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The recruiting of Weis has been good, but overrated
--similar to other things with NCAAF, Notre Dame gets a boost-for evidence, look at how much a player rises in the ratings when they verbal to ND---
These classes should be 3-4 spots lower than they are, but there is no doubt it still is a very good set of classes for Weis

Problems I've seen
1) No focus on defense.
Weis is an offensive genius and it seems like he focuses his recruiting a bit too much on the offensive side of the ball. The defense has been porous every year in his watch and he was done little to improve it. He also hasn't coached up the defense very well.
2) This is the tough year!
This is when the classes around the coaching turnover are the junior/senior team leaders. Now, Willingham left enough talent that these guys were always back-ups and never really got the chance to get playing time/experience. Guys with a little less talent and no playing time are not that good. To give a different example of how it goes and what I know. Look at Zook coming in at Illinois. There was absolutely no talent when he got there, so he got the chance to pretty much abadon the upper classmen and give the mediocre talent young guys a chance to play and develop. This has lead to guys like J Leman, who is now one of the best linebackers in the Big11Ten, but looked pretty bad and struggled after being an unheralded recruit in his first few years. This year, Notre Dame is stuck with either mediocre upperclassmen without experience on the d-line or have to go with untested freshman/sophomores.

3. Their schedule is backwards. They are playing the name programs with veterens early in the season and the creampuffs late. Look at the experience and talent on G Tech and Penn St. Even if Notre Dame had equal talent (which I think they do), it's tough for young inexperienced guys to match guys with 20 starts and a few more years of play. Michigan's offense is also senior laden. UCLA and Purdue return huge numbers. USC is USC. BC has alot of older talent. It's a really, really, really tough set-up....one designed for failure this year. In other years, it might be to Notre Dame's benefit to be frontloaded and avoid loses late in the year and have momentum building to BCS at-large berths while opponents get losses fresh in the voters mind. The trouble is keeping the team's confidence up this season.

Cliff notes---all is well at ND.
this is the the year they struggle where players who came during the coaching turnover are not upto being the junior/senior leaders.
A brutal schedule v experienced, talented teams is multiplying the effect.

Unfotunately, ND should be a top10 fixture the next 4-5 years.

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Now, Willingham left enough talent that these guys were always back-ups and never really got the chance to get playing time/experience. Guys with a little less talent and no playing time are not that good.

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Which is Weiss' fault, imo. Weiss was left with a much better team than Willingham got when he went to UW. Not to mention that much more media exposure and national attention.

I think Weiss makes guys like Erickson, Spurrier and Willingham look that much better.

I also think Weiss over/out coaches himself at times.

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Look at the experience and talent on G Tech and Penn St. Even if Notre Dame had equal talent (which I think they do), it's tough for young inexperienced guys to match guys with 20 starts and a few more years of play.

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If this were true that ND had equal talent, imo, it makes Weiss look even worse.

b