Notre Dame will not make a bowl trip this season, regardless if the program is offered. At least, that's what the internets are saying today.
A source close to the Notre Dame football program said that the Fighting Irish will almost certainly not play in a bowl this season.I guess the Little Caesar's Bowl wasn't as appealing as organizers had hoped. More below the fold...
Starting tomorrow night, the race for BCS bids begins with Oregon State and Oregon battling for the Pac 10's Rose Bowl bid. That's just the tip of a college football iceberg that will continue non-stop, well into the wee morning hours on Sunday, when the final gun sounds on Wisconsin's meeting at Hawaii. But what's happened so far this week? A lot, actually. But most of it has dealt with coaching changes, the Heisman race, and more coaching changes. Here's the long and the short of it all...
• ATHENS, GA - Head coaches aren't the only ones on the chopping block this week, as Georgia defensive coordinator Willie Martinez, and two of his assistants, received their walking papers this week. Martinez was one of the hottest coordinators not all that long ago, but the Bulldog defense hasn't been too stingy lately. He'll coach through the bowl game.
• IOWA CITY, IA - Kirk Ferentz doesn't want the Notre Dame job, despite his name being thrown around since Charlie Weis got the axe this week. However, the Hawkeyes head man does want a BCS bid for his team. Ferentz said this week that he believes Iowa can play with any team in the nation, and has the resume to prove it. Frankly, I actually think Ferentz is correct. If the Big Ten gets two BCS bids, the Hawks should get the second behind Ohio State's Rose Bowl trip.
• FORT WORTH, TX - Speaking of the Notre Dame job, TCU coach Gary Patterson made it clear that he isn't interested, either. Patterson was locked up by TCU for another five years, getting an extension through 2016.
• LOS ANGELES, CA - USC isn't going to a BCS bowl game, but one Trojan had a few words about the Oregon-OSU battle tomorrow night. USC center Jeff Byars said that he'd pick Oregon State over Oregon, adding that OSU plays a more "hard nose" style of football. Also mentioned was a great headline this week: Nike U vs. Lunchpail U.
• PALO ALTO, CA - (Ok, so some of these datelines aren't real datelines, but it works for this post well enough.) Sports Illustrated was all over Stanford's Toby Gerhart this week. There's a growing contingent of sports writers and TV personalities that are pushing for Gerhart to get an invite to NYC for the Heisman ceremony. I'm not so sure he'll get it, mostly because there are still stories running that explain to readers just who Toby Gerhart is, exactly. Not a good sign with only a week left in the regular season. Plus, playing on the West Coast, as a white running back, is like double-doom for any Heisman hopeful these days.
• LOUISVILLE, KY - Back to coaching news, it looks like Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong is the leading candidate for the Louisville job. Yeah, I didn't know Steve Kragthorpe was fired, either. The Cardinals have gone with offensive-minded coaches the last two times, but will follow the Notre Dame angle, searching for a defensive-minded head man. What ever happened to just hiring a football-minded head coach, instead of one with a certain specialty?
• NEW HAVEN, CT - Why is Tim Tebow up for ANY awards this season? Because he's a senior? Because he's won a bunch in the past? God, I hate this sentimental crap these awards people pull.
• COLLEGE FOOTBALL, USA - Go beer and snack shopping early tomorrow, because you won't have time the rest of this week. I can't remember the last time the final week of college football meant this much. It's incredible that I'm actually excited to watch almost every game.
For a program so beat up over the last few weeks, this can't possibly help the mood in South Bend:
"Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen was punched in the face by an irate fan outside a South Bend restaurant early Sunday morning and has a swollen eye, a person briefed on the incident said on Monday."It's getting rough for the Fighting Irish. (Sorry, I had to!)
I won't go into detail, because I can't offer anything more than what Adam Rittenberg (ESPN) reported a little while ago. It's really interesting...
"The legendary Penn State coach also knows which school he wants to keep out: Notre Dame...Paterno met with reporters Wednesday at an alumni event near Allentown...He said the Big Ten should add an Eastern team, especially one that plays in the New York media market...He says there might be pressure to add Notre Dame, which rejected an invitation to join the Big Ten a decade ago. Paterno's view: "They've had their chance."JoePa's a feisty one these days! And to think, most of the mainstream thought he was more pissed at Pitt than anyone else. Well, Paterno may not forget who snubs him, but now we know that his hit list is in order of newest to oldest. More below the fold...
◊ Penn State played a fantastic first half against Notre Dame in the NIT semifinal game tonight at Madison Square Garden. Even though the Lions got a bit sloppy during their runs, it was still about a 18-point margin most of the half. Talor Battle is having his way with the Irish defense, while Penn State's defense is doing just enough (also due to Notre Dame's horrid shooting percentage) to make this one a comfortable lead going into the second half.
Let's hope the Lions can keep their cool, and not let this one slip away.
◊ ZN's 2009 Penn State Football Preview - BigTen Outlook
Just as I did last week for the conference schedule, today we'll look at the BigTen's top non-conference games for 2009. Sure, there's always the duds like Michigan State vs. Montana State and Iowa vs. Northern Iowa. But there's also those fantastic marquee matchups like Ohio State vs. USC, and very good games like Iowa vs. Arizona and Illinois vs. Missouri. Which ones can we look forward to this season? Let's find out.
Sept. 5:
Missouri vs. Illinois - After the last few years, Illinois is licking its chops at the 2009 season opener. No more Chase Daniel, but Juice Williams remains, along with Arrelious Benn. The Tigers are a bit down, but they still have great talent. The Illini should be able to pull this one out in front of a national audience, which they (and the whole conference) desperately need.
Western Michigan @ Michigan - The Wolverines hit rock bottom last season when they lost to Toledo in Ann Arbor. This time, a MAC team with actual talent comes calling in the season opener. If we all tune in for no other reason, just the minute possibility of another flop will be worth staying on the couch. The BigTen really, really needs Michigan to look good in this game.
Sept. 12:
USC @ Ohio State - You would hope the TV people would tone down their "Game of the Century" talk that comes around, well, every single week of the season. But will they for this one, considering last year was such a flop? No way, Jose. You can bet your bottom this will be hyped up starting in August, and all the pressure is going on the Buckeyes. But it's really a no-win situation, as USC will be called "down" should OSU win, and if OSU loses... well, it'll be bad.
Notre Dame @ Michigan - The Irish should be better. Michigan should be better. Which one really is better? We'll find out. Notre Dame still doesn't look like a great football team, but Michigan could be going through the same exact thing the Irish did the last two seasons. This game is still worth its weight in name-brand tradition.
Purdue @ Oregon - This sounds crazy, but it's not like Oregon hasn't lost to worse teams. Indiana went into Autzen Stadium in 2004, and left with an improbable win. The Boilermakers nearly beat the Ducks last season in West Lafayette, but blew it late. Oregon is a very, very good team going into this year, while Purdue is going through a big turnover phase.
Sept. 19:
California @ Minnesota - You can't complain about Minnesota's scheduling. The Gophers open at Syracuse, host Air Force and then welcome the Cal Bears to Minneapolis. Tim Brewster has something good cooking up north, and can stick a fork in the first course with a win over this really good BCS opponent. This will be Minnesota's first chance to get their new stadium in front of a big time audience, and big time recruits.
Arizona @ Iowa - The Wildcats are hotter than the Arizona desert right now, but Iowa can douse those flames with a win. This game could come down to the quarterbacks: Iowa has one; Arizona doesn't. Iowa can set a loud tone for the rest of their season by beating a not-so-bad BCS team.
Notre Dame @ Michigan State - Ok, so just mark town all the BigTen vs. Notre Dame dates. Michigan State is one of the toughest teams in the BigTen, even if they're not the most talented. The Irish are very talented, but have lacked any sort of cohesiveness to put that talent to use. This game could give a very clear indicator as to where Michigan State is right now as a program, and how much farther they have to go.
Nov. 21:
Fresno State @ Illinois - Whatever you do, don't think this is an easy game. We all saw what the Illini did last season against Western Michigan, and it could happen again if they're not careful, really careful. Fresno loses a few key players, but they shouldn't be anything near a punching back this season. The Illini might need a big, comfy win here to secure a better bowl bid. Plus, who wants to go out on Senior Day and lose to a team like Fresno State?
Nov. 28:
Wisconsin @ Hawaii - If Wisconsin blows this one, Bret Bielema is as good as gone. But I doubt it'll happen. Hawaii may be a little better this season, but they're far, far from the 2007 BCS buster. Even with the loss of Travis Beckum and PJ Hill, Wisconsin is a talented team that should have no problem against these lower opponents. You'll watch this game, just because it's the last regular season game for the conference.
I figured since I have some extra time this week, I'd take some shots around college football. Mind you, these picks were formulated from about 10 percent research, 90 percent gut feel.
Outright Upsets:
Tennessee over South Carolina
Pitt over Notre Dame
Does not cover/watch for outright upset:
Florida St. over Georgia Tech
Utah over New Mexico
Does not cover:
Texas over Texas Tech
Oklahoma over Nebraska
Covers:
Oklahoma St. over Iowa St.
Florida over Georgia
*Ed-Yeah, I know I didn't do Joe Pa's presser. But hey, you've already read about it everywhere else, so why would you care about reading it here? Plus, beating up on ESPN is more fun.
Games I watched from 3:30-7 p.m.:
Notre Dame-Purdue (NBC)
Michigan-Wisconsin (ESPN)
Michigan 27, No. 8 Wisconsin 25
Badger head coach Bret Bielema never lost with a half-time lead--until today. Michigan stormed back from 19 points down, scoring 27 unanswered second-half points. This Wolverines team totaled 21 total yards--yes, total yards--threw the first two periods. But I'm not sure which team came out of the locker room for the third quarter. The UM defense was decent, but really came on late, including a pick-six to put the Wolves up by one in the fourth. Let's be realistic about all this, though. Wisconsin stopped playing, just as much as Michigan woke up. The Badgers settled in on their lead and fell asleep. Sure, they had a good run at the end, but there was no excuse for blowing a 19-7 lead after three quarters. Expect this game to be replayed years from now as a Big Ten's Greatest Games, and really shakes things up in the Big Ten.
Notre Dame 38, Purdue 21
The Irish win today could signal the turning point this program needed under Charlie Weis. I'm not completely sold on Notre Dame yet, but they really took it to Purdue, especially in the second half. Curtis Painter had a good day statistically, but the offense as a whole never got into a good rhythm. That was partly due to John Tenuta's blitzing ND defense, but the Boilermakers should be better than that. Last week's win over Central Michigan looks more like a stroke of luck now.
*Late tonight: No. 12 Penn State vs. No. 21 Illinois.
This week's roundtable was put together by Maize N Brew, so... yeah, and Mario Manningham can suck it, too.
1. We're two weeks in and everyone in the Big Ten, minus the two Michigan schools and Illinois, are 2-0. This week marks the end of your early "tune-up" or serious OOC play. Are you satisfied with the way your team has played against the cupcakes on your schedule, or happy with the way they've competed against serious competition?ZN: Thrilled about both. Period. Has there been a more dominant team through the first two weeks than Penn State? Definitely not in the Big Ten.
2. You knew this was coming. This week's OMG Game of teh Century!!!!1!!1!! until next week's OMG Game of teh Century!!!!1!!1!! is Ohio State versus Southern Cal. Who are you pulling for and why? Further, if you're pulling for one particular team tell me why they'll win, or won't. ZN: Ohio State, because I don’t want to read another year’s worth of Big Ten-bashing from the MSM (Main Stream Media). Even if OSU wins the National Title, it won’t matter. Some four-loss SEC team will have probably deserved it more.
3. Besides the above mentioned Game of the Century, there are actually some decent match ups this week in the Big Ten. Purdue v. Oregon; Wisconsin v. Fresno State; Michigan v. Notre Dame; Michigan State v. Florida Atlantic; or Iowa v. Iowa State. I said decent. I didn't say they were all good. Pick the best game from that group, pick the worst game from that group, and Minnesota and Illinois bloggers must post an apology for scheduling Montana State and Louisiana Lafayette respectively. ZN: Purdue vs. Oregon. If Purdue can win, it will overshadow any other loss by the Big Ten. OK, maybe not so if MSU loses to FAU.
4. Out of Conference scheduling is always something that draws the ire of journalists and bloggers alike. You all know how weak your OOC really is. Admit it. You're sad. So fix it. Pick two teams out of conference you really wish your school would schedule. Nursing colleges and the Center for Veterinary Sciences are verboten. Pick two major conference middle to heavy weights or two heavy weight non-BCS conference programs to add to the schedule. (Please note you get to keep your two patsies per season). ZN: Non-BCS teams -- Temple and Navy. BCS teams -- West Virginia and Notre Dame. (Yeah, basically Pitt can go shove it)
5. All college football fans love to tailgate. Even you, you mothers' basement dwelling bloggers, you. Name your beverage of choice on game days. Alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage, your readers need to these things about you, to judge you. Confirm all their suspicions. ZN: Corona with Lime and a little salt.
Bonus Question! Rivalry games dot the schedule this week. If your team is playing in a rivalry game, say something nasty about your opponent then predict a lopsided score to infuriate the opposing fanbase. If you're not playing a rival, then start a rivalry by saying something nasty about your opponent and then predict a lopsided score to infuriate the opposing fanbase. Or just give me a non-offensive prediction and a reason to watch. ZN: Score will be 138-(-3). Yes, Syracuse will score negative points. Penn State will rumble for 100 first-half points. In the fourth quarter, the Lions will start pulling fans from the stands to play for them. Then the Orange will cry like babies. Was that nasty enough? Because I’m not sure it’s so far-fetched...
*Tomorrow I’ll have my top 25, then later, my Big Ten picks for this week.
Well, it wasn’t a runaway victory ala Wisconsin 2007, but Penn State's student section was deemed the best in college football by a panel of ESPN contributors. There was plenty of homerisms, like ESPN getting former Wisconsin receiver Chris Chambers to weigh in on the “nastiest” student section. He chose (gasp!) Wisconsin as No. 1 in that category. Or tabbing Tennessee’s resident god/dinosaur Johnny Majors to pick which had the “most spirited” co-eds... LSU. Ok, not so bad, but wait till you read why he chose the Tiger faithful. Talk about dating himself.
Overall it was a pretty cool article. Beano Cook pegged Penn State with the “best overall” student section/atmosphere in college football. Joining him was Kirk Herbstreit (a closet PSU fan, f.y.i.), who said Penn State was the “most fun” on game days. Lou Holtz alsho gave hish take on the shtory, handing out the “loudest” award. Then game Bill Curry, who had an interesting choice for “most creative” student section. This sounds more like my high school year book than a college football story, but hey, it’s fun.
How the ESPN crew voted:Best Overall: (Beano Cook)
1. Penn State
2. Texas A&M
3. Oregon
4. Florida
5. Notre Dame
Loudest: (Lou Holtz)
1. Florida
2. Oregon
3. Tennessee
4. Penn State (he obviously hasn’t been to PSU recently)
5. Texas A&M
Most Fun: (Kirk Herbstreit)
1. Penn State
2. Notre Dame
3. Virginia Tech
4. Texas A&M
5. Texas
Nastiest: (Chris Chambers)
1. Wisconsin
2. Florida
3. LSU
4. Ohio State
5. Rutgers
Most Spirited: (Johnny Majors, who I think interpreted “spirited” differently than ESPN intended)
1. LSU “For the longest time, they popped champagne corks when the anthem got to ‘rockets’ red glare.’ That’s a party.” Even though they still pop corks, I guess the “champagne” distinction gives the crowd that “spirited edge by kickoff.
2. Wisconsin
3. West Virginia
4. NC State
5. Michigan State
Most Creative: (Bill Curry)
1. Notre Dame
2. Penn State
3. Alabama
4. Virginia Tech
5. Yale
So like I said, Penn State won this one by default, simply because no other school was named the best at more than one thing. I’ll take it anyway. Penn State was also nominated for four of the six categories, more than any other school in the story. Who wouldn’t want to go to Penn State?
I like Notre Dame. In fact, it was Notre Dame that made me want to get into a big, rah-rah school. But I'm a realist before anything else. The Fighting Irish are already gaining a strong head of over-confident steam, and it's only the middle of May. I won't go so far as to say Notre Dame won't make a bowl game (I believe they will), but I get a silly feeling the Irish faithful are setting the bar way too high for 2008. 7-5? Sure. Anything more? Hold your horses.
The way Notre Dame fans are talking, you would think this team was coming off a growing pains-type season. It sounds like the offensive line just needed some tweaking. It sounds like there were only one or two turnovers that could have made the difference in the final record. It sounds like this team wasn't bad enough to cause even the most casual college football fans to wretch in pain every time Notre Dame ran out of the tunnel. Ok, that's a bit harsh, but so was Notre Dame in 2007.
Why can't Notre Dame win a lot more games in 2008?
Team maturity: I’m not saying that the Irish didn’t grow up after suffering through 2007. The defense was much improved by November, but then again, any defense would look good against Duke, Air Force and Stanford. However, Notre Dame wasn’t just the victim of bad luck. Twenty-six fumbles (16 lost), 11 interceptions and a 74 percent success rate inside the red-zone; I’d be surprised if any team reached .500 with those kinds of numbers. Getting a year under their belts will always improve the mistakes, but remember, most of the guys coming back have had plenty of playing experience prior to 2007. And even more of them were very highly rated coming out of high school. Fine-tuning is always required for younger players with lots of talent. It’s almost expected, but when you have a complete meltdown like Notre Dame did in 2007, there are much deeper issues, not easily resolved in time for the following season.
The offensive line: Fifty-eight sacks were allowed by Notre Dame’s offensive line in 2007—58! That’s an average of almost five per game. I actually find this the most curious of the three major problems most likely to carry over into 2008. One has to ask, how is it that a line with All-American center John Sullivan, and very highly regarded recruits Sam Young (13 st 2006), Dan Wegner (#3 C in 2006), Michael Turkovich (10 st 2006), Eric Olsen (8 st 2006), Paul Duncan (12 gm 2006), could be so bad? Only one of the 2007 starters came into the season with no significant playing time. I think the real answer to this question is with the next and final point.
Coaching: This is a double-edged sword for Notre Dame in 2008. First, Charlie Weis can’t seem to coach a team that doesn’t have all the tools and talent in place and ready to roll. We all saw that last season. He’s a poor motivator—other than flashing his Super Bowl rings—and has trouble dealing with adversity. However, there’s the spark named John Tenuta. I really think he can turn things around on that side of the ball, but it will take time. 2008 won’t show the results the Irish faithful are expecting.
The 2008 Irish will have some success. As I said earlier, they won’t flop nearly as bad as 2007. But people have to keep in mind that, after a complete collapse, it takes time to rebuild. It won’t take as long as Penn State did to get back on track after the Nittany Lions’ 2000 meltdown. I fully expect Notre Dame to become a BCS contender by 2009, not 2008 though. San Diego State, Stanford, North Carolina, and Syracuse are the only good chances for Irish wins. We’ll see.
First, before I get into this, I'd like to thank those over in the land of Rocknefor reading ZN. I personally love when outsiders venture into enemy territory. But when they dedicate a whole thread to it on a Notre Dame message board, I'm more thrilled than a pig in poop. Let me just run down what the Irish fans had to say:
Original Thread by "Frankie V"..."Pretty laughable read from a PSU blog about how their 3-9 season in '03 was way better than ours....
Here's my favorite part...
"More than any other factor leading to the demise of these two teams, was the presence, or lack of leadership from the top down. The 2007 Irish had virtually no guidance from its head coach, with players defecting and speaking out against their former coaches--mainly against Weis. In its biggest game of 2007--hosting USC--Notre Dame was shutout, in what could barely be described as a college football game. Penn State, however, met defending national champs, No. 6 Ohio State at home in 2003. The Lions played the Buckeyes down to the wire, looking more like two BCS-caliber squads sparring toe-to-toe, rather than Goliath pounding David. Penn State lost by one point, after Ohio State scored a touchdown with just more than a minute left."
Yeah, Penn State was 3-9 in 2003, but it was a good 3-9 ya know?"
Then, amazingly enough, McSweeney chimed it with this nugget. I was actually caught off guard by his honesty and rationality... "What's laughable is the fact PSU averaged a 5-7 record from 2000 through 2004
These guys are trying to make a case that not all 3-9 records are created equal. Well, technically, they're correct. ND's 3-9 came after two back-to-back BCS bowls. PSU's 3-9 record came during a stretch in which they failed to break .500 four times in five seasons.
In fact, PSU's amazing 2005 run was amazing more for the fact PSU has been anywhere from mediocre to awful for going on a decade now. Consider Weis lost three games in each of his first two seasons at ND, while 2005 is the only season since 1999 that JoePa has lost less than four games."
And there's my point. I originally wanted to add that to the original post, but never got around to it. Fortunately, Irish fans just couldn't leave this one alone, and in turn made my point for me. Notre Dame had NO excuse for going 3-9 in 2007. Charlie Weis had a pretty damn good recruiting class in 2005 (even if he only had a few months to work at it) and an awesome one in 2006. Follow that up by getting guys like Jimmy Clausen and Anthony Aldridge in 2007, and you should at least break .500. In 2003, Penn State didn't absolutely implode the way Notre Dame did in 2007. Penn State was on a steady decline since going 5-7 in 2000. The Irish played in two consecutive BCS bowls in 2005 and 2006. Penn State's decline was like setting off a stick of dynamite every day over a few years. Notre Dame's collapse was more along the lines of dropping a hydrogen bomb.
But before I end this, here's what poster "IanY77" said to Frankie V's thread... "Does the "Zombie" in "Zombienationpsu" refer to Paterno?
I know, I know, I'm being lazy and going for the easy joke. But if they put that out there, they're just asking for the joke to be made. They opened the door, I just walked through it."
Yes, Ian, I'm sure that if you asked a random person what they thought of when they saw the name of this blog, they'd think of that. Or, it could be that you sat there for 10 minutes trying to think of something clever to say on the forum. And that brings me to my final thought on this. Isn't it interesting that the only place Notre Dame fans were willing to discuss and argue against my postwas in the friendly confines of an Irish message board? I'm now extending an official invitation to fans of all teams to visit ZN and leave their comments whenever they please. I welcome criticism, as long as it's (figuratively) to my face. Man up, Domers.
Coming off a New Year's Day bowl, losing a ton of talent and leadership, and high expectations summed up the preseason attitude of the 2003 Nittany Lions and the 2007 Fighting Irish.
Penn State had just finished up its season of redemption, earning a Capital One Bowl berth after two, very un-Penn-State-like, consecutive losing seasons. The Lions lost to an Auburn team featuring young stars like Ronnie Brown, Carnel "Cadillac" Williams and Jason Campbell, 13-9 under the Florida sun. But the spark seemed to be back in the Penn State fan base. Looking at the 2003 schedule, even the pessimists predicted nothing less than 7-5.
Then, it started. The opening win against Temple was hardly impressive, and the following week against Boston College was an utter disaster. Fans soon began to worry, as Penn State let Nebraska avenge the previous year with an 18-10 victory in Lincoln, in which the Huskers rumbled for more than 300 rushing yards. "We'll pull it together, we have to" said most, but it never happened. Penn State finished with a 3-9 record--beating hapless Kent State (5-7) and Indiana (3-9)--complete with a 41-10 whipping by a Michigan State team lead by pothead Jeff Smoker.
The offense never seemed to work when it had to, and the defense couldn't get their act together against the run. The young stars never broke out, and the veteran leaders couldn't live up to their past accomplishments. To put it plainly, Penn State was a bad team in 2003.
Now take a look at Notre Dame during 2007. Charlie Weis' boys were coming off two BCS berths. The program lost stars on both sides of the football, but most fans felt a respectable record was possible. But then, after starting 0-6, the Irish offense ranked dead last IN THE NATION and the defense didn't show up until they faced the service academies and Duke. If there's one statistic that best sums up the 2007 Notre Dame football team, it's this: 58 sacks allowed. Yes, that number is correct--the Notre Dame quarterbacks were sacked 58 times. Notre Dame crawled its way to 3-9, with its first lost to Navy in 42 years and two of those wins coming against Air Force and Duke.
But these teams weren't all that alike. Notre Dame was a virtual clinic on how not-to-block. Frequently, once the Irish fell behind, things just snowballed and got worse as the game wore on. Penn State just seemed to die a slow, painful death as the game wore on. Often opponents would get up early on the Lions--Penn State had plenty of early, and costly turnovers--but not score much the rest of the game. Of course, that had a lot to do with the fact that opponents averaged 209 rushing yards against the 2003 Lions.
More than any other factor leading to the demise of these two teams, was the presence, or lack of leadership from the top down. The 2007 Irish had virtually no guidance from its head coach, with players defecting and speaking out against their former coaches--mainly against Weis. In its biggest game of 2007--hosting USC--Notre Dame was shutout, in what could barely be described as a college football game. Penn State, however, met defending national champs, No. 6 Ohio State at home in 2003. The Lions played the Buckeyes down to the wire, looking more like two BCS-calibur squads sparring toe-to-toe, rather than Goliath pounding David. Penn State lost by one point, after Ohio State scored a touchdown with just more than a minute left.*
What does this all mean? I really don't know. I was really bored today, and there's not much else to write about. I love history, and love comparing past teams to each other. This was originally supposed to be a story about how Notre Dame had no excuse for going 3-9 last season, but I didn't want to put in the effort of backing up that claim.
*On third down, Ohio State "completed" a pass which lead to the go-ahead score. The ball clearly hit the ground before skipping up into the receiver's hands. (I saw this in person from the West sideline) The refs said it was a good catch. Bullshit, Bullshit, Bullshit! To this day, it's pure--did I say this already?--Bullshit!!!
I got the idea for this from the radio last week. I usually listen to Mike and Mike on ESPN Radio. If you’re like me, you know that show has about 20 minutes per hour of actual talking, the rest being filled by seemingly endless commercial breaks. It’s not that bad though, as it gives me plenty of time to tune in to other sports radio shows. In fact, if it wasn’t for commercial break No. 386 on Mike and Mike last week, I never would have gotten the idea for this post. Thank you, Steve Czaban of The First Team on Fox, FSR XM 142.
Czaban argued with his co-hosts that the NFL is a horse’s league, meaning the players run the show and everything depends on them. Their points were made very clear and solid. Names like Mike Martz, Charlie Weis and Mike Nolan were thrown around, nearly proving the fact that NFL coordinators are way over-hyped. I couldn’t agree more.
But in college, coaching is everything. How many times have we seen big time coaches take a horrible program and get it on track within a few seasons? Bill Snyder at Kansas State? Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech? Some will say that the biggest difference between college and pro ball is parity. Others will say that college ball is coming along, and 2007 was a great example of the growing parity. I think 2007 was a fluke, and parity is a long way off, if you’re going to compare it to the parity that thrives in the NFL. 
What if Drew Bledsoe never got hurt in 2001? Tom Brady would have remained the backup—yes, backup. Where would the Patriots be right now, if Brady never got the nod? I can’t say exactly, but I would bet a pretty penny that Brady, Vrabel and Belichick wouldn’t have a handful of Super Bowl Rings. What if Terrell Owens didn’t go to the Cowboys? You’re going to tell me that Terry Glenn and Patrick Crayton would pick up that sort of slack? It’s all about who’s on the NFL rosters.
I find it hard to believe that Charlie Weis will ever win a national championship at Notre Dame. I don’t mind the Irish. I actually rooted for them when Ty Willingham was there. Now, it’s a different story. The elite in South Bend, with no real evidence that Weis could coach at the collegiate level, showered the man with a contract like none other—at least, that early in a coach’s tenure.
What did Weis do at New England? He won with the best team. And don’t give me “They beat the Rams.” The Rams were all offense, and the Patriots only scored 24 points. After that first Super Bowl win, the Patriots were on auto-pilot. I think Weis was given a little bit too much credit for “his” offense. If Weis was the wheel that turned the engine, then why didn’t that Patriot offense go into the tank after he left, or at least slow down a bit.
Fast forward to 2005. When Weis landed in South Bend, he inherited a plug-and-play team. He had a Heisman contender in Brady Quinn, and two huge receivers that gained more than 1,000 yards each that season. It was perfect for a “Charlie Weis Offense.” It’s easy to make up all sorts of crazy, complicated plays when you’re working with NFL-calibers players, as Weis did at Notre Dame in 2005 and 2006. Keep in mind, Weis had two full seasons to lean on those players—Willingham’s recruits—while he built up the kind of depth that would suit his offensive preferences.
Fast forward again, to 2007. Weis has had two full seasons of top-10 recruiting classes, with the best talent coming in, outside of Southern California. One could argue, Notre Dame has brought in more talent in two classes than most schools recruit in a decade. I’m talking about four and five-star guys across the board.
Super-recruits like 2006’s James Aldridge, Sam Young, Demetrius Jones, Matt Carufel, Raeshon McNeil, Eric Olsen, and 2007’s Jimmy Claussen, Armando Allen, Duval Kamara, Matt Romine, Andrew Nuss and others. Oh yeah, and about half of those players mentioned were offensive linemen and all of them were offensive players. Notre Dame finished dead last in offense in 2007. But don’t even consider yet the kind of class that Weis is bringing in for 2008. It’s not even signing day and he’s got three five-stars, and fifteen—yes, fifteen—four-stars.
Any half decent college coach would have been able to win eight or nine games in 2007. But with or without the hundreds of excuses given by the Notre Dame fanbase, it was still horrible coaching that doomed the Irish in 2007. Sure, the defense was okay over the last half of the season, but not enough to overcome the epic struggles of the offense. Charlie Weis never realized that college isn’t nearly the NFL. I think he started to take the hint when his Irish team lost to Navy for the first time since Roger Staubach’s time under center. But watch, Weis will stockpile enough talent to mask his coaching deficiencies. He'll win 10 or 11 games consistently, but he'll never make it over that hump. Winning championships requires a good coach, not just good players. 
Switch gears now and think of someone like George O’Leary, Mark Mangino, or even Jim Grobe. Where have they taken UCF, Kansas and Wake Forest? Two BCS bowls and fielded the nation’s leading rusher. Five years ago, those teams were laughing stocks. But it was the coaching that got them to the level they’re at now. I know, recruiting is everything in college football. That’s true, but how then do you explain Notre Dame’s 3-9 record? It’s not like they just missed at 6-6 or 5-7.
Go back to even 1989, when Steve Spurrier was only known for his Heisman Trophy. That was before he stepped into Gainesville, where a Gator program had been established for years, and the recruits would give anything to play in sunny Florida. He took a pathetic Duke program and turned it into a regular winner. It wasn’t exactly Miami or Florida State, but the Blue Devils won the ACC that year. The Blue Devils have had one winning season since Spurrier left. Their overall record from 1990 to 2007 is 43-160-1. Oh yeah, they lost that 1994 All-American Bowl.
You can’t just expect your players to do their jobs in college the way they do in the NFL. And it’s because of that one word that separates the two sports—job. It’s Tom Brady’s job to win the Super Bowl. It’s Randy Moss’s job to catch a gazzilion passes. For guys like Jimmy Claussen and Sam Young, it’s still just a game. Certain coaches who think going from the NFL to college is easy are usually given a rude awakening, probably once they realize just how good you have to be at coaching, not just calling the plays.
© Templates by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008 / Edited for Zombie Nation
Back to TOP
