Star Power

Busy day today at Vatican Smoke with not one but two posts in one day. Recruiting rankings are a tenuous topic among many old school and new school college fans. This article in the Wall Street Journal was not surprising to me, although it might be to some.

I have always contended that recruiting rankings on a micro level - for one player - are certainly not perfect projections of that player's potential. However, Rivals and other sites have shown that the chances of making the NFL are higher for 5 stars than 3 stars - significantly in fact. From the 2010 NFL draft's first round, only 1 player was not a 3 star or higher coming out of high school; and since there are only 20 to 25 5 stars nationally per year, the 5 star still had the highest % chance of being drafted in the 1st round.

While there are numerous 5 star busts and 3 star players that make the NFL, the recruiting ranking that really matters is the class ranking for a program - over time. In the Wall Street Journal article from the top, the average star rating for starters is compared for the top schools. Not surprisingly, USC and Florida top the list, followed by Texas, Alabama, LSU, and the rest of the SEC. Yet interestingly enough, the Irish are 3rd. The anti-recruiting ranking folks will point to a potential Irish bias in recruiting rankings - getting higher marks than they deserve. The pro-recruiting folks - myself included - point to the lack of development and good enough coaching. Brian Kelly has developed talent everywhere he has coached, which means the pro-recruiting contingent now has a chance to see whether the Irish recruiting rankings were accurate and Weis did not develop them, or that Irish players get too generous a bump when they commit (which I contend is the opposite of what happens). I hope we see the former validated.

What Went Wrong

Brian Kelly is off to a great public relations start to his coaching tenure at Notre Dame - already a local celebrity of sorts. Notre Dame fans are more tempered this time around, after getting overly excited at the start of the Charlie Weis and Ty Willingham eras. Coach Weis's opening press conference was exactly what the tired Notre Dame fanbase needed - energy through a display of bravado and arrogance. The Irish fans ate up that Charlie Weis opening monologue, spawning the typical "Return to Glory" and "Wake up the echoes" catch phrases. Brian Kelly's opening press conference was more like a politician's first words as an elected representative - grateful, careful, and inspiring. No matter how smooth or energetic Kelly looks, ND fans know better than to get overly excited before the first games are played. And even then, given that Weis and Willingham had arguably their best seasons in year 1, Irish fans should really wait until season 2 and 3. 


Plenty of offseason remains to talk about Kelly and changes in the Irish football program - new coaches, recruiting, etc. In this post, I am closing the book on the Charlie Weis era - a final lookback that, at least from Vatican Smoke's perspective, will serve as an obituary for one of my favorite Notre Dame figures ever. After this post, the blog will focus on the Brian Kelly era, without looking back much to the past. 


What went wrong? Two straight BCS bowls, elite recruiting, explosive offense, and optimism were the prevailing headlines of the first two years of the Charlie Weis era. How could such a talented offensive mind not win at Notre Dame - his alma matre? Here are some reasons why Charlie failed - as well as a few qualities of Charlie Weis that most Notre Dame fans should remember. 

• Charlie Weis never got a defense - neither thru recruiting or a defensive coordinator. When the Irish hired Jon Tenuta before the 2008 season, I was ecstatic. A hyper aggressive, plenty experienced DC that had manhandled the Irish in two games in 2006-07 - Tenuta appeared to bring an edge the Irish defense needed. Alas, the stubbornness and inability to adapt to the personnel at ND doomed Tenuta. Recruiting never produced consistently solid defensive lineman in enough numbers to disrupt running games or bring pressure on the quarterback.
• Coach Weis's teams never improved as the season went on. Charlie Weis's record from November 1st thru the end of the season during his 5 years was 11-13. In 2007-2009 (the last 3 seasons), his record was just 4-10 from November 1st on. Good teams get better and finish the season strong, peaking when it matters. Outside of the wins against Stanford ('07) and Hawaii ('08), the Irish lost the final game Weis's other 3 seasons. 
• Charlie never beat the elite teams - or many ranked teams for that matter. Notre Dame was just 1-8 versus top 10 ranked teams (ranked at the time of the game - the lone win being Charlie's second career game in 2005 at Michigan, a team finished 7-5); even worse really, the Irish were a terrible 4-12 against ranked teams. Charlie was 0-5 against USC, 2-3 against Michigan, and 1-2 against Boston College. I have nothing to add here. 
• Charlie's initial arrogance created a schism with some alumni that was never repaired.  Charlie's initial arrogance and unwillingness to appear at the traditional alumni events during his first two years came back to haunt him during the the 3-9 campaign of 2007, as his character description changed from "colorful and confident" to "arrogant and a$$hole". Numerous people never forgave Charlie for his early transgressions - too many people that mattered. These people pushed hard during 2007 - 2009 to get Charlie out, and eventually succeeded. 
• Coach Weis's physical limitations eventually were harmful to the program. College football players need inspiration and energy to play one of the more emotional sports around. Weis's appearance quite simply drained energy from the program. Constantly hobbling around, on crutches, or the butt of fat jokes, the program was never able to shake the image that Weis portrayed physically. The Jersey accent and hooded sweatshirts didn't impress anyone either. While not as important as the above reasons, there is no way around it - appearance matters for those who wish to lead. Do presidents and CEOs look sloppy, wearing sweatshirts, with serious weight issues? Do leaders drive around in a golf cart, always in need of physical assistance? There are certainly leaders with physical disabilities. However, a) there aren't that many and b) even fewer of them are great football coaches. 
• Charlie Weis proved that Notre Dame can recruit elite talent once again. Charlie's 5 recruiting classes at Notre Dame finished ranked 30th, 8th, 8th, 2nd, and 21st. The first class was 98% Willingham in 2005, so we will remove that, since Weis was winning a Super Bowl with the Patriots. The current commits for the next year's 2010 class are 98% Weis, so we will add the current ranking of 12th. Weis's average national ranking/finish in his 5 recruiting efforts was 10.2. Not bad. Given all the restrictions at ND, an average class ranked #10 is about as good as we can reasonably ask for. Texas's average class rank during those same 5 years was 9.8, while Florida was 6.2; yet USC was tops over those 5 years with an average class rank of 3.2.  Many thought ND could never recruit elite talent again - whether because of the location, academics, or lack of recent championships. Weis debunked that myth. 
• Charlie Weis ran a clean program - one that we are all proud of off the field. In 2009 Notre Dame football actually shared the top spot in graduation rates for Division 1-A - which is nothing short of amazing. Off the field, the worst things that happened under Weis were a few minor alcohol issues, and some on campus stuff that happens with college kids. All in all, Weis performed as expected in the off the field arena: maintaining the high standards of Notre Dame off the field, while graduating players on time. 
• Charlie Weis is a good person. Many people assume Charlie's confidence/arrogance is an indicator of the type of person he outside of football. In reality, Charlie's Jersey / Bill Parcell's type attitude was just the football Charlie. Outside of work, Charlie gives all his time to his family - quite often to the charity his wife Maura and he founded in honor of his autistic daughter (Hannah & Friends). Go to CharlieWeis.com - and see where you end up. Other coaches sell tshirts and calendars on their website. Not Charlie. 

Bottom line: Charlie is an innovative football mind that was not able to adjust quickly enough to the head coaching of college football. He was excruciatingly close in so many areas (recruiting, offense), but came up short in many others (defense, media relations, close losses). A majority of the issues with Coach Weis boil down to a lack of college football head coaching experience - clearly the #1 criteria in finding our new football coach. What Charlie Weis lacked, Brian Kelly certainly has. Will BK be successful? If the initial excitement and deflation of the Charlie Weis and Ty Willingham eras taught us anything, its that we have to temper expectations and not resort to naming a new coach savior after beating Purdue. 


We'll miss you Charlie - and we'll always remember the great times (Michigan '05, USC '05, Michigan St '06, Michigan '08). And most people, including myself, are sorry it didn't work out. We know that you love Notre Dame with all your heart, and tried your damndest to get the program back on track. You left the Notre Dame football program better off than it was when you arrived, and you'll be a ton better NFL Offensive Coordinator now because of this experience. Best of luck. 




The BK era begins . . . coaching staff should be announced within a week, and recruiting is super busy right now. Sounds like BK should be able to get a top 15 class, very possibly top 10. And a good staff as well. Stay tuned. 

News & Notes

Ok, the posting layoff is over. In the week's since Notre Dame's throttling of Hawaii on December 24th in the Hawaii Bowl, a few coaching and personnel decisions have been made:

• Will Yeatman, former starting tight end, has transferred to Maryland to play football and lacrosse (he was 1st team All-America in lacrosse as a freshman). Yeatman was one of the players at the off campus party in September, where he was arrested yet not charged for under age drinking. The 20 year old had an amazing .02 BAC level - making him 3 times below the legal limit of any state. ND promptly suspended him for the entire semester, largely based upon his previous DUI the year before. It was time for him to leave, although ND as usual treated him like a nefarious criminal for a very simple offense. Still no charges for that arrest because the officers entered the house without permission (illegally) and the cases are being thrown out. The best blocking TE on the roster, his loss will be felt. Lucky for us, the ND tight end talent is deep enough to cover, assuming no injuries.
  
  
  
• Offensive Coordinator Mike Haywood has become the head coach of Miami of Ohio. Mike was a good assistant coach and has the experience to take the jump. Its hard to be an offensive coordinator under Weis, so this loss is not huge. So far, the Irish program has not replaced Mike. There are rumors that no offensive coordinator will be hired, just a few offensive assistants under Weis. I am fine with this, as we saw how well the Irish offense performed in the Hawaii Bowl when Weis was in the booth, calling plays, just like an offensive coordinator.





• Defensive Line coach Jappy Oliver is gone, to pursue other opportunities. A few names are floating around for his replacement. There has been talk of Luke Fickell, Ohio St Linebackers coach, joining the Irish staff. Whether he would be defensive line coach or an additional linebackers coach is anyone's guess.





• Offensive Line coach John Latina is also out, having been replaced this week by Frank Verducci. You can read all about him and some insight at the great blog Blue Gray Sky. In short, he has about 12 years of college experience preceding his last 8 years in the NFL. He is a New Jersey native that is exactly what Weis wanted - someone that speaks his language (NFL) but has worked in college (recruiting). It doesn't hurt that Verducci's father and brother are football coaching legends in New Jersey, which always helps in recruiting. Verducci has been OLine coach for the Cleveland Browns the past few years, employing the often controversial Weis scheme of "zone blocking". Many old timers hate this, but its what the OLine and Weis are used to. This is likely the most important coaching hire in Weis's career, so hopefully he got it right. Time will tell.





• 2007 starting corner back Darrin Walls has returned to campus, after moving home for the fall semester for "personal reasons". Walls was the best corner on the team in 2007 (remember his interception and then 60 yard TD return against Penn St?), as well as a top 50 recruit 3 years ago. He has 2 years of eligibility left, and is adding to what most think is the strength of the Irish, the defensive backfield. Next season, the Irish will have have 4 highly talented and experienced corner backs - 1 senior (McNeil), 2 sophomores (Blanton & Gray [hopefully - there are rumors of academics or transferring]), and 1 junior (Walls). After improving significantly in pass defense from 2005 to 2008, 2009 will be our best defensive backfield in 15 years.




• One more tidbit, not personnel related: The Irish scored more points (49) than any other team in any of the 34 bowl games this year.
  

Of all the news and notes, the hiring of the offensive line coach Frank Verducci, is the most significant. During the 4 years of Charlie Weis, the Irish have experienced the 3 worst rushing years in Notre Dame history. Some blame the lineman, or the scheme, while others blame the coaching. No matter what is the reason, the inability to run the ball has been the biggest disappointment and potential harbinger of failure of the Weis era.

A good example of the importance of the run game was this season, for instance. Everything started off great for the Irish offense. We passed the ball deep, and it worked well. Once teams adjusted by dropping more defensive backs deep (2nd half of the North Carolina game) we had to respond, but couldn't. What should be the offensive response when the defense backs up? Run the ball. We were unable to do that, so we were screwed offensively. Teams figured this out, and just deep covered us to death, knowing that their defensive lines and inside linebackers could handle the Irish run game with no help. Against Hawaii the talent level showed and we simply outplayed them and had a great day against a poor defense.

If Weis can find a way to run the ball even remotely like our teams pass the ball, he will finish his contract. I truly believe this is the missing ingredient, as the defense and talent level are improving each year. The flip side of this is simple - if Weis and Verducci don't make significant inroads in the running game - this coming fall - then they will both be fired. Lets hope they do.

To the Edge and Back Again

Sorry for not posting the past few days. I have been watching the whole media feeding frenzy after the USC loss, and really just waiting for something to write about. Certainly I could have posted about a number of things. Focusing on new coaching candidates could have been a post or two, but I wasn't sure Weis would be fired and I did not want to waste the energy. I could have done a post game wrap up after the USC game, but who wants to break down a 38-3 drubbing? And I doubt you'd care to read it.


Now that Notre Dame has officially come out and backed Charlie Weis publicly, we can end the confusion and actually put things into perspective.


Notre Dame football this season has put me through the gamut of emotions - first I was disappointed by the losses to Michigan St. and North Carolina, then outraged by the losses to Pitt and BC. Finally came apathy after the loss to Syracuse, and embarrassment after the drubbing by USC this past weekend. Somewhere in between was awe as to how we almost lost to Navy on 2 straight onsides kicks. The past few days have brought numerous feelings about Charlie Weis. It feels as if we fired him Saturday night or Sunday - and then rehired him on Tuesday night. Weird.


No matter what we have all felt the past few weeks and months, we are now left with a mediocre football team and a beleaguered coach that is likely on a very short leash. I will not waste any time outside of this post speculating as to whether keeping Charlie or firing Charlie was the right move. I honestly don't know the answer, as you can give compelling reasons for both. Since I am positive and looking forward, here are a few reasons why we should be glad the school kept Charlie:


Charlie is a great recruiter that has refueled the talent pipeline in South Bend. Davie and Willingham did not recruit nearly at the top 10 level Weis has, although on the field the results have not yet been different. His Super Bowl rings are still shiny to recruits and should be to us fans also.


Charlie desperately cares for this program, and is an Alumnus of ND. I realize that my devotion to ND football does not qualify me to be coach, but this characteristic cannot be overlooked.


Charlie has been humbled and walked to the edge of his career ledge - yet he's still around. Men have a strange way of sometimes taking these experiences and improving.


Charlie's presence will create some continuity for the Irish. 5 years for a head coach is really the best way to measure him, although 5 years is too long for most fans today. Charlie now has had time to develop all of his recruiting classes and allow guys to have lots of experience in his system.


Charlie is willing to change. He certainly is going to have to change a lot, especially on his coaching staff. Look for at least 3 coaches to be gone, likely the Offensive Coordinator Mike Haywood, Offensive Line coach John Latina, and Defensive Line coach Jappy Oliver. The most important position that has been underdeveloped has been offensive line, so we must get an offensive line coaching guru to ND at all costs.


Next year Charlie will have his full lineup of experienced Weis recruits. Lets give him the one and final shot to prove his worth.


No more Charlie job talk. In the coming posts we will focus on the bowl game, recruiting, grades for every position, and any other topic that presents itself on the road to improvement. We are not looking back with regret or emotion, but with a critical approach to get better. Negativity about the program or Weis will not live here.

We are what we are . . .

We are a 6-5 football team that just got beat by 2-8 Syracuse.

We are a mediocre football team.

We are a team that played one of the easier BCS team schedules in the country.

We are a program that can and will be successful again.

We are, possibly, going to be looking for a new coach in 7 days time.

Saturday was a difficult loss, no doubt. But it was the easiest loss for me to swallow this year actually. I became "numb" right before halftime when I realized that we still had not scored a touchdown against the lowly Orange. I told myself that getting upset would do no good, and prepared myself for the worst. Things looked better in the second half, but the moment that the Irish settled for a field goal instead of a touchdown, starting on offense after a fumble on the 4 yard line, I knew that what a 13 point lead could mean - a 1 point loss. Via this whole process, I had shut down my emotions and prepped my psyche for a loss. I recommend this to any of you that have emotional issues when the Irish lose.

I am not going to waste (much) time telling you about how we outgained another opponent on offense, yet did not win the game. I am not going to tell you about the solid game Jimmy Clausen had, throwing for 291 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions. Nor am I going to mention how we lost the 2nd game this season in which we had zero turnovers. Whoops I just mentioned all of that. And the NCAA really needs to clarify the "toe then heel" catch rule, confusion over which has burned the Irish for the 2nd straight week.

Those of you that read this blog know that we are very pro-Charlie and have defended Coach throughout this entire season. The mainstays of the Charlie-defense have been the promise of incoming and developing talent, as well as how most of the Irish losses this season were games which the Irish should have won. Right now, none of those defenses catch any ears or have any credibility.

Don't waste your time defending Charlie any longer. Instead of defending him and pointing to the future, it is time that Charlie measures up in the only category that matters - Wins. At this point, Charlie is pretty much unable to impress me via the recruiting rankings, stat lines, depth charts, almost wins, moral victories, or quarterback play. We all want Notre Dame back to where she should be - top 10 every year, a team feared far and wide. If Charlie cannot do better than this, its time to move on and find someone else who can.

Many of you like my "predictions" so here is another one for you: If the Irish fail to cover the 29 point spread against USC this Saturday, Charlie Weis will be unemployed 7 days from right now.

More Weis Talk

Great article on Weis and his current status as ND coach over at the Blue Gray Sky. Definitely a good read. Their article hits on a lot of the same points as my post below - I'm not sure Weis is THE coach, but its too early to drop the hammer on him just yet. Positive signs exist, and in the coming weeks we will know more. And how could you not love a coach that can handle an AK when needed?


Check back tomorrow for a Navy game preview. The trickiest game of the year has become more frightening than ever - as its a do or die game for Weis and the Irish.

Gut Instincts

In the last few days, I have been asked a question about Charlie Weis and his future as the Notre Dame football coach no less than 10 times. I'm sure many of you have experienced the same fate. ESPN is circling above the wounded giant of ND football right now, with everyone from Colin Cowherd to Beano Cook all getting their shots in via nonstop coverage.

For those of you who want Charlie fired now, this is probably not your post. We all can love ND football, but have differences of opinion in how to make it great again. I am not certain - as I was a few years ago - that Charlie is the guy. But I am certain that its too soon to give up on Charlie, and the verdict is still out - albeit not by much.

To be fully balanced, I present the top 5 reasons to keep Charlie . . . followed by the top 5 reasons to fire him. You be the judge.

Keep Charlie because . . .

• Recruiting under Weis has been at a Holtz level. I know recruiting rankings are not perfect, but Weis has had 3 straight top 10 classes by nearly every publication. His best class yet - the #1 ranked (after Alabama did not get 6 kids into school, the Irish won the Rivals.com 2008 Recruiting Crown) 2008 class is already doing damage on the field (Kyle Rudolph, TE, Michael Floyd, WR, Ethan Johnson, DE, Robert Blanton, DB, just to name a few). The talent is coming in, but it takes more than a class or three to get a program to the top tier. Top programs recruit every single year, creating extreme competition at every position, which then results in depth and more improvement from hungry players looking to see the field.



• This team is finally playing defense. Pairing this defense with Brady Quinn teams migh have resulted in another win or two, or at least more respectable losses. Easily his best defensive performance since Weis has been head coach. Currently, through 9 games, the Irish defense ranks 39th in the country in yards (324 yard per game), 35th in the country in scoring defense (20.4), and 45th in pass defense (196 yards per game). While its not light years ahead of prior years, its certainly avoiding the big play and giving the Irish offense ample chance to win games. The most points the defense has allowed in regulation this season in 1 game is 24! points, against Pittsburgh (remember, UNC only scored 21 points against our defense). The defense is improving and is now a slightly above average unit capable of holding its own against most teams.



• The offense hasn't been as bad as you think. The Irish have outgained their opponents in 3 of their 4 losses, outgaining everyone but Michigan St. While the offense has stalled a bit lately, it is still moving the chains up the field. The problem has been turnovers!, which have a lot to do with the youth on the field. With 25 of 28 touchdowns this season being scored by freshman or sophomores, youth is bound to make some mistakes. Make no mistake, the Irish have played poorly offensively the past two games. And I will not even attempt to defend our woeful running attack. My point is that the turnovers have doomed the Irish more than anything else - not lack of offensive ability or production. 1 more positive offensive play against UNC or Pitt would likely have you thinking differently about the Irish offense long about now.



• Next year, this team will be good. Weis will have juniors and sophomores all over the depth chart, with a strong number of seniors as well. Throw in a freshman 5 star Running Back in Cierre Wood, as well as more developed Michael Floyd and Golden Tate, and you will see an offense that could challenge all the records Brady set. The schedule is once again favorable with 4 built in wins against (Nevada, Purdue, Washington State, Washington), 4 winnable games (Navy, Pitt, Connecticut, Stanford), and 4 tough games (USC, @ Michigan, Michigan Stl, and Boston College). 2009 is Charlie's Waterloo - 9 wins or he's gone. I think 10 is what most people would expect, but 9 wins in 2009 will be what it takes to keep his job.

Fire Charlie because . . .

• The talent on the defensive and offensive lines has not and is not there. The Irish rushing attack sits at 95th in the country, despite having multiple 4 star running backs with major college offers (Jonas Grey, Robert Hughes, Armando Allen, and James Aldridge). While none of these backs is Barry Sanders, there has not been consistent run blocking for them to find lanes. On defense, its not much better for the DLine. The Irish defense ranks 111th in the country in tackles for a loss, and 82nd in sacks. Certainly linebackers need to make plays also, but the defensive line is clearly the issue. No team without strong lines on both sides of the ball can even sniff being in the top tier of college football teams. Recruiting hasn't been great on the Dline in particular, and doesn't look to be much better next year either.



• Charlie Weis has lost his last 15 games against teams with a winning record at the end of the season. That barb hurts badly, as it should. The Irish are not beating any good teams, or even 7-5 type teams right now. Navy this weekend will give him the chance to break this streak, as Navy is 6-3 and likely will finish with at least 7 wins. But beating Navy won't get Charlie much more than a pat on the back. No matter what excuses can be made for 2007 or the BCS blowouts in 2005 and 2006, the proof is in the W/L record, and Charlie has just not gotten the job done against decent competition. A few more losses to add onto this streak and Charlie is fired, with cause (right Al Davis?).



• Bad situational football, particularly in the 2nd half. The 2nd half and overtime of the Pitt game was the worst I had seen an Irish team handle time pressure since Ty Willingham. The lack of adjustments in the 2nd half of the UNC and Michigan St game definitely played a roll in each loss. No matter what talent is there, a well coached team will show poise and solid execution down the stretch. That statement cannot be used to describe the Irish right now. There have not been ample opportunities to show poise late when the game is still on the line, but we have seen nothing to say the Irish can handle the pressure since 2006/2005 (the final offensive drives of the UCLA game in '06, and the USC and Stanford games in '05). Another loss that was mismanaged late like the Pitt game will be devastating for Weis.



• Embarrassment factor. Weis has endured more 30 pt losses (3) and shutouts (3) in his 4 years than any big program should ever have in a decade. Any more additions to these tallies quite simply will be fatal to Weis's tenure at ND. Fans cannot and should not tolerate this. Not much to add here.

No matter how many pro and con lists you make, I believe decisions and opinions have to come from your "gut" - or the brain's evolved decision making capacity. Sometimes you just know the answer, but you may not be able to explain it. Oftentimes that feeling is the result of your brain calculating and weighing all these pro's and con's and spitting out the answer.

My "gut" says that Charlie is going to finish his 10 year contract. I think we'll remember these tough losses and this tough time just like that night at the casino where you're entire stack of chips was down to one or two more hands of blackjack - but then you rallied back to win 10 times what you started with. The chips are low for the Irish football program right now, but this session is not over yet. Win a few more this season, and then next season we put all our chips in the middle and see what happens.

Audible

Coach Weis's Tuesday press conference was the most grim I can remember. You can view the media session at und.com, in the video tab, on the main page.

Typically the media focuses the questions on specific issues relating to Irish health, the upcoming opponent, or the gameplan offensively or defensively for the coming game. This session was much different. The most pointed question was (I summarize), 'What do you say to people who are not sure if you are right man for the job (as ND Coach)?'. Charlie replied (again I summarize, but make no doubts that this is accurate), 'Its about where your program is going, where will it be. I am confident in where we are going and I am confident that the program will get to where we all want it to be'.

Another question to Charlie was really a rhetorical one - something along the lines of, 'Coach, Notre Dame fans are very impatient; do you think some ND fans are overly impatient and overly upset right now?' Charlie responded with a very honest response: "I'd be perturbed too if I were them. I wouldn't be very happy with the way the Pittsburgh game ended, and I wouldn't be too excited about how the offense and special teams played (against Boston College). If you look at last week's game against Boston College and the previous week's game against Pittsburgh, you sit there and say, We're sitting there (5-4), why aren't we better than that?".

But in perhaps the biggest, most important news that came from the press conference, is that Charlie Weis is going to get back involved and start gameplanning and calling plays for the offense. If you remember, he gave up playcalling in the spring to his offensive coordinator, Mike Haywood. Charlie sees the offense as the major problem, and plans to get more directly involved in the process.


I see a much less confident and less cocky Charlie Weis today. That saddens me a bit, because part of the initial allure of Charlie was this confidence in his abilities. I think it has clear that he has realized that college football is more about motivation and recruiting than schematic advantages and gameplans, like the NFL.

Let me make this clear - I have not given up on Charlie. His recruiting has been fantastic, and is continuing to be in the nation's elite. And I think him returning to playcalling is the right move, provided that he ends up being somewhere in the middle on the spectrum of pure playcaller (like in 2005-2007) and pure headcoach (through 9 games this season). Playcalling and gameplanning has always been the "core competency" of Charlie Weis - put simply, it's what he does best. But being a headcoach requires leadership and responsibility over all facets of a football program - not just playcalling - but everything from punt formations to study hall.

So in short, we need Charlie to call plays AND be the head coach. And do them both well, while not letting up on recruiting one bit. Whether or not he can adjust and do all three - very quickly, as in, this week quickly - will determine how long he remains head coach.

99 Days . . .

. . . until the Irish take the field against San Diego St. Not too much happening in college football until camps open in August, so don't expect much from this blog. A few tidbits of note over the past few weeks:

• Coach Weis visited soldiers in Iraq, touring with other college football coaches. By all accounts it was a great experience for Weis and the military alike. The coaches coached and refereed a flag football game on Memorial Day, staying afterwards to sign autographs for hours. Interestingly enough, the coaches were asked to write messages on some bombs to be dropped in Afghanistan. Weis wrote, "You will lose. Go Irish!" on his bomb, sparking the creation of t-shirts everywhere. I still say 2008's "The Shirt" for Notre Dame football should say: "Notre Dame Football 2008 - No more F_cking Around"




• Notre Dame appeared at #19 in Phil Steele's preseason poll, being released over this past week and next week. No that's not a typo, and no this is not for basketball. Phil Steele is known for his analytic approach and is incredibly well respected in the college football community. No doubt he sees the Irish much weakened schedule as a big harbinger of the Irish return to relevancy. Personally I think he is a bit optimistic, but its nice to see an objective analyst make a call instead of me/message board dude/Lou Holtz making the claim. Also nice to see BYU at #17 in his pole. Not sure why I mentioned that . . .
  
  
• Army and Notre Dame will likely begin playing again in 2010 or later. Great news for traditionalists, although many younger Irish fans are tired of playing service academies. The games will be at Notre Dame Stadium for Irish home years, and in neutral sites like Philadelphia, Orlando, Chicago, etc. for Army host years (similar to the Navy series). Every schedule has to have some "softer" teams, so ours might as well be service academies, which I have enormous respect for (insert Navy joke here). As long as we keep the Michigan and USCs, as well as some new fresh rivalries on the schedule (i.e. Oklahoma home and away in 2012 and 2013), I will be fine. Would be great to add more SEC teams like Georgia or Alabama onto the schedule, but that looks doubtful as the push is fore more neutral site games that essentially are under Irish control. Big, "premier" programs would only play home and home most likely.
  
• One transfer out, two players return. Freshman linebacker Aaron Nagel will seek a transfer after being buried on the depth chart and potentially behind incoming freshman this fall. Wish him well, and thank him for opening a schollie for someone else. In great news, last year starting defensive tackle Pat Kuntz will be returning to campus, after leaving due to academic reasons in the spring. Sophomore Tight End Will Yeatman has also returned, after being suspending for a drinking incident on campus. Yeatman missed the spring, which included his participation on the Irish lacrosse team, on which he earned National Lacrosse Rookie of the Year in 2007. At 6 foot 6, 260 pounds, Yeatman is the perfect size for a tight end, and also can lay hat on the lacrosse field. Both will start or at the minimum play significant minutes for the Irish.
  
• Talent levels in 2008 are arguably back to a competitive level, although not in the senior or 5th year senior classes. The "star" system for high school recruits has been pretty steady since about 2001, and many are starting to see a direct correlation between NFL draft picks and successful college football programs and the star rankings out of high school. In short, 5 star players have statistically shown to have a much higher chance of being a top 2 round NFL draft pick than 3 star players, as these high school talent evaluators are getting pretty good at what they do. The hard issue is how do you compare a senior in college that was a former 5 star signee, with a true freshman 5 star? Obviously the former is more valuable, and that's what the Irish lack. The Irish 1st - 3rd year players represent 3 straight top 8 ranked classes in 2006 - 2008 (and the top RB in the nation Cierre Wood (pictured) on the way for 2009); however, the lack of talent in the 4th and 5th year classes will continue to hurt the Irish in 2008. Come 2009 though, the Irish will have no excuses for not winning 9 games a year.

Hopefully the team is getting into shape and the incoming freshman will work hard to be ready to contribute come September. Probably won't be too much blogging on the Irish until a few pre-season posts come August. Talk is cheap, and all the Irish can do to gain respect back is to show up in September. My official prediction for the season will be decided later, but I look for the Irish to be much more competitive and enjoyable to watch this year.

Conversation with Charlie Weis

Last night the Pope had the pleasure of meeting Charlie Weis. I was only allowed to speak with Charlie a moment, but wisdom permeated the conversation on both ends. Here is a quick look at what was said, in this week's Supreme Pontiff's Conversations:

THE POPE: Charlie, the pleasure is all mine. Im glad you have come to this meeting.

WEIS: No problem your highness. I have a lot of repenting to do.

THE POPE: [muttered under his breath] (your goddamn right you do . . .)

WEIS: UH, Excuse me? Did I hear you say something.

THE POPE: Nothing, just have a slight cough (cough cough). Charlie, we are very happy here to speak. What might you be speaking about this evening?

WEIS: I was going to talk about the commitment Notre Dame football has to excellence in character, grades, and on the field play.

THE POPE: 2 outta 3 aint bad - in baseball you'd be the greatest hitter ever at that average

WEIS: The on the field excellence wasn't there last year, but its coming.

THE POPE: I agree Charlie, I agree. San Diego St, Syracuse, Navy, Washingon, Stanford - must have bought a lot of indulgences for that 2008 schedule, Charlie

WEIS: Not sure what that means. I think we are going to be better next year not just because of the schedule, but because our team will be a year older and more experienced, and much bigger.

THE POPE: Experience is overrated. So is size. Especially in your case . . .

WEIS: Whats that supposed to mean!?

THE POPE: Your NFL experience is a bit overrated, dont you think? Thats what I meant.

WEIS: Possibly. I think its a selling point in recruiting.


THE POPE: Thats like saying my experience loving God is a great selling point for me with the ladies.

WEIS: ?!?!

THE POPE: Moving along now. As long as you stay focused, not paying attention to what the fans say, any dumb websites, or blogs, then I think your 2008 season will go well. Maybe much more like your 1st season in South Bend



WEIS: Thanks your eminence.

There you have it. Historic conversation, recorded for you, right here at VaticanSmoke.com.

Recruiting Help

Too bad Notre Dame is struggggglllllling a bit. Instead of blabbering about excuses and discussing how we played, I think stepping back is the only way to digest this season.

So I will start with a question - how does a program recruit new players to come play for a 1-7 team that ranks dead last in nearly every offensive category, and not much better in defensive categories? You sell playing time, and simply ask the recruit, "Well you tell me, do you think you can get out there and make a difference next year?" Recruits are listening.

The Irish picked up our #WR target recruit over the weekend (Michael Floyd), and can likely land 3 more top 100 recruits. This recruiting class, if it keeps going and holds together, will be the greatest recruiting class in the history of Notre Dame. Scout.com and Rivals.com both have the class firmly entrenched at the #1 ranking. Its really amazing considering how the season has gone. The recruits responding the way they have tell me that Charlie does know what he's doing, and these kids and their parents recognize that.

Eventually the tide will turn, and I think that historically this season and maybe a part of next season will be remembered as the fire that forged our program into the future. I really hope that I'm right . . . certainly something good must come out of this season, which has been nothing but a disaster. To take the big picture view is the only hope for this team, and for Irish fans.