that any team has been more on the short side of the stick than Notre Dame this year when it comes to blown calls.

If Jack Swarbrick is half the AD he should be, he will fire all the Big East officials he has scheduled for next year and replace them with anybody. The only call that has actually gone the way of the Irish was the questionable call on the Taylor Mays late hit on Armando Allen vs. USC.

Also, replays are killing college football. If they want to keep the existing system, then they need to limit what can be reviewed during the game. I think the replay officials have made up rules as they go on more than one occasion.

Having every play reviewed makes no sense whatsoever and is probably at least partially to blame for the sad state of officiating.

A few other thoughts

· I would like to officially start the “I don’t want Brian Kelly as the next coach at Notre Dame” club. Anyone want to join? Please tell me why you think he would be a good choice? He won at D-II and in the MAC, and now has beaten next to no one at Cincinnati with someone else’s recruits. Forgive me for not seeing the logic...

· We are witnessing a few of the best players ever to suit up in the golden helmets on offense right now in Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate. It will likely be a long time before we see this again, and with both having aspirations of playing on Sundays soon, we should take this chance to enjoy it for at least two more games...

· Is anyone else wondering why ND ran the wildcat at its own 10 yd line? That really only worked vs. Purdue and Washington State...

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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.

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Notre Dame to Charlie Weis: Let's Just Be Friends

Trey Bradley — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:06:55 -0500

Dear Charlie,

It's not you, it's me.

Actually...it is you.

But this is something we need to do, and I hope we can do it amicably.

I want to start by saying, "Thank you."

You're a Notre Dame guy. You know what we've been through. And I, for one, will never compare your record to Bob Davie's or Tyrone Willingham's, similar though they may be.

You were different.

You'll leave our program in better condition than you found it. For five years, it appears you've done it the right way, without sanctions or scandal, and that's something that goes unnoticed far too often in college football.

With a tireless work ethic, you've managed to recruit the players Irish fans had given up on luring to South Bend, selling Notre Dame to Californians like Jimmy Clausen and even Hawaiians like Manti Te'o. As a result, your job is more desirable now than it was when you, and several of your predecessors, accepted it.

I do not resent you for your mistakes, nor the brash arrogance that soured so many of your would-be supporters. Who among us with ambition hasn't been guilty of overconfidence? It was why we wanted you in the first place. It was our error as much as yours. We let our need and your Super Bowl rings blind us.

In January of 2005, we needed someone to restore our self-belief as a football program. You've somehow managed to do that, without significantly altering the results on the field.

Which is exactly why it's now time for us to part ways. And as an alum, as someone who cares for the school, the program, and the players you've brought into it, let's find a way to do it productively.

Please step down.

For all the haughtiness that defined your arrival, you now have an opportunity to depart with a little humility.

In a sense, it's giving in. It's giving your detractors (both internally and externally) what they wanted all along. But it also gives them a chance to forgive you and move on.

And that will serve us all well.

You'll no doubt have immediate opportunities. Finding work won't be an issue. Whoever drafts Clausen next spring would be wise to make it a package deal.

And Notre Dame has an over-saturated field of candidates to choose from in its search for your successor. Help us handle that process better this time around by working with athletic director Jack Swarbrick on a strategic resignation.

Choose the timing that best fits the needs of the current team, the verbally committed class of 2010, and the wildly fortunate 29th head coach of the Fighting Irish.

I would suggest coming to terms now, behind the scenes. Then make your players aware of the decision in Palo Alto, in the locker room, before the season finale at Stanford. It will inspire them to play their hearts out for you one more time, and earn the "signature win" both you and they have undoubtedly earned.

Let that be your signature moment. Not your termination.

Unfortunately, I can't guarantee you'll be given the credit you deserve when Kelly or Gruden or Stoops or whoever's next takes the Irish back to the BCS in short order. The media won't rush to defend your honor the way they did Willingham's when you "won with his players."

But if you can help Notre Dame through this transition, as opposed to allowing the Irish to be dragged through the mud again, those of us who truly follow and support this program will always have an appreciation for the endless hours, miles, and effort you put in.

Please know you're welcome to join us any Saturday in South Bend.

Sincerely,

Trey

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