O.K., so I'm listening to Colin Cowherd today. I realize that on most subjects he is gving his opinion but he really got under my skin today when he started on a rant about how ND recruiting classes are over-rated and that players "star" ranking are actually increased after they become ND commits. His reasoning is that this is how the recruiting services increase their revenue. I guess he feels that it will attract the ND fans to buy publications if their team/players have a high ranking by that service. Maybe I follow recruiting a little too much but I sent him a e-mail to let him know what how wrong he was. Anyone who follows college football recruiting knows that these players are given these ratings BEFORE they are offered by any school. I don't claim to be an expert on any area of collge football but I couldn't believe how nieve he was on this subject. At this point, it seems the only thing Charlie has done right is recruit well. I wanted to send him a list of the currect Irish players and the schools that had offered them scholarships but I thought it was a waste of time. I guess he is entitled to his opinion but on this subject he is dead wrong.
Tim, You can't let douchebags like this get under your skin. You can, however, keep a mental note of those who pull stunts like this and when the time comes that liking ND becomes fashionable again....you kindly tell them to get the hell off the band wagon.
He's wrong, star ratings are important. If you look at the top teams right now, most of them are loaded with 4 and 5 star players. It's not possible that ND's 4 and 5 star players suddenly become overrated once we get them on campus.
ND <t>Terry and Corey,<br/> <br/> I agree whole heatedly with you on the star rankings. I have never claimed to know the Xs and Os of football I'm just a ND fan who follows recruiting VERY closely and have for many years now. When I hear Cowherd or others make comments like the one he did it just really gets me steamed. I know he's a commentator and he's their to to stir up things up but I also believe on this subject he thinks he factual! <br/> <br/> Yes I know and he admits to being a USC/Pac 10 homer but to float the theory that ND can't recruit the Elite talent anymore is totally ridiculous....and to believe that after they accept a scholie from ND their rankings/ratings go UP....come on....give me a break.<br/> <br/> think what you want about Weis but he is and his staff are solely responsible for PROVING ND can get the top players again. You might argue ND struggles at the D-Line position but that's it! <br/> <br/> <br/> Weis just doesn't seem to be able to take that talent he gets and develop it.</t>
I have no argument about Weis and his ability to recruit. But our four and five stars are getting whipped by other's two and three stars. What good is talent if you can't develop it?
Well one thing that Weis destroyed is the myth that talent can't be brought into South Bend anymore... Our last 2 head coaches virtually lived by the mantra that they will never be able to recruit head to head with SEC, Big12, Big10, or Pac10 schools. I would like it mentioned that I am in it for the long haul with Weis. I believe that letting him go would be a giant mistake. I also feel that he MUST make staff changes though. It was Willingham's unwillingness to make any moves at all that sealed his fate for me.
Some days I'm for letting Weis coach next year and somedays I think his return next year would be similar to the 1985 death watch with Gerry Faust. He will be facing tremendous firestorms of criticism from a certain segment of the media, and from many ND fans. Right now we just don't look like a well coached team that is prepared to win. We have way too much talent to almost let Navy win and to lose at home to Syracuse a truly bad team. I would argue that in last years closing wins vs Duke and Stanford the team showed more heart and character than they did this year. It makes me wonder what is going on, is there staff turmoil? What about Charlie, is he having to coach loaded up with pain meds, or is he coaching in pain? Is this affecting the way he's coaching both during the week and on Saturday? The team seemed poised to finish the season well after the Stanford game, they had an off week and played UNC at the half we seemed to be in control. Since then it's been straight downhill. I don't understand it. Terry
I don't either. Something is wrong, really wrong. There's something that is distracting this team from maximum effort. Whatever it is, it better be gone by next September.
ND/Weis <r>I agree...something is wrong and I don't know what it it either. As I stated before, it's not a lack of talent, that I AM SURE OF. <br/> <br/> It's just so disappointing at this point.....I'ts hard to take. <br/> <br/> I'm like Terry, some days I feel like firing CW and some days I feel like letting him take this through to next year. There isn't an easy answer and I don't want to lose the talent ND already has on hand and the kids that are coming.....I just don't know.<br/> <br/> I'll tell you something else that snowball incident really took me back. I never expected to see something like that at SB. I remember a few years ago seeing something like that at Michigan but this is ND! What were they thinking? <E</E></r>
Good question, Tim. They weren't. I wonder if any of the perpetrators felt any remorse afterward. They are so disconnected from the outside world that I wonder if even after a few days they realize the amount of embarrassment they've brought on the university. The ugly losses alone were enough to give the millions of ND baiters and haters - including Colin Cowchip - fresh new meat for their anti-ND rants, but the snowball incident put those folks over the top.
I have a little different perspective (looking up from the football abyss), so I'm going to butt in here. IMHO there are a combination of factors needed to justify dumping a coach after only 3 years. A fair list: Repeated poor game preparation, continuous lack of player development, a noticeable degradation of the talent pool, and of course lots of bad losses. Ask yourselves if you are hitting on all of those. If not, it's probably a good idea to hang onto the guy and let him get ALL of his players in place, and rid of the previous crew. This also allows them all to be totally schooled in the "system". All I know of ND is based on what you guys put up here. From what you are saying you have a mixed bag of several, but not all of the above factors, and certainly not a lack of talent which is HUGE if next year doesn't go your way. At least you know the next guy in line will have materials to work with. If next year ends up as this one has... I'd say get the axes out, but until then you need a little more evidence... 8)
How about scheduling a Home and Home with Nebraska starting next year before you guys get good again? :wink:
The former will always rip ND and the latter will STFU if he wins....which is exactly what he said he'd do. He's put too much on the line for 09 to not win big in 09. We already gave you a Bob Davie led team, how much charity do you want?
The line on the game this week opened at SC-29. It is now SC-32. Think about that for a moment. Can any of you, in your lifetime, ever remember the Irish coming into a game favored to lose by more than FIVE TDs! Of course you probably never thought you would see students pelting their own team with snowballs from the opening whistle either. The top two coaching names being bandied about right now as possible candidates for the job are Brian Kelly of Cincinnati and Pat Fitzgerald of Northwestern.
Pat Fitzgerald is a guy younger than I am, and his only real experience is the head job at Northwestern... that he took over as a result of tragedy. He has gone 4-8, 6-6 and 9-3 this year against what appears to be quite a down Big10. I'm not tossing the guy out forever, but to say he'd be a better replacement for our 'bad' coach who has already gone to 2 BCS bowl games is a bit of a stretch, don't ya think?
I'm just relaying the names; not endorsing anyone. As far as our two BCS appearances, we got housed in both of them, but that was Ty's fault.
Right now I'm up and about and scared of Brian Kelly. The Big East is down this year, is that why Cincy looks good? What about his staff are they up to ND? Would he just bring them all, or would he use the ND name/money to go out and get top experienced at high D1 level assistants? I worry about that. Pat Fitzgerald, oh please! He a good young coach I guess, but he's not ready at this time to make the jump to the Irish.
C'mon TOK, hell he beat Syracuse 30-10 on the road (I think) with that motley crew of academics he can recruit to Evanston.......imagine what he could do with all the 4-5 star studs he'd get in SB?! :wink: Don't shoot fellas....I'm only kiddin'!
Doesn't Kelly's resume remind you somewhat of Jim Tresel's? from the Chicago Tribune...... The common perception of Weis' buyout is not accurate. Multiple sources have told the Tribune the buyout, far smaller than believed, will not affect whether Notre Dame decides to fire Weis after Saturday's game at USC. One prominent alumnus called the amount "loose change." One source familiar with the contracts of Division I football coaches said the typical buyout would be Weis' base salary times the number of years remaining on his deal. Weis' base salary from July 2006-June 2007 was $598,000, according to the Ft. Wayne (Ind.) Journal Gazette. The newspaper cited figures from Notre Dame's federal 990 tax form, which requires the school to list its five highest-paid employees. Weis' contract likely calls for annual increases to his base salary. If that average rises to $650,000, the seven-year buyout would be about $4.5 million. It has been reported Weis' annual compensation package is worth between $3 million-$4 million, which includes money from speaking appearances, media contracts and apparel deals. Some industry sources dispute that figure, saying Weis' total package is closer to $2 million-$2.5 million. Whatever the case, a consensus is building among sources with ties to Notre Dame that Weis is in danger of being fired after four seasons. "He has built zero relationships at the school," one source said. "It has been all about him and his ego." tgreenstein@tribune.com Copyright © 2008, Chicago Tribune