ND vs. USC or Just When You Thought it Could Not Get Any Worse

I used this photograph because these are the true villains in this sad tale of a football season. This group of non-performers, under-achievers and down-right losers could cost Charlie Weis his job.

First of all, this is a sad tale because we started out by having dreams of a good season. Yes we beat some weak teams. Yes we receive several gifts of turnovers (Michigan). But we were showing progress. Offensive statistics were up. The defense was playing a little better than expected. We were holding on to leads.

Then the proverbial wheels came off the wagon. I simply cannot understand why the offensive coaches at Notre Dame continue to trot out these five losers game after game. USC achieved a milestone last Saturday by getting two holding calls. That is the most by any Notre Dame opponent this year. That performance would be an IMPROVEMENT for the Notre Dame lineman because they would have at least made physical contact with their opponent.

It is even more amazing because I just have my television and see only one angle of the game. Even with this limited scope I see the lineman continually miss blocks. I mean they actually move by the opponent and do not even seem aware that someone is there. Why are these players allowed to play after this? It does not seem possible that the coaches are unaware of these plays. They have people taping the game for training don't they? They should have people asking these questions constantly.

These players are so pathetic that I do not even see how you can evaluate the remaining players. They have no fire, no desire and no consequences for their failures. I place great emphasis on the offensive line because that is where everything starts. The offensive line is what protects your quarterback and creates openings for running backs. The offensive line is what allows your skill position players to succeed. If the offensive line continually fails, then your offense will fail as well. This offensive line is so pathetic that they are causing the other aspects of the team to fail as well.

The main reason to fire Charlie Weis is that we are losing football games. The anger over these losses is that many of them should have been victories. Charlie Weis seems to know the "X's and O's" of football. He seems to be able to convince top-flight talent to come to Notre Dame. Is this enough to save his job?

For now at least, I would answer "Yes." The assistant coaches should be able to handle the job of teaching and motivating. That is where I see the main failure has been this year. Not only has the offensive line not improved, they have actually regressed. It is always easier to replace one coach than an entire staff. I think that the defensive staff is actually improving our defense.

Again, it is difficult to judge because of the pathetic offensive line. I do not see how the players can look at themselves in the mirror. I do not see how the offensive line coach can accept their lack of dedication to the program. The main failure of Charlie Weis is that he allows it to continue. We shall see in the near future if he can correct this dire situation.