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Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Whither Charlie Weis?


I got shouted down earlier in the season for even suggesting it, but Pat Forde out and out says it:
Charlie Weis is overrated and only won games at Notre Dame with Tyrone Willingham's players. He is on track to have a MUCH worse season this year than Willingham's worst season, but Ty got canned and Weis got $30 Million. Why?
Forde thinks it was a combination of panic by the Domers when Weis again flirted with going back to the NFL, a good showing against a great USC team at home (although the result was a loss), and handling an otherwise easy schedule with veteran players. If they start out 0-8, which is a REAL possibility (and seemed much more certain before the freefall that has become Michigan), will Notre Dame apply the same tough standards to Weis as they did Willingham?
Forde dances around it just a bit, but he at least hints at the racial issues that seem to be just below the surface.

9 comments:

Tom Logan said...

Logan already posted this column, JF.

Johnny Fayetteville said...

But you didn't mention Weis.

Tom Logan said...

As for the content of your comments, rest assured that if Charlie goes 0-8 this year and has another losing year next year, he'll get the axe. While he won with Tyrone Willingham's players, he does have the number one recruiting class in the nation this year, and did go to two BCS bowls. I think he's bought himself a losing year, but I don't think they'll stand for two.

Johnny Fayetteville said...

I disagree. $30 Million is $30 Million. Weis ain't gonna quit, and I doubt ND will write a check THAT big.

Tom Logan said...

Well, he'd only be owed 23 million after next year. Still a lot, but back to back losing seasons is tough to handle.

Tom Logan said...

actually, 21 million. math isn't my strong suit.

BSR said...

Weiss and Notre Dame are both in very serious, and very different predicaments. For Weiss, the issue has always been defense. If his defense had improved over three seasons, he might be losing in a completely acceptable way, if that makes sense. What I mean is, his teams couldn't stop Georgia Tech or Penn State. Now, losing to them is not bad by any stretch, but it was the way they lost. People have been bitching about defense for a long time, and Weiss hasn't done anything to make it better. That's a problem.

For Notre Dame it's the "Willingham precedent." Granted, Ty didn't go to back to back BCS games, but he also didn't have the luxury of being left horses like Brady Quinn, Jeff S. and Darius Walker as upperclassmen. Bob Davie was horrendous and Ty suffered the fallout of that. Still, there was no understanding granted to him by the University. All of the sudden, Weiss gets a pass for what?

I like Weiss and I think he'll turn ND into a consistent national contender. But with no defense, it's going to be hard for him to hang on past 1 losing season.

Anonymous said...

I also think that a 5-7 losing season would be very different than if they finish 3-9 or worse, which is very possible.

BSR said...

Notre Dame isn't going to finish 3-9. Their three pivotal games are Michigan, Michigan State and at Purdue. If they were to take 2 of the 3, they're likely to beat Navy, Air Force, Duke and Stanford and finish 6-6 and in a bowl game.

The Irish have all the makings for an upset this week in Ann Arbor. After all, the Wolverines are starting red shirt freshman Ryan Mallett. He has less game experience than Jimmy Clausen.

Couple that with Michigan's two blow-outs and the Irish stand a good chance of picking off that game. That could turn the season around right there.