Charlie Weis

[bernie]

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Isn't this the same Ty Willingham who's building a powerhouse at UW?

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shhhhh. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

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Getting a ten year deal done before the adminstration figured out what a moron he is.

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Not sure Weiss is a moron. Just overrated as a coach. But ND fans are pathetic for blaming Ty for their problems. I don't necesarily blame Weiss.

b

[damaniac]

BTW, keep in mind that having the number 1 ranked recruiting class right now is, I believe, more of a function of having a lot more of their class filled than anyone else right now. Everyone else will sign (ok not "sign" but get commitments from) plenty of top recruits in the coming months. So while they may still have a top class, I wouldn't put a ton of stock in their current ranking, just like I would be hesitant to trust rankings on signing day and instead wait to see who actually shows up at practice in August.

Anyway, who thinks this game will be a bigger suckfest than the 2005 one?

[JackWhite]

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Anyway, who thinks this game will be a bigger suckfest than the 2005 one?


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It is so sad this great rivalry has come to this. Today I was thinking of all the great games in this series (since I was old enough to watch).

1985 - Harbaugh hits Jamie Morris for a huge TD, Carney misses a field goal in the final seconds. Great game.

1988 - Another terrific game. Mike Gillette just misses a long field goal in the final seconds. I was sick to my stomach.

1989- Rocket Ismael returns two kickoffs for TD's. I was sick to my stomach.

1990- Gary Moeller's first game as head coach. UM comes out in a no-huddle offense, catching ND totally unprepared. Jon Vaughn runs wild, UM leads by 10 in the 2nd half, then collapses. I was sick to my stomach.

1991- Redemption. Elvis to Desmond on 4th and 1. One of the greatest plays in UM history.

1994- Michigan allows Ron Powlus to march down the field and score the go ahead TD with a minute to go. Todd Collins comes up big leading UM into field goal range and Remy Hamilton nails the game winner. Amazing game.

So many great games and incredible players over the years, and now in 2007 it is the "who is the bigger laughingstock bowl" sad.

[bottomset]

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jesus got tired of football and left to do other things

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I believe it involved a 4 on the river

[hoopsie44]

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I know Weis built a great reputation as an offensive genius

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I guess the genius got awful stupid once he left Brady and Belicheck.

[MyTurn2Raise]

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.

[FlyWf]

I still get amusement thinking about all the "Charlie Weis has SIX WEEKS to prepare for Ohio State!!!!" stuff before that Fiesta Bowl, like Mark May expected Weis to figure out a radical new formation or something.

[MyTurn2Raise]

Don't forget what he had working for him last year

[MyTurn2Raise]

He had to spend some time on his medical condition as well

[MyTurn2Raise]

and he spent too much time on his modeling career in the first year