It is August now, and despite the ongoing baseball season, all eyes have turned to college football. USA Today has released it’s annual pre-season Coaches’ Poll – the annual prediction of who the coaches believe will do well this season.Sitting atop the pile is Florida, last year’s #1 team. Last year’s #2 Southern California is sitting down in #4. And bringing up the rear at #23 is the Notre Dame “Fighting Irish”.
What I want to know is, Weis this man smiling?
Get it? Weis this man smiling? Why is this man smiling…
Oh, never mind!
Yes, Charlie Weis is still at the helm of Notre Dame football. Unbelievable! With a record of 29-21 at Notre Dame, he has performed worse than Bob Davie and Tyrone Willingham, each of which were handed their walking papers for not keeping the storied Irish program in contention. In fact, Weis’ only good year with ND came with the team Willingham left him.
To make matters worse, after such a long drought, sports writers have been suggesting that USC is the new ND – “the national team” that everyone must beat.
So the pressure is on the fat man to perform.
Oddly, when Weis talks about the team’s potential for this season, he sounds like the pastor of a dying church:
---“I can’t live in last year…”
---“This isn’t about me. This is about us.”
---“I could give you a bunch of hot air about everything we’re going to do… I’d rather get it done on the field.”
Where’s the confidence that comes with coaching at one of the greatest colleges in America? Where’s the confidence that comes with bringing back 18 seasoned starters? Where’s the confidence in his boy-wonder quarterback?
Remember Jimmy Clausen?
Clausen was the #1 pick in 2006. He chose Notre Dame. Clausen was so full of [confidence?] that he showed up at the College Football Hall of Fame in a stretch-Hummer to announce his intentions to play for ND. He bragged that he chose ND “to try to get four national championship rings.”
After two years, he has a total of zero.
Which is not completely his fault. He had elbow surgery that first year, and was put behind a defensive line that couldn’t get the job done. In fact, he was sacked 58 times! ND’s finished the season 3-9.
Ouch!
Now a junior, he will be the starting quarterback again this year. And much more humble.
So how is Weis going to take ND back to the top? The secret is in the schedule:
1) Seven of the 12 games will be in South Bend. Home field advantage. Notre Dame stadium is always intimidating.
2) Only one team on the schedule is ranked in the pre-season polls, and that is #4 USC… at South Bend.
3) With the exception of USC and Michigan, all of the teams on the schedule are teams ND has historically beaten.
Say what you will, but beating Nevada and U Conn will not get ND into a major BCS bowl, much less in position for championship consideration. Sorry, Jimmy, it’s not going to happen for you this year either!
So my prediction for Notre Dame and for Charlie Weis in 2009 is this: If you don’t beat Michigan (who received only one vote to be included in the Coaches’ Top 25), it will be another losing year for the Irish, and the fat man should start polishing his resume immediately following the game.
