The Legend of The Mongoose

So maybe it's not sweeping the nation yet. Hell, I don't think it's even spread to South Quad. But among our circle of ND Basketball apologists, our very own Big East POY and All-American was affectionately dubbed The Mongoose when he hit the hardwood two years ago (thank you Fredo). Something about his visage, coupled with some characteristic traits of mongoose in the wild and the fact that there just aren't many actual nicknames bestowed on players these days, made The Mongoose seem appropriate and downright necessary. 'Gody is a name for Coach Brey and his teammates to call him, but it's not a nickname. Rather, it's an abbreviation, a quicker way to say "Harangody! Pass me the ball!" But Luke deserves a true nickname from the student body and his adoring fans nationwide. Give Dickie V another reason to go bonkers when he talks about this PTPer. "Oh Baby! The Leprechaun Legion loves The Mongoose! What a super, scintillating and sensational player! The Mongoose will be Dancing in March this year!"

You may be thinking, The Mongoose, really? Actually, the similarities are quite striking:

                              


- Known for their agility and cunning
- Beady, brown eyes that regularly dominate the competition in sanctioned Staring Contests
- Closely-coiffed dome for greater aerodynamic powers
- A highlight reel of game-saving and family-saving exploits (Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is regularly shown on ESPNKids)
- Carniverous creatures who feast on an assortment of rodents, birds, reptiles, frogs, and the occasional oversized, slow Center
- Not afraid to enter battle with King Cobras (no, not that kind), especially the species native to Tanzania
- Attacks in many ways, be it through an uncanny ability to get to the rim, a surprisingly accurate mid-long range shot, tenacity on the glass, running the break, or simply sinking it's sharp teeth into a snake's spine.
- Lovable to the point that kids want to bring them home with them

If Sunday's season opener was a harbinger of what's to come, The Mongoose is already on the loose!

Around the Nation: Get Off Charlie's Back

Some thoughts from the weekend.

13. Before we get to any of the other major college football stories out there, I wanted to address the reaction to the final minutes of the ND-Navy. After scanning the ND message boards, I have to say that I am stunned at the meltdown from ND fans to this game. People are acting like the Navy game was the final straw for them as supporters of Charlie Weis. Really???

I'll be the first to say that there are good reasons to question Charlie Weis and whether he is the right fit to lead this program back to an elite level. If you are tired of seeing a kick return unit that can't get past the 20 yard line, I can understand why you would question Charlie Weis. If you are wondering why our running game only comes alive when we are playing teams like Navy and Purdue and the 2008 version of Washington, I get that. If you are worried that USC is going to shove us around for 60 minutes and make us look like schoolgirls even though Weis has had four offseasons to develop a physically tough football team, I'm right there with you.

But if you came to some sort of major conclusion about Weis because of some fluky things that happened in the last couple minutes of a game that the Irish were winning handily, I think that's an unfair evaluation. Give Charlie a break on that stuff. I was as frazzled as anyone about the last couple minutes of the game, but it doesn't take away from the fact that we completely dominated Navy for most of the game, that our defense played disciplined and pretty much shut down Navy's attack, and that we imposed our will in the running game. Charlie had our team ready to play, and we had a good gameplan on offense and defense. He deserves credit for putting us in position to win that game.

The stuff at the end of the game was a complete wildcard. It was the equivalent of a college basketball team down by 20 with 3 minutes to go hitting a bunch of threes to make the game interesting. It happens. Navy had several miraculous plays and some major help from the referees to make the game interesting, but it still doesn't take away from the fact that the Irish played well on Saturday.

Personally, I didn't have a problem with the decision to put in the backups when the monsoon rolled in. Our players had been dropping like flies, and Charlie made the call to get the backups in there to protect the starters and to get the backups some playing time. I have no beef with that decision at all. The only adjustment I would like to see in that scenario is that we keep running our normal offense with the backups. Do what we were doing in the fourth quarter. If we score some extra touchdowns, fine by me. You don't need to feel bad about running up the score if you have your backups in. Let the guys go out and do their thing. It is good for team morale. I think Charlie will learn from this game and make some adjustments. No reason to get all bent out of shape about it.

In the big picture, a win over Navy, no matter what the final score is, is meaningless for making a call on the Charlie Weis era. Beating a team with zero major college players on the roster is not a game that we can take much away from in terms of how good of a football team we are. However, Charlie should not be getting this much heat for the result of the Navy game. He put us in position to win, and that's all that I expect out of him on a week to week basis. I don't really care what happened in the final few minutes. We played well for 58 minutes, and that's all that matters to me.

Get off Charlie's back about this game. He has a great chance to keep it going with the running game next week against Syracuse, and then we'll really find out about this team when we head to the LA Colisseum. I have my doubts about how competitive we can be at USC, but I'm not going to get all hot and bothered about Charlie because of the Navy game. He did what he needed to do. I hope the team builds on this and continues to get better.

12. Of all the troubled programs in college football, the one that stands out for me as the worst of the worst is the Florida State Seminoles. I am not normally one to pass judgment on other programs for being "renegades" since all NCAA programs are at least somewhat corrupt (and I have very little high ground as a UC hoops fan and Bob Huggins supporter), but the FSU program is completely out of control. What a bunch of nugs. They look like a freaking prison team out there. Constant suspensions and player misconduct, no discipline, players getting injured celebrating, fights breaking out left and right, and then a postgame meltdown from Parker Posey that was one of the worst displays of sportsmanship I've ever seen in a game. FSU's program has become an abomination. I honestly would be embarrassed to be an FSU fan these days. They are the most classless and undisciplined team in the country.

I think the NCAA needs to step in and deliver some sanctions to FSU or threaten to shut down their program for awhile. There is absolutely no place for their antics in college football. If FSU doesn't get their act together, I really think it's time for them for them to banned from the sport for a year or two.

11. Here is a name I don't want to see on any future Notre Dame coaching searches:

Jeff Tedford

Why is everyone so in love with this guy?? Here is his record year by year at Cal:

2002: 7-5 (4-4)
2003: 8-6 (5-3)
2004: 10-2 (7-1)
2005: 8-4 (4-4)
2006: 10-3 (7-2)
2007: 7-6 (3-6)
2008: 6-3 (4-2)
Overall: 55-29 (33-21)

That's a pretty nice record, but people talk about this guy like he's some sort of miracle worker. He's coaching at Cal. It's a state school in one of the three best talent states in the country. I've watched Cal. They have talent. Marshawn Lynch went there. Desean Jackson was a top 5 recruit. Tedford has done a nice job recruiting, but it's not like he's selecting from a pool of Ivy Leaguers or something. He's winning about 8 games a year with pretty good talent and has a good reputation for developing quarterbacks. Sound familiar?? How is that any different than Charlie Weis?? Don't we already have that same guy on our sideline right now?? If I had a choice between Tedford or an alum like Weis who is familiar with ND and has built recruting ties around the country, I'll take Weis all day.

Plus, I don't want any coaches from the Pac 10 next time around. The next head coach at ND should be from the Midwest, preferably with some ties to Indiana/Illinois/Ohio. Think about all the coaches who have ties to Ohio. Urban Meyer is from Ohio and coached under Earle Bruce at Ohio Staet. Bob Stoops is a product of Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown, Ohio (the home of the McCarthy brothers). Pete Carroll was an assistant at Ohio State. Nick Saban grew up in Ohio and was the head coach at Toledo. Dantonio is from Ohio. Tressel is from Ohio. Bo Pelini is from Ohio. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

And if you go back at look at ND's history with coaches, two of our greatest coaches ever were Midwestern guys with significant Ohio ties. Lou Holtz - played college ball at Kent State and grew up at the knee of Woody Hayes at Ohio State. And Ara Parseghian grew up in Ohio, went to Miami(Ohio) under Woody, and later had a great tenure as the head coach at Miami.

I know there are some good coaches from the South (Bowden, Mack Brown, Richt, Butch Davis) and that there are coaching trees that have stemmed from places besides the Midwest, but I still think we are better off with a Midwestern guy. ND is in the Midwest. I want the next coach of Notre Dame to be a guy who learned football in this area.

10. Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuke. Watch out America. The Luke Harangody train has picked up even more steam from last year. Can we settle on a nickname for him besides Gody?? The "Mongoose" moniker has been floating out there for awhile. I'm all for it.

Too early to get excited about Luke Zeller?? I feel like he teases us in the nonconference every year. I'd like to see that type of production in conference play.

Gotta love Carl Scott. He is going to be a very good player for us someday.

I am salivating for an ND-UNC final in Maui with Harangody and Hansborough squaring off against each other.

9. This "Sabathia to the Yankees" thing is too good to be true. I like CC and no doubt think he's a great pitcher in his prime, but I would be scared to death to throw $140 million at him. With the mileage on his arm and the stretch drive from last year in Milwaukee, there is substantial risk to signing him. Plus, CC doesn't strike me as a New York guy, and he may decide to put on 50 pounds after signing a long term deal. It may work out for a couple years, but are the Yankees really going to be anywhere close to competing in the next couple years??

Look at that roster. It suddenly got really weak in a very short period of time. Who are the stars in that lineup other than ARod and Jeter (who is declining)?? And their rotation can't carry them either. CC would be a legit ace for them and Joba can be great if healthy, but they aren't beating the Red Sox or the Rays in the next couple years with that team. I don't see CC taking them to the next level, and there is a lot of potential downside to that signing.

I really think the Yankees are headed for a late 80s/early 90s type malaise. For all the fuss about Brian Cashman, how many great young players has he produced since he has been with the Yankees?? Joba, maybe Cano. I can't think of too many other guys. I have never understood why Cashman gets as much hype as he does. Their farm system is nothing special and hasn't been for many years. The quickest way for the Yankees to become great again is to start producing elite young players who can either come up to the big leagues or be traded for young stars (ie- Red Sox trading Hanley for Beckett).

8. The only thing I really could definitively tell from the ND-Navy game is that Armando Allen should be getting the large bulk of the carries. While Robert Hughes came on in the second half when Navy was out of gas, he was lousy in the first half and took us out of a drive with a poor run on a sweep. I like Allen. He fights for yards, he catches the ball, he's got vision, and he hits the hole. It seems like our offense has issues when he's not in the game. If I was Charlie, I would be giving him the ball 75% of the time and then giving the leftovers to Hughes and Aldridge. And it sounds like Cierre Wood is a rich man's Armando Allen. He should be a good fit in our one back offense.

The Floyd and Brian Smith injuries are not going to help for the USC game, so it's time for some other guys to step up. The mark of a quality program is that we have the depth to put in quality players when guys go down. Duval Kamara and Toryan Smith...come on down.

7. Can you imagine how much heat Billy Gillespie must be under in Lexington for losing that game at home to VMI on Friday night?? Yikes. I like Gillespie a lot and think he has the ability to make UK great again based on his history at lesser schools and what he is doing on the recruiting trail, but fans down there are not exactly the most patient folks. If he has another middling year this year and Travis Ford lights a spark into the Oklahoma State Cowboys, there could be quite a bit of clamoring for Travis Ford to come home to Lexington.

6. Now that ND is bowl eligible, where are we going for the bowl game?? It seems like most projections have us in the Gator Bowl, but there is some talk of ND in the Sun Bowl or the Insight Bowl. I would love to get a better read on where we are going because it's getting to be about that time to start making plans for bowl game trips. I am hoping that we end up down in the Gator Bowl. Jacksonville isn't my favorite city, but any chance to get down to Florida during the holiday season to see the Irish is fine by me.

Should be interesting to see who we get matched up against. It is looking more and more likely that Miami (Fl) is going to win the ACC this year. Color me impressed with the Canes this year. I was a doubter, but their defense is really coming alive. The future may actually be bright down in Coral Gables. That upcoming Ohio State-Miami(FL) home and home in 2010-2011 is starting to look VERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRY interesting.

The rest of the ACC pecking order seems to change on a weekly basis. ND would be slated to face the #3 team in the ACC, but I can't get a grip on who that team is likely going to be. FSU?? Maryland? BC? Virginia Tech? North Carolina??

While a win over any of those teams is hardly a foregone conclusion (far from it), I would take my chances with any of them. If the Irish get better during the bowl prep and show up ready to play, we would have a chance to win a bowl game.

5. The WEISND week 12 Heisman poll:

5. Tim Tebow
4. Colt McCoy
3. Graham Harrell
2. Sam Bradford
1. Michael Crabtree

I thought about who the best player in the country is right now, and I kept coming back to Michael Crabtree. The guy has 18 touchdown catches. And he's the best player on a top 5 team. If they beat OU and go undefeated, Harrell or Crabtree has to win this award.

4. The scary part of what Florida is doing is that they are incredibly young. Look at their depth chart.

http://florida.rivals.com/cdepthtext.asp

Every player on their defense is an underclassmen. Now THAT is a young defense. And most of their offensive personnel is young too. It sounds like some of their guys are going to declare early for the NFL draft, but Florida is absolutely loaded and probably only going to get better as long as Urban Meyer is there. They are a scary football program right now.

Speaking of Florida, how could Tim Tebow even entertain the idea of leaving early to go to the pros?? What position is he planning to play?? Quarterback?? Please. He's not playing quarterback in the NFL. He MIGHT have a shot at safety or fullback or something like that, but he isn't going to be an NFL qb. He certainly isn't going to be drafted as a qb in the early rounds if he goes pro after this year. I expect to see him back in Gainesville next year much to the chagrin of Archie Griffin. He will be right there again for the Heisman trophy.

3. I'll say this about President-elect Barack Obama. Whether or not you agree with his policies, I do agree with him on one thing. As a college football fan, I was thrilled to see him taking a stance on the college football playoff. I couldn't agree more with him. Much like George Bush, Obama is a legit sports fan. That's a good thing for the country, especially when we've had past candidates...cough cough...John Kerry....declaring their love for baseball and then proclaiming a favorite player to be "Manny Ortiz" followed by one of the most pathetic first pitches I've ever seen in my life.

2. Of all the things that have been said about Notre Dame football in the last few years, I think Kirk Herbstreit may have had the most salient point during College Gameday on Saturday. In essence, he stated the truth of where we are as a program. We have AVERAGED 7 wins a year since 1994. That's a 15 year time frame. A very sobering reality of where we stand in the college football world. We have been no different than the BCs, MSUs, and Pitts of the world for a decade and a half. Herbstreit nailed it home when he asked "What did you expect?"

Have our expectations gotten ahead of themselves?? While it's easy to get hot and bothered about Charlie underachieving, the reality is that our program has been mediocre for a long time. The notion that Charlie would be able to produce consistently excellent teams by year four after that long malaise may have been a reach.

What are your expectations for Notre Dame football in the next decade?? Is it national championships?? Do you have the expectation that we should be right there with teams like Florida and Oklahoma?? I've always said that I did have those expectations, but Herbstreit's commentary made me think about it for a bit. Maybe the definition of a successful Notre Dame program has changed. Maybe my standards have become out of line with the reality of where our program is. Maybe a successful Notre Dame program is one that can regularly beat the other regional teams like Michigan/MSU/Purdue/Pitt/BC but doesn't rise to the level of the true "heavyweights" in the South.

Then again, people said these same things about programs like Alabama and Oklahoma once upon a time. Questions like "What did you expect?" when Alabama fans were grumbling about Mike Shula. Bama went through an equally long malaise as Notre Dame has gone through. Oklahoma was down for a long time. The right hire changed those programs almost overnight, and now you don't hear people saying things like "Mike Shula deserved more time."

It's a tough call. I will say that I would be interested to see where our program would be with a guy like Urban Meyer running our program.

1. WEISND power poll -

6. Oklahoma
5. USC
4. Texas
3. Texas Tech
2. Alabama
1. Florida

If the pollsters had any guts, they would vote Florida #1 this week. They are the best team in the country. Period. If the SEC Championship game was next week, Florida would probably be around an 8.5 point favorite or something like that. If they are favored by over a touchdown over the #1 team in the country, why is Florida not #1??

The good news for SEC fans is that the winner of that Florida-Bama game is in, so the polls don't matter at this point.

The real intrigue is going to be between the Big 12. This whole "BCS standings will determine the conference champion" just sounds like an absolute disaster.

What about USC?? Does anyone really think they couldn't beat the other top teams?? With that defense and Pete Carroll and their overall talent, they can beat anyone. Where do they fit in?

Friday Book Recommendation: A Few Seconds of Panic

With ND football in a state of doldrums, I figured it was time for some lighter fare on this site for a change. Let's bust out the old Friday Book recommendations and get a review up here. This week's review is for Stefan Fatsis' new book "A Few Second of Panic" about his experience trying out as a kicker for the Denver Broncos. Fatsis is a fairly interesting guy who covers sports for the Wall Street Journal and National Public Radio, and his most recent book was a book called "Word Freak" about his quest to become a professional Scrabble player. I've never had a chance to read that book, but I've heard good things.

Anyway, the primary premise of this book is Fatsis' quest to participate in an NFL training camp. Fatsis is not a jock at all. He didn't play football in high school or college, so it's not like he had a real chance at making the team. In many ways, it makes it more interesting that he isn't an athlete because all of his experiences are as unfamiliar to him as they would be to the reader. He goes through the NFL Headquarters to get clearance for this project, and eventually ends up with the Broncos. While he isn't a "real" player on the team in the sense that he is actually competing for a roster spot, he participates in everything that the Broncos do and becomes a part of the team during training camp. All the meetings, the drills, the practices, the dining halls, the team hotel, etc.

While Fatsis' personal story is fairly interesting, the really fascinating part of this book is his insight into life in the NFL and how the other players in the NFL perceive the league. Very interesting stuff, and it was shocking how unhappy a lot of these guys are. The pressure, the constant scrutiny (videotaping practices, surveillance, coaches breathing down your neck), the injuries, and the fear of failure all seem to weigh these guys down. Other than Sundays, life in the NFL is brutal and really not all that glamorous. I couldn't even believe I was doing it, but I actually felt bad for some of the guys, especially the fringe guys who were trying to make a roster.

Fatsis gets some very candid interviews with guys like Jake Plummer and Elam and Ian Gold, and the overwhelming sentiment that you get from these guys is that they work all their lives to get to the NFL and then are disappointed at what they find out about the league. Then again, almost everyone had really good things to say about Mike Shanahan as a head coach and as a man. Sounds like he is a very demanding but fair coach who treats the players as well as a coach can treat them, and even has a bunch of players out to his house for dinner and golf at Castle Pines.

While NFL players certainly are well-compensated for their efforts, they are probably the most underpaid athletes in sports. I mean, it's the NFL. The cash cow of sports today, and yet NFL players have very little guaranteed money. If they fall out of favor with coaches, they are done. There are no Stephon Marbury "sit on the bench and make $12 million" deals in the NFL. The lack of guaranteed contracts is great for the league, but not good at all for NFL players.

Anyway, the book is a good one but not one of my all-time favorites or anything. If you really like the NFL and want some insight on life in the NFL, this book is probably the closest you'll ever get to hearing unedited thoughts from NFL players. I'd recommend it, but don't be surprised if you are skimming through some of the "Fatsis working with the other kickers" stuff.

Brian Kelly and Bruce Pearl

Very interesting article on Coach Brian Kelly in the Knoxville News yesterday. The Bruce Pearl comparisons are actually fairly accurate. This blurb stuck out to me.

I talked to a couple of media-types who deal with Kelly. They both rave about the guy - and not just for his coaching. They give him high marks for his media accessibility and for his promotional skills. One of them said a businessman who heard Kelly speak described the experience as "electric."

Tennessee doesn't have the in-state talent that Florida and Georgia gets, so they need a Brian Kelly type coach who is willing to put himself out there and sell that program. When Tennessee gets this guy this offseason, there may be some very nervous folks in Athens and Gainesville over the next couple years.

If the the Vols land Kelly, I'm hopping on their bandwagon as my new SEC team.

Week 12 Picks

After a series of marquee games and huge upsets to shake the balance of power in the college football world, this week appears to be the calm before the storm picks back up again. There are very few interesting games this week, and the only real games of consequence may be the various ACC and Big East conference games that will be determining the pecking order for BCS bowl bids.

So if you are thinking about taking a week off from college football, this week might be your best bet. Heck, I'm headed to a high school football playoff game on Saturday evening, and I'm not the least bit worried about missing whatever games are going to be on this Saturday night. As much as I enjoy the college football season, the disappointing performance by ND has worn me down. I'm couldn't be more ready for college hoops to begin. Give me Mike Brey and McAlarney and Luke Harangody to make the pain of this football season go away.

As for the Irish, week 12 brings us to Baltimore, Maryland to take on the Naval Academy. Not gonna lie that this game is a little scary. We have the ability run them out of the building, but why do I fear that I'll be biting my nails in the 3rd and 4th quarter in this game as the Irish struggle to put away a determined team of Middies?? And with relatively few big games this week, I have an even bigger fear that the whole nation will stumble across this game on their televisions. ND-Navy should never be an "Instant Classic," but that's my fear. Notre Dame-Navy is a classy rivalry with both teams showing great respect for each other's traditions and the new tradition of singing each other's alma mater, but I don't want the Irish to take Navy lightly in this game. I hope the Irish are ready to play and put this game away early.

Thursday November 13, 2008

Virginia Tech +5 at Miami (ESPN 7:30pm)

Dan: Virginia Tech +5

I vote to just avoid all ACC games in this blog from henceforth. The Coastal Division has 3 teams at 3-2 (including both of these), one at 4-3, and one at 3-3. I have no idea who is going to win this division. Both teams are coming off a bye week, so no advantage there. Meanwhile, Thursday night games have tended to favor home teams and underdogs. So, at the end of the day, I’ll side with Beamer. It is November. It is time to step up and win the division. Beamer knows how to do that, Shannon is still learning.

Virginia Tech 23 Miami 21

Matt: Virginia Tech +5

There is no doubt that Miami is headed in the right direction. In fact, their situation is a little bit like Notre Dame when you think about it. Playing a TON of freshman and sophomores. Coach trying to clean up somebody else’s mess. But unlike the situation in South Bend, Randy Shannon has the Canes at 6-3 with the only losses being to Florida, a 4 pointer to UNC and two points to FSU. They come in riding a four game winning streak with first place on the line against VT. I’m calling for a close win by the home team. Just not a typical BeamerBall team this year in Blacksburg.

Miami 24 VT 21

Mike: Virginia Tech +5

Virginia Tech, after several tough road losses, finally appears to be rounding into a prototypical Frank Beamer and Bud Foster-coached team. Although the Hokies have been strong in the special teams, defense and turnover departments, their anemic offense has been an Achilles heel all season long. With the emergence of Darren Evans, however, Virginia Tech should have enough balance to keep opposing defenses off balance and score enough points to support their own terrific defense. Finally, I’ll take Beamer over Shannon any day of the week, even Thursday.

Virginia Tech 24 Miami 21

Doug: Virginia Tech +5

I have lost all faith in my handicapping abilities at this point, so I probably should stick with the one formula that has actually worked so far this year. The home team on a Thursday night. Screw it though. Frank Beamer is not losing this game.

Virginia Tech 24 Miami 23

Friday November 14, 2008:

Cincinnati (-3.5) at Louisville (ESPN2 8pm)

Dan: Cincinnati -3.5

Some people were starting to buy into Louisville after they improved to 5-2. But they have reverted to their former terrible selves over the past 2 weeks. That is what makes this line a bit of a head-scratcher. My best guess is that the boys in Vegas are giving a big home field bump for a Friday night game. Which is fair, but 3.5 are just not enough points for the Cardinals. Tony Pike, though still recovering from surgery, played very well against USF and well enough to win against WVU. Take the Bearcats.

Cincinnati 27 Louisville 10

Matt: Cincy -3.5

I know it’s a road game, but cmon, Louisville lost to Syracuse. UC is playing the remainder of their schedule for a BCS appearance. I think they lay the wood to a lifeless Louisville team. Basketball season can not start soon enough for the Cardinals.

Cincy 41 L’ville 20

Mike: Cincinnati -3.5

Like an addict, I continue to place my faith in a terrible Cardinal team, even going so far as to label them a “mortal lock” on the road last week. Enough is enough: I need to quit my Louisville habit cold turkey, even as an underdog in the intimidating confines of Papa Johns Stadium. Doug’s salute to Brian Kelly was quite convincing as well, although Kellyisnd@blogspot.com doesn’t have a great ring to it though.

Cincinnati 23 Louisville 17

Doug: Cincinnati -3.5

I hate this pick, but I can't write 2000 words about Brian Kelly and how great he is and then follow that up by picking Louisville. I'm nervous about this game for UC though. They are coming off two huge wins over more talented teams (South Florida and West Virginia), and now they have to get off the mat again and get fired up for a rivalry game on the road. The UC seniors have never beaten Louisville, so the players have been talking the talk in practice about being jacked up for this game. We shall see.

Louisville is struggling this year, but they still have more talent than Cincinnati. The Cards have been regularly outgaining their opponents this year, so their luck could turn around this week at Papa Johns Stadium. Sounds like there is a QB controversy this week, and freshman QB Matt Simms (Phil's other son) might be getting some snaps.

I'll take the Bearcats, but I don't feel all that confident about this pick. Louisville could easily blow this game open if UC isn't emotionally up for the game. I just bought tickets to the Pitt-Cincy game on November 22, so I'm hoping UC can scrape by in this game and set up a showdown at Nippert Stadium between the Bearcats and the Panthers for the Big East title and a BCS bid. WOW. Should be a great atmosphere next Saturday night. UC in a BCS game. I never would have believed it.

Cincinnati 27 Lousville 23

Saturday November 15, 2008:

Ohio State (-9.5) at Illinois (ESPN 12pm)

Dan: Ohio State -9.5

I’m done picking against Ohio State against the dregs of the conference, which is what Illinois is. The Buckeyes suddenly find themselves tied for lead in the Big 10 again. Now they are left to do two things: take care of business and pray MSU can upset Penn State next weekend too. Illinois is a team in shambles (takes a fan of one to know one), and I can’t see them keeping within 10 points of a team that they actually upset last year. Look for Beanie Wells do have a big day while OSU’s linebacker core to make for a long day for Juice.

Ohio State 27 Illinois 13

Matt: Ohio State -9.5

Can I just say what a miserable weekend for college football it is. When we are not even picking one of the ABC primetime games, and the other is BC-FSU, it’s a good weekend to get some yardwork or Christmas shopping done (or study for a financial accounting exam…fun).

OK, as for this game, I don’t see any way that Illinois keeps it close. There will be no repeat of Juice going into the Shoe and pulling out a miracle. The team that accomplished that no longer plays football in Champaign. Bucks…big.

OSU 38 Illinois 13

Mike: Ohio State -9.5

Ron Zook, like Weis, is living proof that there is more to coaching than just recruiting. In other words, as long as Zook is at the helm in Champaign, the Illini will lose games to the Western Michigans of the world. Also, what is it with llinois and horrible team chemistry? Between the basketball team, where a player left a fellow teammate for dead in the passenger seat after getting into a drunken car accident, and the football team, where one teammate broke another teammate’s jaw over a cell phone, there must be something bad in the water in Champaign. Anyway, look for the opportunistic Buckeyes to stifle the Illinois running game and force Juice Williams into making his usual spate of errors. Tressel Ball will be the perfect formula against this Illini team that is devoid of discipline.

Ohio State 24 Illinois 13

Doug: Illinois +8.5

I watched a good chunk of the Ohio State-Northwestern game last week, and I thought the Buckeyes played really well. It was the first time in awhile that I've seen Tressel really go for the jugular and open things up. Amazing what can happen when you actually let your players make plays.

Pryor looked like a star on Saturday. If he finishes strong this year, he's going to be a sleeper to get himself into the Heisman race next year. He's probably a more realistic candidate for 2010, but Pryor might be on the verge of a Troy Smith 2004 type finish where he exploded down the stretch and started making plays with his legs and arm.

I think the Buckeyes will win here, but I've seen too many wacky Ohio State-Illinois games in history to give Ohio State 8.5 points. The OSU-Illinois game is almost always close. The memorable double OT game in 2002, the close game at Illinois in 2006, the shocker last year at the Horseshoe, and some of the incredible games in the early to mid 90s with the great Illinois defenses led by Simeon Rice and Kevin Hardy. I can think of very few blowouts in the history of this rivalry.

Illinois is struggling this year, but they will be ready for this game. Juice Williams had a lot of success against the Buckeyes last year. Just a hunch, but I think this game will go down to the wire. The Buckeyes will find a way, but I'm expecting a close game.

Ohio State 24 Illinois 20

South Carolina (+21.5) at Florida (CBS Sports 3:30pm)

Dan: Florida -21

Another “I’m done”. Eventually Florida has to have a close game in the SEC, right? I mean, it’s Spurrier, and this South Carolina team is decent. But I can’t pick them to do it. This UF team is playing on another level at this point. Florida has one its last 5 games (all SEC games) by 37 points on average. 37 points! In conference games! The SEC may be overrated this year (though still the best conference), but Florida is absurd.

Florida 42 South Carolina 17

Matt: Florida -21

Pick against Florida at your own risk. Everyone said there was no way they could cover ridiculous spreads against UK and Vandy, and they totally obliterated them. No one in the country is beating Florida if they keep playing like this.

BTW, if/when Notre Dame commences it’s next coaching search, I could not agree more with Doug about the usual suspects. As Rick Pitino would say, Nick Saban is not walking through that door folks. Neither is Mack Brown or Bob Stoops. The only call I MIGHT make would be to Urban Montgomery Meyer. Maybe Lou could call. There is about a .0001% chance that Urban would even listen…but if he wins his second championship this year…Couldn’t you basically appeal to Urban that he would be a legend WHEN (not if) he turned the program around and won a championship. He’s a Midwestern guy who has coached at ND before. Again, I feel foolish for even writing this, because it’s just a pipe dream, but I would at least give a call. I would not even bother calling Austin, Norman or Tuscaloosa and being a laughingstock to the country as they turn us down.

Florida 51 USC 20

Mike: South Carolina +21

Although Florida looks unstoppable right now, I just have a hunch that Spurrier will give his alma mater another major scare, as he did in 2006. South Carolina also has one of the top defenses in college football this year, which will allow the Gamecocks to slow Tim Tebow and cover this large spread, despite having a pop gun offense.

Florida 31 South Carolina 17

Doug: South Carolina +21.5

I know I got burned on this same theory last week, but I can't give up 21.5 points in an SEC game in November. Too many variables that could make this game close. South Carolina has quietly won 6 out of their last 7 games. Spurrier is going to have his guys fired up for this game.

Tim Tebow is quietly putting himself right back into the Heisman race lately. He had 5 touchdowns last week in the air and on the ground. If Texas Tech falters down the stretch, I think Tebow has a great shot to win it again. Somewhere Archie Griffin is praying that either Texas Tech wins out or Florida gets knocked off again at some point this year.

Can you imagine the intensity of that upcoming Florida-Alabama game if both teams hold on and win out in the regular season?? As Verne Lundquist would say, "MY GOODNESS." That is shaping up to be the best conference championship game of all time. I'm trying to figure out a line for that one. Something like Florida -3.5??

Florida 21 USC 14

Texas (-13) at Kansas (FSN 12:30pm)

Dan: Texas -13

Texas Tech, Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Missouri are definitely the top 5 teams in the Big 12. Kansas may be the 6th best team, but there is a gap. And that gap is probably more than two touchdowns, even at home. Kansas’s defense has shown that it will clearly have no chance of stopping Colt McCoy. So if Texas wants, it should be able to easily score 50. At the same time, a decent defense can hold Kansas to 30 points and Texas’s defense is generally better than “decent”.

Texas 52 Kansas 24

Matt: Texas -13

The bloom is off the rose in Lawrence. Although one of the funnier things I have seen this year is the Baby Mangino Halloween costume. Google it if you haven’t seen it by now.

Texas 49 KU 24

Mike: Kansas + 13

Kansas has plenty of warts, but they can certainly move the ball through the air. Given Texas’ propensity to give up big plays in the passing game, Kansas should be able to score its fair share of points. This is a dangerous spot for the Longhorns with the game being played on Senior Day in Lawrence, so Mack Brown better have his team focused. Look for a typical Big 12 shootout at Memorial Stadium.

Texas 42 Kansas 38

Doug: Texas -13

Just wanted to congratulate Colt McCoy for carrying me to a BCS bowl win in fantasy football this year. That Texas Tech performance knocked me out of the title game, but I can't fault my man Colt for carrying me all year. I'm already excited for next year's fantasy football draft. Michael Floyd as a sophomore should be fun to think about for fantasy purposes.

Texas 37 Kansas 17

Minnesota (+13.5) at Wisconsin (ABC 3:30pm)

Dan: Minnesota +13.5

People can’t seem to get off the Minnesota bandwagon fast enough after two straight losses. Meanwhile, are people really ready to buy back into this Wisconsin team just because they Indiana last week and Illinois a few weeks ago? Not me on either account. I think Wisconsin can win this game, but I haven’t seen anything that shows me they can beat the Gophers by two touchdowns. Granted, Eric Decker, the Gopher wide receiver with half their touchdowns this year will be out for the game. But I still think that the Gophers can keep this within 10 points.

Wisconsin 20 Minnesota 13

Matt: Minnesota +13.5

Whoa. This line came out of nowhere. I was going to pick ‘Sota to straight up win this week. In fact, I still am. Never warmed up to Wiscy this year and they have proven me right. Pounding a hapless IU team doesn’t change my opinion.

Minnesota 17 Wisconsin 16

Mike: Minnesota +13.5

It is impossible to describe how bad Minnesota looked last week in the Little Brown Jug game against Michigan (sidebar: trophy games are reason #157 why college football trumps the NFL). Nevertheless, I am taking a leap of faith in Tim Brewster this week in a bitter rivalry game for Paul Bunyan's Axe. The Badgers still have too many problems, particularly at quarterback, to justify laying so many points against a Big Ten team that is not from the state of Indiana. Please note that I used the qualifier “Big Ten” in the previous sentence because Ball State could give Wisconsin a game, not because I think Notre Dame could cover this spread.

Wisconsin 28 Minnesota 17

Doug: Wisconsin -13.5

Question for you Big 10 hoops fans. Now that ESPN has announced that Bobby Knight will be announcing college basketball games this year with Brent Musberger, what happens to Steve Lavin?? Tell me that the Musberger-Lavin combo isn't being broken up! Say it ain't so! I've enjoyed those two guys on the air the last couple years. It was always funny to try to figure out if Lavin and Musberger were actually friends off the air. I'd probably say that they were, and I wouldn't have been surprised to hear some stories about Lavin and Musberger having a few too many beers in places like Madison and East Lansing and Bloomington.

ESPN better have Bobby Knight do the IU-Purdue game in Bloomington. That has to happen, especially after his College Gameday performance this year when he declared that could never pick Purdue.

Wisconsin 27 Minnesota 6

Arizona (+4) at Oregon (FSN 6:30pm)

Dan: Oregon -4

Other than the surprise win against over California, Arizona has beat: Idaho, Toledo, UCLA, Washington, and Washington State. Not exactly a resume of champions. Of course, Oregon’s is not much better. But I still have confidence in Oregon to get it done in Autzen. Oregon is averaging 275 yards per game on the ground. That’s incredible. Does Notre Dame have 275 yards this year? I think that Oregon succeeds playing their ground control game and pulling away towards the end to cover the 4 points.

Oregon 28 Arizona 21

Matt: Oregon -4

The PAC 10 besides USC stinks this year, and I really don’t know much about either or these teams. Supposedly Arizona is not your normal Arizona team, but this game is a prove it game for me. I bet Oregon takes care of them. Mike Stoops is going to take over for Tommy Bowden as the coach that is always on the hot seat.

Oregon 32 Arizona 25

Mike: Oregon -4

In an otherwise unappetizing menu of games, the most closely contested matchups appear to be taking place in the great state of Oregon. Mike Stoops will be bringing his best team in his five years at Arizona, but Autzen Stadium is a difficult venue for any opponent. Fortunately for Oregon, Jeremiah Masoli was able to engineer a thrilling last second comeback for the win last week against Stanford, thus allowing the Ducks to overcome four lost fumbles. Assuming that the weather improves, Oregon should protect the ball much better this week and deliver a solid effort at home for the win.

Oregon 38 Arizona 31

Doug: Oregon -4

How about that Matt Holliday trade for the A's?? Wow, I did not see that coming. I figured he was going to St. Louis. Interesting move by the A's. They can either try to contend with him, or move him for another haul at next year's deadline. They gave up quite a bit though. Maybe Beane wasn't that enamored with Carlos Gonzalez. Smith and Street are coming off arm injuries. That would make me nervous as a Rockies fan, especially with Beane's history of dumping off injured arms on teams.

Also love that trade by the Washington Nationals to get Josh Willingham and Scott Olsen from the Marlins for basically nothing. Definitely an upgrade for the Nats. Willingham can be a solid outfielder for them, and Olsen is still only 24 years old with major upside. Good move for the Nats, and Keith Law appears to be excited. Keith Law lives for the MLB offseason. Keith Law has fallen out of favor with me to some degree, but I still like to see where he stands on offseason moves.

Oregon 31 Arizona 21

California (+3) at Oregon State (ABC Sports 3:30pm)

Dan: California +3

The Beavers have come out of nowhere to have the fast track to win the PAC 10. But I don’t think they can sustain it. Arizona State came very close to winning at OSU 2 weeks ago, and I think California can get it done this week. After being held to 27 rushing yards last week, expect the Cal tandem of Best and Vereen to bounce back with a great performance on the ground. Nate Longshore is not going to be asked to win this game, just hand it off.

California 28 Oregon State 24

Matt: Cal +3

All this Oregon State is in the drivers seat to win the PAC 10 talk stops this weekend. I like Cal team even though the only time I’ve seen them this year is their egg laying against Maryland.

Cal 31 Oregon State 28

Mike: Oregon State -3

This should be a tightly contested affair between two evenly matched teams. When in doubt, however, always take the team with a Canfield at the helm.

Oregon State 29 California 20

Doug: Oregon State -3

Gotta go with my man Jaquizz Rodgers. Oregon State is still on track to win the Pac 10 if they win out. Not that improbable all of the sudden with Cal, Arizona, and Oregon down the stretch.

Oregon State 31 Cal 27

North Carolina (-3) at Maryland (ABC Sports 3:30pm)

Dan: North Carolina (-3)

I am a believer in UNC after the impressive performance last week against Georgia Tech. Carolina has continued to make its living off turnovers and Maryland’s QB has only a 3 to 2 TD in INT ratio. If UNC can get 2 turnovers, that should be plenty to handle an inconsistent Maryland team. The only thing Maryland has going for it is that it has been very strong at home. I think UNC gives Maryland its first loss at home.

North Carolina 17 Maryland 13

Matt: UNC -3

I hate to beat a dead horse, but who the hell knows with the ACC. Have you looked at the standings recently? Nine of the twelve teams either have two or three conference losses. I guess you could call that exciting, I would probably just label it mediocre football. I’m sure the Orange Bowl is going to love that Utah – Maryland game. Ughh.

UNC 20 Maryland 14

Mike: North Carolina -3

As expected, the Terrapins responded to their recent revival by laying an egg against an offensively challenged Virginia Tech team. Now that nothing is expected of Maryland again, however, it would not be surprising if Ralph Friedgen’s team turned in a strong performance this week. Still, there seems to be something special brewing in Chapel Hill, even if the Tar Heels are succeeding with the dubious method of winning the turnover battle. Memo to Jack Swarbrick: call Butch Davis’s agent today.

North Carolina 24 Maryland 19

Doug: Maryland +3

All I can say is that betting on the ACC is the equivalent of burning your money. I'll go with the home dog. I can't live in a world where a UNC team with one good WR and a couple good d-linemen goes 10-2 this year. If they beat Maryland, that's where they are headed.

Maryland 24 UNC 21

Mississippi State (+20.5) at Alabama (ESPN 7:45pm)

Dan: Alabama -20.5

Will Mississippi State score on Saturday? They might not. But unlike Florida, Alabama isn’t built to just blow teams out of the water. But can they score 3 touchdowns against the mess that is Mississippi State? I think so.

Alabama 27 Mississippi State 3

Matt: Alabama -20.5

I was all set to pick Mississippi State here to get the cover. In fact, if it was ANY other SEC opponent against Alabama this week, I would have taken the points. But I can’t do it with Sly Croom roaming the sideline. With a night game at Bryant-Denny, Alabama will roll to an early lead and never look back.

Here’s my rankings for this week:

1. Florida
2. Texas Tech
3. Alabama
4. USC
5. Texas
6. Oklahoma
7. Boise State

68. Notre Dame- Yes, there are 67 teams that I feel could beat Notre Dame if they met tomorrow. But Swarbrick loves the “progress.”

114. Miami (OH) – Not a good showing for the Redhawks on national TV last night. Not only are they 2-8, but there couldn’t have been more than 2,000 people in the stadium to see the #14 ranked team in the country. By the way, yes, it’s great that Ball State is undefeated. But #14? Really? What would the line be if they played #19 LSU. LSU -12 maybe.

Alabama 38 Mississippi State 3

Mike: Alabama -20.5

As noted in this blog before and obviously observed by others, Alabama has not thrived in a home favorite role over the years and in 2008. Nonetheless, Mississippi State is bereft of offensive talent and there is no reason to believe that the Bulldogs can score in the double digits on the road against Bama. The Bulldogs will hang tough for a while, but the Tide will crush their spirit and earn the late cover.

Alabama 27 Mississippi State 3

Doug: Miss St +19

Miss St is turrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrible, but Bama is probably going to just keep it close to the vest before the Iron Bowl. Bama has had some trouble covering this year. MSU will be lucky to score 3 points in this game, but they'll find a way to cover if they somehow score a touchdown in this game.

Bama 20 Ole Miss 3

Georgia (-8) at Auburn (Raycom 12:30pm)

Dan: Georgia -8.5

I am not high on Georgia at all. But this Auburn team is a mess. Tommy may not make it to next year. Their 2 SEC wins are over Tennessee and MSU by a total of 2 points. Not only that, I’m not convinced the crowd will not turn on their coach if things get off to a bad start a la the Tennessee fans this year. I expect AJ Green or Mohamed “Massacre” Massaquoi (can I say that?) to make a big play early and for the Tigers to just roll over.

Georgia 24 Auburn 10

Matt: Georgia -8.5

Is this really it for Tommy Tuperville? I have a hard time believing that they will fire him with the dominance against Alabama on his resume. But it seems like nobody down there has trusted him for a long time. And his total and absolute destruction of this season is really inexcusable. Anyway, I think he’s in for another long night.

Georgia 31 Auburn 13

Mike: Georgia -8.5

Although Georgia has proven that it cannot cover against undermanned opponents this year, I cannot bring myself to pick Auburn this week. There are signs that the Tigers have quit on Tommy Tuberville and, perhaps foolishly, I expect Georgia to build upon its nerve wracking comeback in Lexington. The Bulldog defense has not performed well this year, but Auburn’s inept offense should be the perfect remedy for embattled Georgia defensive coordinator Willie Martinez, if only for a week.

Georgia 24 Auburn 10

Doug: Auburn +8

WAR EAGLE! Auburn has had a terrible season this year, but there's still a chance to salvage this year with two big rivals coming up.

Georgia is not that good. Give me the Auburn Tigers in the upset stunner.

Auburn 24 Georgia 21

USC (-23.5) at Stanford (Versus 7pm)

Dan: USC -23.5

I am actually starting to think this USC offense just can’t get it done this year (The state of Washington not withstanding). This is unfortunate for Trojan fans, because USC’s defense may be one of the best defenses ever. I am a big fan of this Stanford team against the spread this year, but they just do not match up with against USC. They are going to really struggle to score, and I’m not sure their defense can slow USC enough. Throw the fact that USC is going to be playing with revenge on their mind, and I think it is enough to get the cover.

USC 28 Stanford 3

Matt: USC -23.5

USC’s defense is giving up 6 points a game. I shudder to think what that ND – USC matchup is going to look like in a few weeks. If you think 17-0 to BC was bad, well, that could end up something like 49-3. I know that USC’s offense has never really come around this year, but I’m not sure why they are getting so neglected in the polls. If anyone should be getting the benefit of the doubt, it’s USC, not Oklahoma or Texas. I wouldn’t bat an eye if Oklahoma or Texas got destroyed by Florida in the championship game. On the other hand, USC – Florida in the National Championship game might be the most anticipated game in the history of college football. I’m already foaming at the mouth at the thought of Tebow and Harvin going against that USC D. With Urban and Pete walking the sidelines. Wow. Make this happen America. Yes we Can!

USC 27 Stanford 3

Mike: USC -23.5

With revenge on their minds and a need for style points to help their BCS cause, the Trojans will blaze a destructive path through Palo Alto. Bonus prediction: Tavita Pritchard will not finish this game for the Cardinal.

USC 44 Stanford 7

Doug: USC -23.5

USC is unpredictable, but they still have the talent to score at will in this game. Stanford has been one of the most improved teams of 2008 and could be on the verge of a breakthrough in 2009 if Harbaugh stays around, but I can't see them hanging around with USC.

I moved USC down a bit in my rankings because the Pac 10 is a joke. USC is still as good as anyone in the country when they are on, but they've been inconsistent. If they Trojans want to make a statement, it's time for them to hit the extra gear and start pounding people.

USC 42 Stanford 17

Boston College (+6.5) at Florida State (ABC Sports 8pm)

Dan: FSU -6.5

F___ Boston College.

Florida State 31 Boston College 20

Matt: FSU -6.5

Don’t even get me started about that BC offense. Any competent team should be able to destroy them. They lost to freaking Clemson at home.

FSU 27 BC 17

Mike: Florida State -6.5

I find it hard to believe that BC will be particularly interested in playing this game. After all, the Eagles already won their Super Bowl last week and they have reached the magical 6 win milepost, which ensures their inclusion in a lower tier bowl game (and for what it’s worth, they would be a fantastic choice for the inaugural Congressional Bowl in Washington, D.C.). FSU, on the other hand, continues to improve every week and BC will be a mere speed bump on the Seminoles’ road back to their rightful place atop the ACC.

Florida State 31 Boston College 17

Doug: Florida State -7

BC is not a good football team, and the inevitable post-ND letdown will be in full effect. I'm expecting them to get killed in this game.

It probably sounds like sour grapes to say it now after we lost to them, but I think Jeff Jagodzinski is not going to be the long term answer at BC. He has turned their offense into a finesse style offense, and I don't know if that is the best fit for BC football. BC has always benefited from having a hard-nosed ground game and a tough, physical offensive line. The Jags BC teams have generally relied on the aerial attack, draw plays out of the shotgun, and short stuff underneath. I wasn't impressed with their offense at all on Saturday. Their defense is solid, but I don't know how much Jags has to do with that.

The other thing I'm interested to see with BC football is where their recruiting goes in the next few years. BC has done a great job in Ohio going after undervalued kids out of good high school programs like Cincinnati St. Xavier and Cleveland St. Ignatius and others. Maybe not the most physically gifted kids, but fundamentally sound players who grew up to be solid contributors by their senior year. Tom O'Brien Iwho is a St. Xavier alum) opened up those pipelines for BC, so I'll be curious to see if Jags can continue that success.

Should be interesting. My prediction is that Jags steadily takes that program downhill over the next five years. I could see some 6-6/5-7 type years out of them in the next few years.

Florida State 31 BC 13

BYU (-5.5) at Air Force (CBS College Sports 3:30pm)

Dan: Air Force +5.5

It seems like every week we have the Mountain West match up of the year! This isn’t it, but I guess it is still a good game. And it is still in the Mountain West and I just can’t bring myself to care. I mean, hell, Notre Dame would probably go 2-6 in the MWC. Air Force has looked good the last 3 games and is getting points at home so…

BYU 28 Air Force 24

Matt: Air Force +5.5

You don’t just walk into Falcon Stadium and get a W. This is actually a big game in the Mountain West, or so I am told. And if you’re one of the tens of hundreds of Americans who gets something called the CBS College Sports Network you’ll be able to enjoy it.

Air Force 31 BYU 30

Mike: Air Force +5.5

With the Holy War on the horizon, BYU could find itself in a real battle (pun intended) against a plucky Air Force squad this week in Colorado Springs. If Air Force can hang around and avoid having to throw the ball, they should be able to move the ball consistently against BYU’s defense and thereby pull off the mild upset. By the way, take a look at BYU’s resume if you get a chance: simply put, it sucks.

Air Force 33 BYU 28

Doug: Air Force +5.5

I have no freaking clue in this game, so give me the points.

By the way, if the Pac 10 ever wanted to add 2 more teams to create a championship game, who would you add?? I think I'd add BYU and Utah. Two good schools in a growing state, and they have fairly good tradition in football and basketball. I think they'd both be a great fit in the Pac 10. Plus, it would keep the tradition of having "pair schools" from the western states outside of California.

The other one to consider would be Boise State. They are getting to the point where it would be almost impossible to ignore them as a potential entrant to a BCS conference.

BYU 27 Air Force 24

Notre Dame (-3) at Navy (CBS Sports 12pm)

Dan: Navy

Every bone in my body wants to pick Notre Dame. And to be honest, I think if Notre Dame loses this week, the administration will have to give serious thought towards firing Weis this year. So the fact that I think there is no chance Weis is gone after this year does not correspond to my other feeling that Notre Dame may lose this game. Here are things I know: #1 Notre Dame lost to Navy last year (yes, I know Paul Johnson was there, but at this point I don’t care). #2 Notre Dame is not all that much better than last year. #3 Navy has beaten Air Force and Wake Forest this year. #4 Notre Dame has not beaten anyone with a winning record.

Navy 17 Notre Dame 13

Matt: Notre Dame

Now we get to the pick that I’ve been dreading to make all week. If you would have asked me to pick this game at the beginning of the week, I would have taken Navy. But if Notre Dame has ANY shred of pride and dignity, they will not lose this game. They shouldn’t even need a coach on the sideline to win this one.

I spoke my mind earlier this week, and for the most part I stand by what I said and agree with Doug. There’s just a certain feel about the program right now that isn’t positive that leads me to believe that Charlie isn’t the guy. The fact that new athletic director Swarbrick came out after a 17-0 pasting by BC and said he sees ‘progress’ is laughable. But…let’s be honest, unless ND loses out, we are probably not getting a new head coach. And I can live with that. I will still get behind the team and Coach Weis, still go to any bowl games (unless it’s in El Paso. New Year’s in El Paso could be kind of rough) and still hope for a turnaround in ’09. But make no mistake about it. If next year isn’t pretty, something has to change.

As far as this game, I would like to see the offense get back on track, and Navy is the perfect opponent for that to happen. No disrespect to the Mids, but nobody on that roster should be able to stop Clausen to Tate and Floyd. And for that matter, maybe the O line can actually make a block or two this week. All in all, it adds up to an Irish win. If 3:00 rolls around Saturday afternoon and the Irish are on a 3 game losing streak, there isn’t an alcohol strong enough to numb the anger and pain I will be in.

Go Irish

Notre Dame 31 Navy 21

Mike: Notre Dame

This game presents a real dilemma. In light of the fact that Weis will not be fired barring a complete meltdown this year, should I root for Navy this week as I rooted for Pitt and Tennessee in 2004? More importantly, considering that any replacement for Weis will likely be unfit for the position of head coach, does it really matter? In any event, even if Weis loses, it is doubtful that Baltimore will be his Waterloo.

As for the game, there are serious doubts as to whether Notre Dame will show up ready to play. Weis will be calling the plays this week, but at this point, his interjection of “expertise” is like putting lipstick on a pig. On the other side of the ball, Notre Dame’s defense remains highly susceptible to the run, which means that Navy’s offense should have success with its triple option attack. In the end, however, Notre Dame’s massive talent edge should provide the difference in this game. Of course, a Navy victory would not be surprising, as evidenced by the narrow point spread.

Notre Dame 34 Navy 31

Doug: Notre Dame

My feelings on the state of Notre Dame football are well-documented at this point, so I'd rather focus on the game. No matter what your feelings are for Coach Weis or the program, I still love seeing those gold helmets and rooting for the Irish. I hope like crazy that Saturday starts a recovery for ND football.

With that said, I'm straight up embarrassed that our program is even associated with CBS Sports this weekend. We don't even belong on that fine network the way our team has been playing. Needless to say, the likelihood of Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson ever announcing another Notre Dame game are looking bleak.

Some keys to the game as we head to Annapolis:

1) Intangibles - As far as I'm concerned, intangibles are going to be the key factor to this game. If ND shows up ready to play and impose our will on Navy, we can run them out of the building. No different than what Pitt did to Navy a couple weeks ago. It's freaking Navy. They have 200 pound d-lineman. If we come out angry and focused, this game will be no problem.

My fear is that ND isn't going to be emotionally ready to match Navy's intensity in this game. If we come out flat or taking them lightly, it will be four quarters of pure misery for ND fans. If we come out soft and try to scheme around them, we'll make mistakes and let them hang around. The goal for ND this week in practice should be to get angry and start playing physical.

Meanwhile, Navy has had two weeks to gear up for this game. They will be fired up to play ND and try to extend the winning streak to two games. Navy players come to Navy for two games: Notre Dame and Army. This game is their Super Bowl, and we better be ready to match their intensity.

Another thing I've learned about Navy is that their football players don't have to do their typical regimens when they aren't playing a home game. They have had a tendency to play tired when they are at home because of the extra work they have to do of the football field. This ND-Navy game is technically at a neutral site, so we will be getting Navy's best shot in this game. They will be fresh and ready to go.

Another thing to keep an eye on will be how these teams come out of the locker room in the second half. If we build a lead and relax at halftime, Navy will probably creep back into this game. The longer we let Navy hang around, the more likely it is that we could lose this game.

2) The ND defense - While the ND offense was an abomination last week and is the more concerning unit on the whole, my worry this week is with the ND defense. Specifically, are we going to come out fired up and ready to shut down that option attack?? I'm not worried about the ND offense. We'll be able to move the ball on Navy's defense almost at will, and I think we'll score at least 30 in this game. My concern is if we give up 35 by not playing disciplined and sound defensive football. While we were better defensively last week, we are still susceptible to a good ground attack. Navy's offense is better than Boston College's offense, so I expect to see them have some level of success against us. The key for us is to adjust and start shutting them down.

Last year's defensive game plan was atrocious. We had two weeks to prepare for Navy, and then they shoved it down our throat. We followed that up by getting blown out by Air Force and the same option attack the following week. Think about that again. We lost BACK TO BACK HOME GAMES to Navy and Air Force last year. That is UNREAL. There wasn't one player on either of those teams that even got a letter from ND let alone a scholarship offer.

One interesting note is that Navy's usual starting QB (the Hawaiian guy from last year - not going to bother trying to look up his name) is not playing in this game. They are going with a backup senior Qb this week, Jarrod Bryant. The other backup is a young guy named Ricky Dobbs. Sounds like Dobbs sparked the team in other games, but Bryant is getting the start this week. Definitely something to keep an eye on.

3) Turnovers - Let's be honest, the only way ND's offense isn't scoring on every drive in this game is if we turn the ball over. Fumbles, ints, etc. Can't afford to let that happen in this game. Clausen should have plenty of time to make throws, and there is no one on Navy who can cover our WRs. We need to be balanced and run the ball to set up passing plays down the field. If they are giving us the run, take it. It's Navy. Their defense is tiny. We should be able to dominate them up front. No turnovers would be a great sign in this game. If we start putting the ball on the ground, look out.

The other thing to keep an eye on is if we can force some turnovers out of Navy. The option offense is always susceptible to turnovers, so expect to see the ball on the ground a couple times in this game. If we can capitalize and get the ball in great field position, that would be a big help.

4) Charlie Weis -Back to the Wall - Charlie is getting some serious heat this week in the local and national media (which is much deserved), and he has to be feeling the pressure at this point. How will he respond?? More importantly, how will the team respond to him?? Are they still playing for him?? Are they still buying in or are they rolling their eyes when he does this phony good cop/bad cop stuff?? If the team has packed it in on Charlie, it will be evident on the field. If we practice with a purpose and come out fired up for Charlie, we'll roll in this game.

What do you all think about this "Charlie isn't healthy" stuff?? Is that really affecting him that much?? Did I miss the memo that Charlie Weis was leading an active lifestyle and running around before he had that leg injury?? Have people seen Charlie Weis?? He couldn't run 10 yards before that leg injury either. I don't think I've seen him run in four years of watching him. He always walks out of the tunnel at about the same pace he is walking now. I know he's limping right now, but I don't see how Charlie's health is some sort of excuse for poor performance. The guy was in poor health before that leg injury.

I hope these ND players still have enough pride to win this game for Charlie.

5) Special Teams - While the ND special teams have been better this year in some aspects (punt and kick coverage), I am still disappointed with the overall play of our special teams. Our return units stink. We never get anything going out of our kickoff return units. We start ever drive from around the 20, so we have to go 80 yards to score a touchdown. It adds pressure to an already fragile offense. And if we get a penalty or something like that to stall a drive, we're looking at a punt from deep in our own territory. It's been a problem all year for this team. There is no reason we shouldn't be able to get one return past the 50 all year. Have we had one yet?? I don't recall one. If we could actually get a couple big kick or punt returns, we might be able to score on a short field.

The Golden Tate punt return was a good sign, but I'd like to see even more of that. Special Teams can be a weapon, but we never seem to utilize our special teams to make big plays.

One of the great things about having a talented team and great recruiting classes is that you will have a lot of talent for your special teams units. And yet our special teams are average at best. We could make things a lot easier on ourselves if we got more big plays out of our special teams. That needs to change.

6) It's the playcalling, stupid? - A lot is being made out of Charlie Weis' decision to "take over" the playcalling this week from Mike Heywood. Does anyone actually buy that nonsense?? Does anyone really think that Heywood isn't just reading from a Charlie Weis-prepared script?? It's not like we're running this wild and crazy Heywood-designed offense. We are running the Charlie Weis offense. I've seen this offense for four years. It is no different than any other offense we've run since Weis has been here. The only difference is that teams have figured us out. Coaches like Butch Davis and Pete Carroll and Tressel have created a blueprint for beating us in the last few years, and that blueprint has been trickled down to everyone we play. The Weis offense has been exposed. We can't commit to a running game, so teams are daring us to run and sticking as many DBs as possible out there to blanket our WRs. The only life we've shown as an offense has been Mike Floyd and Golden Tate making spectacular individual plays.

While this decision may end up working out, I can't help but feel like Mike Heywood ( a good man who is also an ND alum) is getting thrown under the bus for the problems creates by Weis' failure to pay attention to detail and focus on the fundamentals of building a strong, disciplined team. Heywood's career is pretty much radioactive at this point now that he's essentially been demoted. That's unfortunate. I don't like how this situation has been handled at all, and it reflects extremely poorly on Weis. Weis made a big deal out of delegating the playcalling, but the reality is that he never did delegate. If he wants to really delegate the offensive responsibilities, he needs to go out and hire a Norm Chow type offense coordinator.

Our offense will certainly look better in the next couple weeks beause of the god awful defenses we are about to play, but I think this decision by Weis amounts to a Sarah Palin style "lipstick on a pig." We won't really know how Weis' decision turns out until we go to LA to take on USC.

While I think there is a very real possiblity that we will lose this game, I cannot pick ND to lose to Navy. Beating Navy should not even be debatable. They have Division I-AA talent. Even with our god awful team from last year, we still had numerous chances to win that game. If we play smart offensive football, grab a lead, and adjust to the option, we should take a decisive lead and pull away with a double digit win.

I will not be suprised one bit if we play like crap and let Navy hang around in this game (or maybe even win), but I'm trying to ignore that thought for now. Go Irish. Beat the ship out of Navy.

Notre Dame 38 Navy 24

Last week:

Dan: 7-8-0
Matt: 8-7-0
Mike: 8-7-0
Doug: 7-8-0

Season:

Dan: 65-67-3
Matt: 86-77-3
Mike: 83-80-3
Doug: 82-81-3

Brian Kelly..... clap.....clap........clapclapclap

Some thoughts from yet another devastating ND loss.

12. While I am with Matt in that I am not going to jump up and down over and over demanding that Charlie Weis is fired after this year, I do think it’s time for ND to seriously start contemplating the possibility of replacing Charlie Weis and also start evaluating/contemplating some names as possible replacements. Charlie Weis is an ND alum who has tried to rebuild this program, but he’s not getting it done. His teams are getting steadily worse, and now we are looking at a second straight season without even one half-decent win to hang our hat on. A sign of a well-coached team is that the team continues to get better as the season goes along, but the reality for Charlie Weis is that we’ve been blown out by Air Force and Boston College in back to back seasons in November. A blowout loss to a mediocre BC team can't happen. It just can't. It wasn't acceptable when Ty lost at home to BC in 2004, and the same applies now.

I don’t think keeping Charlie for 2009 causes great damage to the ND program (like it would have if we had brought Ty Willingham back in 2005), but I do think that there are many other coaches who would do a better job with this roster in 2009 than Charlie Weis. I can certainly understand why there are ND fans who want to give him a 5th year to have one last chance to win with his guys, but I personally think we’ve seen enough to know what to expect in 2009 out of a Charlie Weis-coached team. Inconsistent line play, a soft mentality, no identity on offense other than the “Chaos Mode” when our backs are against the wall, mediocre defense and special teams, and a tendency to come out flat at the worst possible times. A good head coach with a reputation for rebuilding programs could come in here, toughen us up, and build a core identity that fits with our young talent.

I really wanted to see Charlie succeed at ND, but Saturday was a death blow to his credibility as the leader of this program. I’m assuming that he will probably be back in 2009, but I think I’ve reached the point where I’d rather pull the plug.

11. Whether or not you think Charlie Weis is the man for the ND job, the “we need to fire all of the assistants” is a bunch of nonsense. Cmon, does anyone really think that the assistants are the primary problem with this program?? In football, everything starts from the top down. The head coach sets the tone for the program and his philosophy for how he wants to play football and win games. If the head coach is determined to have a physical team, those orders are going to feed down to the o-line coach. O-line coaches are just taking orders from up top. The reason Alabama’s o-line is so good this year isn’t because of their o-line coach. It’s because of Nick Saban’s philosophy for how to build your team up front.

This notion that we can fire Latina and bring in some o-line guru to right the ship is laughable. Latina is just taking orders from Weis. We will never have a good offensive line if Charlie Weis spends his 20 hours a week of practice working on installing 14 new offenses and packages. Our lineman should be spending that time pounding each other into the ground.

Plus, what does it say about Weis when he PICKED those guys to be on his staff?? If Latina and Powlus and Haywood are so incompetent, then why have those guys been on the staff the last few years in the first place??

Finally, does anyone really believe that the top assistants out there (special teams, o-line, d-line, Rbs, etc) are going to be clamoring to sign up for the sinking ship of Notre Dame football that is the Charlie Weis era?? Why would the Alabama o-line coach leave Bama to take the ND job when Charlie might not even be around in a year?? Unless Charlie Weis is planning to go completely hands-off and turn over his offense to a coach who knows how to develop a physical team, why would any great offensive coach sign up for this job knowing that they will probably be a lackey for Weis??

Blaming the assistants is bush league. The problems with ND start and end with Charlie Weis. Weis has already started throwing his assistants under the bus with this stunt to take over playcalling for Navy. Wow, bold move. Taking over the playcalling for Navy. That’s gutsy.

Mike Haywood is just as much of an ND alum as Charlie Weis. He deserves better than this nonsense. He never even had a chance to create an offense in his vision. Everything we do is still the Charlie Weis offense.

10. Now that there is some talk of a new coach at ND, the first thing I wanted to address was this absolutely hilarious notion that our coaching search should start with the following names.

1) Nick Saban
2) Bob Stoops
3) Jon Gruden
4) Mark Richt

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever read. Are we really doing this again?? Does anyone really believe that any of those guys are realistic candidates for the ND job?? Seriously? Did ND fans not learn ANYTHING from the 2001 and 2004 coaching searches?

Why would Bob Stoops leave Oklahoma?? Oklahoma is already a better job than the ND job. He makes a ton of money, he has lifetime job security, he has already reached the pinnacle, and he knows he can win 10+ games every year at OU and have a realistic chance to win a national title.

Nick Saban is not leaving Alabama for god sakes. The only reason he left LSU is because he got the itch for the NFL. It took him less than two years to realize that the NFL wasn’t for him. Now that he has landed back on his feet at one of the elite jobs in college football, I think he’ll be there for the rest of his career. Why would he leave?? He is making $4 million a year at Alabama and is just getting started there. Going to ND would be a step down for him.

Do ND fans realize that those guys are rumored for EVERY college job that opens and yet there is a 0.0% chance that any of them are leaving?? Bob Stoops is a freaking pipe dream. He’s not leaving, and every minute that we daydream about him is a minute wasted as we try to identify the best candidate for the ND job. Spending all our time pining for Bob Stoops is how you end up with Tyrone Willingham and Charlie Weis as your head coach.

We shouldn’t be looking for Bob Stoops or Nick Saban or Mark Richt. We should be looking for the NEXT Bob Stoops and Nick Saban and Mark Richt. Bob Stoops was an assistant at Florida before taking that OU job. Mark Richt was an assistant at Florida State before taking the Georgia job. Nick Saban was the head coach at Toledo before moving up the ladder to Michigan State. The athletic directors at those schools discovered those guys before they became big name coaches, did their homework, evaluated them properly, and came to the conclusion that they would be great head coaches. That is what ND should be doing. Going around and getting rejected by Bob Stoops and Nick Saban is not conducting a head coaching search. Those guys are not candidates for the job, and they never will be.

9. So who should we looking at??

As far as I’m concerned, the guy who should be at the top of the list is one name and one name only:

BRIAN KELLY.

Maybe there are other potentially great coaches out there and I would want ND to look into everyone, but my list would start with Brian Kelly. We should be researching him, interviewing everyone he coached at Grand Valley State, Central Michigan, and Cincinnati, interviewing all his assistants to find out about him, watching film of his teams, and learning everything there is to know about him.

What I can promise to you ND fans that we will find out is that Brian Kelly is one of the very best head coaches in all of college football. The elite of the elite. I’ll start with his record. Kelly started as the head coach of Grand Valley State at the age of 30 and won 6 conference titles and 2 Division II national championships in thirteen years. Then he lands at Central Michigan where CMU had posted the following records in the 5 years before:

3-9
4-8
3-8
3-9
4-7

Three years into the job, Brian Kelly wins the MAC. Not surprisingly, he gets some interest from larger schools and ends up at Cincinnati. I am telling you from firsthand knowledge that Brian Kelly has done an absolutely remarkable job at UC. He literally went EVERYWHERE in that first offseason to drum up interest in the program – radio shows, tv interviews, pep rallies, local events. He hadn’t even coached a game, and he was already a borderline legend at UC. The guy is enthusiastic, he’s intense, he’s passionate, and players absolutely love playing for him. And the results on the field have been even better than anyone could have anticipated. 10-3 in his first year, and now he has UC in position to win the Big East in his second year. And he’s doing it with a 4th string quarterback and a roster put together by bubble gum and shoestring.

The thought of UC football in a BCS bowl was completely unfathomable to me until this year. This is a UC program that would be lucky to draw 15,000 fans to a game and regularly lost to MAC teams. They are LUCKY to get 2 star recruits. The goal for UC football for most of the last 20 years was to eventually become as good as Miami (Ohio). Now they are going to places like West Virginia and winning.

While Mark Dantonio deserves credit for stabilizing the UC program after the Rick Minter era, Brian Kelly has taken the program to an entirely different level. I like Mark Dantonio a lot. He is doing a great job at MSU and I’ve been a fan of his going all the way back to his days as the Ohio State defensive coordinator under Tressel when they won the national title. I was in law school at UC when Dantonio was there, and he did a nice job building a foundation. Dantonio is a good coach no doubt about it, and he’d be an upgrade over Charlie Weis. But if you go and ask ANY UC fan to make a comparison between Dantonio and Brian Kelly, I can guarantee what answer you are getting. Dantonio was good, but Kelly is spectacular. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve heard a caller on a Cincy sports radio show asking for Brian Kelly to take the Bengals job. The same goes for UC players. There were a ton of quotes in Kelly’s first season from players on the team directly comparing Dantonio and Kelly, and every one of them basically went on the record and said UC was better-coached under Kelly.

Maybe I’ll be completely wrong about Brian Kelly and he’ll fall flat on his face at Tennessee or Clemson or wherever he ends up. But I personally think he has an Urban Meyer type ceiling, and his track record for building programs and taking them to heights not previously experienced is very Meyer-esque. Kelly’s teams play in one speed: FAST. Everyone is flying to the ball, they are going hard for 60 minutes, and they are always attacking. His offenses are exciting, and his defenses really get after it. It is a blast to watch, and I think he would do incredible things if he had an offseason to work with Clausen and Floyd and all our young talent. Brian Kelly would win with this ND roster. BIG. Mark that down.

And trust me when I say that ND fans will absolutely LOVE Brian Kelly. I know ND fans, and ND would love this guy. He’s fiery, but he’s also very positive. He’s a Catholic who would probably crawl through glass to take the ND job. And it would be a nice change to get a classy guy as head coach instead of the arrogant, “I'm going to motivate through my press conferences” crap that we’ve had with Weis.

People talk about Kelly being inexperienced, which is complete nonsense. He’s been a head coach for like 18 years. Yes, most of that was at GVSU, but it’s not like other D-IAA coaches haven’t had success. He’s still only 47 years old, but he’s not inexperienced as a head coach at all. The inexperience card is a complete myth that needed to be debunked.

If ND wants to keep Weis, that’s their call. But I think they should at least be doing their homework on prospective head coaches who have the potential to be great. And I think Brian Kelly could be that guy. If we putz around and decide to make a move in a year or two, Brian Kelly might already be doing big things at Clemson or somewhere. By then, it will be too late to get him to South Bend.

8. The other guy who I have to say I am intrigued by is Will Muschamp. I know this thought might cause ND fans to temporarily pass out before shouting me down with the “ND better not hire a head coach who has no head coaching experience” mantra that you see on the message boards, but I don’t agree with that policy as a hard rule. What if Oklahoma had that same policy when they were looking for a replacement for John Blake?? What if Georgia had not bothered to interview Mark Richt to replace Jim Donnan because he had never been a head coach before?? Is it really a smart policy to rule out promising head coaches?? How do we know Will Muschamp isn’t going to be a phenomenal head coach?? The guy learned at the knee of Nicholas Saban. He is widely considered to be the best young d-coordinator in the game. He’s young, intense, passionate about the game, and players love playing for him. And that’s a guy that we don’t want to interview?? Seriously?? Just because we happened to make two bad hires in Charlie Weis and Bob Davie, two guys who wouldn’t have succeeded as head coaches at any major college school??

I’m of the belief that you either have it or you don’t. Experience is overrated. Hiring a guy because he’s experienced is how you end up with Ty Willingham as your head coach. If a guy learned at the knee of a great coach and has the qualities that make a great coach (leadership ability, philosophy for how he wants to build teams and a program, and ability to motivate college players), he can be successful. While I would prefer a coach who has been a head coach SOMEWHERE even if it’s a MAC school or Mountain West or whatever, I’m more interested in his personal qualities than his experience level. Urban Meyer isn’t winning big at Florida because of his experience at Bowling Green and Utah. He’s winning at Florida because he’s Urban freaking Meyer. He knows how to motivate players and get his teams to play with relentless football, and he’s had those abilities since he was an assistant under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame.

Maybe ND would make a determination that Muschamp wasn't a good fit or that he wasn't going to be a great head coach, but I think we should at least we be talking to him and finding out what he's all about. If he ends up at Clemson and wins, he'll be the Mark Richt type guy who will be turning us down in five years.

7. One idea that has been thrown out there that I actually think might be a decent idea is to hire Lou Holtz as an interim coach for the month of December and the bowl game while we sort through coaches and try to identify the best candidate. I actually love that idea, and I think Lou would be a great transition person for ND to right the ship and create a tougher mentality with this team. You’re telling me that Lou wouldn’t have this team running for 200 yards a game and getting the most out of the talent on this roster?? Of course he would. Lou Holtz knows tough football, and that is what this team needs. He could come in here and light a fire under some guys until the next coach was in place. And if Swarbrick isn’t ready for a coaching search, then a year of Lou Holtz would be just fine with me. He’s 71 years old, but Lou Holtz knows football. He would put his heart and soul into that one year of ND football, and ND’s team and program would be better for it.

6. One of the interesting things that Mike pointed out that I completely agree with is that Weis has proven that top recruits are still interested in playing at ND. While I think Weis has had a lot to do with it, I think his role in the process of getting these kids to ND is a bit exaggerated. I’ll be the first to admit that the Willingham era made me question whether ND could still recruit great talent, but it’s easy to forget that Bob Davie was regularly bringing in top 10 classes to ND before Willingham. ND is still ND. We don’t have quite the overwhelming edge that we used to in recruiting, but we still have a lot of advantages. National tv, national exposure, a promise that you will get a degree from a good school, and a chance to play in big games and big bowl games. If ND comes calling, people will listen. Heck, even Ty was able to get good players when he actually put out the effort. Recruiting to ND is not as hard as it has been made out to be.

Believe me, I am grateful that Weis has restored ND’s recruiting reputation, but I think there are a lot of coaches out there who could recruit to ND. Recruiting alone is not the only requirement for this job. Great coaches can recruit and win.

The quote from Jeff Jagodzinski about his pregame speech to his players and not one of them raised their hands when he asked them if they had been recruited by ND was absolutely SHOCKING to me. I did not know that, but it isn’t surprising. ND has significant talent advantages over schools like BC.

5. Speaking of BC, I wanted to chime in with a few thoughts about my trip to BC for the game on Saturday. While the trip overall to Boston was a great time (Boston has to be right up there among the best cities to visit in the country), I don’t really have a whole lot of great things to say about the Boston College game experience. The campus itself is very nice in a really nice part of Boston, but the football scene is an abomination. The tailgating scene is comically bad with the time restrictions and police hassling you everywhere you go. We had a great time at the tailgate we were at, but BC goes out of their way to put a damper on the potential fun before a great football Saturday.

The stadium itself and the stadium atmosphere is the bigger problem though. Everything about Alumni Stadium screams mid-major. It’s tiny, it has no character or interesting features, and it’s probably the least intimidating stadium structure I’ve ever been in. There are better high school football stadiums in Ohio than Alumni Stadium. Not all small stadiums are a joke either. Nippert Stadium on Cincinnati’s campus is about the same size but is a great place to watch a game. While there isn’t a bad seat in the house at Alumni Stadium, the house itself is so third rate that it really takes away from the experience. The place is absolutely lifeless.

The other problem is the stadium atmosphere is just awful. The student section gets into the game, but the rest of the stadium was practically silent. Very little noise outside of the student section. As an ND fan, it’s hard to get into a game on the road when the home crowd isn’t even into the game. And to make matters worse, the band is piped in through the loudspeakers the entire game. Why are they piping in their band’s music through the speakers?? What is the point of that?? To make the stadium more loud?? If anything, it makes the atmosphere worse because the band drowns everyone out. It’s hard to get into the game when the speakers are blaring BC’s rendition of “He Hate Me” right into your ear the entire game. Not good.

And I don’t want this post to come off as sour grapes. It doesn’t have anything to do with the result of the game or our losing streak to BC. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the venues at Michigan State and UNC this year even though the Irish lost, so the loss has nothing to do with it. I respect BC’s program, and I wish we had half the heart and discipline that they do. They’ve beaten us 6 times in a row, and they currently have a better football program than we do. I just think their atmosphere is small time, and that made Saturday’s loss even worse.

Will I go back to an ND-BC game at BC?? Absolutely. Any chance to hang out in Boston and see the Irish play that same weekend is a great trip if you ask me, but it’s certainly not because I want to get back inside that stadium again.

4. As we have noted multiple times on this blog, the biggest problem with a potential coaching search is that we have an athletic director and an administration that don’t know what they are doing. None of these guys have the first clue how to identify a great football coach, and it has been proven at this point. The people in charge of the last few coaching searches have gotten caught up in “magic” and “he gets it” and image, even though none of those things have anything to do with football.

I want the next coaching search to be about one thing and one thing only: FOOTBALL. The questions I want the people in charge to be asking include the following:

Is the guy a leader?
Do his players love playing for him?
Is he a motivator?
What is his philosophy for how to build a championship football team?
Does he want to win championships or just coach football?
Does he hate losing to the point of obsession (something that would have eliminated Ty Willingham immediately)?

I would start with those and then start looking at his record and references and all that. The next coach at ND better be a football leader. Weis is not a leader. He knows football without a doubt, but he’s not a leader. Weis talks to the media like he’s a leader, but that act has worn thin and players are tuning him out. Willingham’s problem was that he didn’t care. Davie’s problem was poor leadership and that he didn’t have a philosophy or a plan of action to make ND into a consistent top notch team. He could never figure out an offense or get his players to buy into what he wanted to do, and players didn't buy into his act.

In many ways, the ND situation reminds me of the Bengals’ front office. The administration may want to win, but they want to do it on their terms and remain in control of the big decisions instead of turning it over to professionals. Priests and academic types can’t be selecting the next head football coach at Notre Dame. They don’t know football. They don’t know the coaches and football people who can tell them the real info that they need to make a hire. By all accounts, Swarbrick is just a lackey who is going to follow along with whatever the top dogs in the administration want him to do. If ND was really committed to build a championship football program, they would be bringing in a big time AD who knows sports up and down and has the contacts and knowledge to make the next great hire. Somebody like the AD at Oklahoma or even the AD at a school like Xavier. We don’t have that type of AD in place right now.

ND should start researching the top young coaches in the country NOW and make a decision on who the best coach would be at ND. I don’t care who it is. Tedford, Kelly, whoever. We need to find that guy and go after him. Forget Saban and Stoops. Go get the NEXT Stoops and the NEXT Saban. Those guys started from nowhere too.

3. I don’t want this post to be construed as me giving up all hope for Notre Dame football even if Charlie Weis comes back and serves out his contract. I want nothing more than for Charlie to win the next two games decisively, play tough at USC, and win a bowl game. If we do that and finish 8-5 and he comes back for 2009, I’ll gladly put aside my differences with how he’s running this program and hope that he has a great year in 2009. I don’t see it happening, but I still want to see Charlie turn it around and make this program great. He has worked hard to bring some stability to the program, and I am appreciative of that. I don’t think it does any damage to the program if he comes back for another year, so I’m not going to be devastated if he is back next year. I will still go to as many games (including bowl games) as I can and cheer like crazy and hope that the Irish pull through and become great again under Charlie Weis. However, I think ND deserves a top 10 coach, and there is no way Charlie Weis is one of the 10 best coaches in America. I don’t even think he’s one of the top 50 coaches in the country.

And if the Irish lose to Navy next week (and although unlikely, I don’t think it can be ruled out at this point), I’d like to hear the following out of the ND student section when we take the field against Syracuse:

Brian Kelly.........clap clap clapclapclap.........Brian Kelly..........clap clap clapclapclap

2. Finally, this post would be remiss if I didn't mention the man who orchestrated this entire mess: Kevin White. In retrospect, I can't even get over that we actually did this. We gave a 10 year extension with a $14 million buyout to a guy who had coached half of one season in college football. Absolutely incredible. Was Kevin White just so caught up in the hype that he couldn't control himself?? Where is the leadership??? Where is the common sense to take a step back and evalute the potential consequences of what he was proposing??? He just handed Weis a lottery ticket with no strings attached. I don't even know what to say. Of all of White's disastrous moves at ND (and the list is too long to go through at this point), this one might actually take the cake.

Now, even if we actually wanted to get rid of Weis, it has become so financially punitive that it's almost impossible to do. We have no leverage with Weis. He's in year two of a 10 year deal. We'd be paying him off for a decade if we fired him now.

1. WEISND week 11 poll

6. Oklahoma
5. USC
4. Texas
3. Texas Tech
2. Alabama
1. Florida

Can’t believe I’m saying this, but the BCS is actually working this year. We are poised to have a championship game with the SEC champion and the Big 12 champion squaring off. The two strongest conferences in football. Never thought it would work out that way, but Penn State’s elimination has set up a path for a great championship game. The Florida-Alabama winner is a lock, and the Big 12 is a little messy. Obviously Texas Tech is in if they go undefeated. But if OU beats Texas Tech, we’d have a bit of a log jam. How would I resolve that?? Give me Texas out of the Big 12. They barely lost to Texas Tech on the road but decisively beat OU on a neutral field. Assuming that Texas Tech loses, I’d go with Texas as my Big 12 representative for being the best and most consistent team.