Think this is it for Charlie?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Notre Dame
1

<p>Although I am currently an undergrad at UPenn, I still am a huge ND football fan (since Ivy league football doesn't get the kind of attention here in Philly as it does for schools in the Big 10 or ND). Judging by this years 1-8 record, I am starting to wonder if this means that Charlie's days are numbered for the team. I know that he signed a 10 year contract last year but I feel like things have changed.</p>

<p>First of all, there is way too much talent on the team for ND to be losing to teams like Navy. I went to visit my friend who is a sophomore at ND two weeks ago for the USC game and I could see a lot of things at the pep rally which were kind of alarming. Coach Weis and the team were behaving extremely unprofessional, as though hinting that there was some sort of lack of chemistry and uneasiness growing between them. The team looked as though they didn't want to be there. </p>

<p>This is all after ND had been improving in their playing, despite losing to BC earlier that week preceded by a victory against UCLA. Then USC came along and destroyed ND. Sharpley couldn't cut it, and all the sudden the team is back to square one. People keep saying that it's all external, that the team is rebuilding and Clausen should play to be broken in, etc.</p>

<p>But I don't feel like that's the case. Look at today's game: 41 seconds on the clock, you're tied against a team who you have beaten 43 years in a row (that's double most of our ages, folks), your OL is thirty one yards away from the field goal, and you decide to go for it on the 4th and 8th. 8 yards?!? are you joking? One yard is realistic, three yards is risky, but EIGHT? </p>

<p>Third overtime and a loss later, my friend called me from the stadium and he told me that the ND section was BOOing when the band played the Charlie Weis overture song (i forget the name of it). Unacceptable. You guys are not Michigan. You can choose not to sing the song if you feel like your coach doesn't deserve it, but you don't boo him. </p>

<p>Anyways, these are some of my thoughts as a student who almost went to ND. Though I'm not regretting missing the football aspect, I thought it would be interesting to get some feedback from other students/fans...do you think that this might signal the end of Charlie Weis' coaching career at ND? Most people said around USC that it would take another year of losing streaks to tell, but this is really starting to take the cake...Air Force will definitely be a struggle, but what if ND loses to Duke and Stanford...?</p>

2

<p>While I am not a football aficionado, I do live in Football Country-where coaches are bought and sold every day, depending on the outcome of games. Yes, it has been a difficult season for ND and for many of us to swallow. However, if Charlie Weis signed a 10-year contract, I can't imagine that ND will buy out that contract to replace him with someone else so soon into the contract. I also can't imagine that one season would be cause for dismissal. But, as I said, I am certainly not an expert. I'm still behind the team and hoping for better seasons in years to come. Go Irish!</p>

3

<p>The ND student section was NOT booing during the 1812 Overture. We may be disappointed with Charlie as a coach (for now), but we recognize that he is really a great guy. What he did earlier this week for Hughes demonstrates that.</p>

4

<p>Putsch, I was on the phone with my friend when I heard some booing at the END of the game I'm pretty sure I heard booing and the 1812 Overture being played (not in between the 3rd and 4th quarter like in tradition). My friend was even shouting, "are you serious? no way!" while he was talking to me...</p>

5

<p>While I simply refuse to do the whole "Weis" thing with the hands anymore, I will not boo a member of this university. However, there were definitely a significant number of people around me in the student section booing when the 1812 Overture was played. </p>

<p>With this being said, they have every right to boo. They paid good money for their tickets and have to sit though these debacles. I personally have lost all confidence in Weis's ability to coach a college team, manage a game, and represent the University of Notre Dame. I held out hope for the longest time, but this is the last straw. He will always be just an NFL guy who cannot relate to his college players. He may be able to gameplan for another team in the NFL, but his "complex schemes" (screens, draws, and running back dives 50% of the time) are not being instructed to the players. At least show some improvement. I have seen none at all over the course of the season. Finally, his arrogance and ego constantly flow out of him. All talk, no walk. The man does not know how to keep his mouth shut and keep things he says from biting him in the butt. You have two weeks to get a gameplan and defend the triple option of a team who is physically overmatched, and this is the best they could come up with?</p>

<p>Nonetheless, I am proud of the USNA men who played full-out for 60 minutes. They deserved to win with that effort. After the last play, the only thing I could do was stand there and clap. I only hope that we can find a way to light the same fire under our players. If that means Weis is gone, then so be it.</p>

6

<p>I think it would be extremely stupid for the university to dump a coach after ONE losing season. And the school obviously has faith in Weis by signing such a long contract. Fact of the matter is, we have a great recruiting class, and they are young. And from the looks of it, regardless of the poor performance on the field, we still have a top recruiting class coming in. Weis obviously must be doing something right being able to bring in such recruits, with the #1 QB recruit again I might add.</p>

7

<p>Everyone in my section booed during Charlie's song. He has made so many dumb decisions this season, and everyone I've talked to is really sick of him.</p>

8

<p>Youth is one thing, excuses are another. We were beaten by a Navy team we should have physically overpowered. Good recruiting classes only get you so far (ask Larry Coker how that worked out at Miami). Interestingly enough, our boy Crist isn't #1... that's Terrelle Pryor from PA. Plus, there's no telling how a high school kid will adapt to the speed of the college game. Jimmy Clausen sure hasn't yet.</p>

<p>We aren't just losing games. With the exception of Navy, we are getting our rear ends handed to us week in and week out. We won the UCLA game with 130 yards of total offense and against a walk-on, 4th string QB. Lack of game plans can't be blamed on youth. This is squarely coaching... Charlie needs to lose the ego and accept this.</p>

9

<p>There was like 2 or 3 people booing. Maybe 1 or 2 making loser L's with their fingers. But those people are not truly Notre Dame fans. And the people booing are the freshmen because they are dumbasses. Charlie is dealing with a young inexperienced team. The players may be very good on paper but they are inexperienced.</p>

10

<p>red06,</p>

<p>Take off the blue/gold glasses. 14 out of 22 starters are juniors and seniors... Inexperience doesn't consistently get you trounced 38-0, 38-0, 33-3, 31-10, 31-14, etc, by average to above-average teams. That's simply poor coaching and lack of execution. If we were inexperienced, we would at least move the ball somewhat. Before Navy, we probably had only two or three drives a game that weren't three and out. That is pathetic. </p>

<p>Look at Ohio State after their 2002 title run. They graduated or lost over 60% of that team but still finished in the top 20 the next year. They didn't follow up a few good years with the worst season in school history. That is because Tressel can coach college ball and work his players into repetitions. A lot of the other big-time schools can work freshmen and sophomores into their starting lineups and do just fine. </p>

<p>We (and I was guilty of this for awhile too) have used inexperience as a crutch for this team for too long. Nine games into the season should show some strides of getting better. I see none.</p>

11

<p>I wish Tressel were coaching here. Being from Columbus, I get so sick and tired of my OSU friends giving me crap all the time. This was not supposed to be a terrific season for OSU, but they are just dominating. Oh, and for the record, the gentlemen of Sorin College were not booing at least.</p>

12

<p>The only good thing that happened yesterday is that one very over-rated team lost to FSU...not to be a poor sport, but please, at least they finally played someone good, and it showed. Ok, feeling better...</p>

13

<p>I can't believe what I am hearing from you guys</p>

14

<p>I have been a fan for so many years and have enjoyed the great Holtz, Devine and Parseghian teams. I always liked Notre Dame as the national Catholic team that played and many times beat all the big boys from the Big 10, Pac 10, SEC and Big 12. </p>

<p>Notre Dame is now faced with its last few games on NBC getting cable level ratings for national telecasts. Given Duke's record (one win in its last 20 games or something like that), the Notre Dame-Duke game has the potential to be watched by the player's relatives and no one else. GE, the parent of NBC, it seems to me, will be faced with potential defections from affiliates and possible advertising givebacks. It may even have to write down the value of the Notre Dame contract. Notre Dame can survive 7-5 anfd 6-6 years, for even an extended period of time. It can survive an extended period of bowl losses. However, a year like this, it cannot survive without doing something dramatic to keep its position in the College/BCS power structure.
I hope the Irish can steady the ship soon. I long for the good old days.</p>

15

<p>Irishcali, BC is not an overrated team.</p>

16

<p>If I were to rank the teams at this point in the season, this is how I would do it:</p>

<p>1) Oregon (best conference in the country, their only loss was due to a fumble at the one yard line vs. Cal earlier this year, when Cal was in the top 10)</p>

<p>2)LSU (again, very tough conference, only loss was AT Kentucky).</p>

<p>3) OSU (they're undefeated in the Big-10, but that conference is down this year)</p>

<p>4)Oklahoma (yes, they lost to CO, but who hasn't blown one this year?)</p>

<p>5) Kansas (undefeated. conference isn't too tough, but their program is doing great with the players they have)</p>

<p>and yes, charlie should go. Just bc they pay him millions doesn't mean he deserves it.</p>

17

<p>umm.. mine would be</p>

<p>1.) Oregon --- best team in the country hands down
2. ) LSU ----- until they lose... which could happen in the sec champ game
3. ) Kansas----- they are the real deal
4. ) Arizona State- Outplayed Oregon on Saturday ( more offensive yards than oregon, better rushing attack ) but their inability to score in the redzone cost them the victory..
5. ) .Ohio State ---- I wish I can rank them lower, but I can't because they havent lost</p>

18

<p>Just because they pay him millions does NOT mean he deserves it, however, a buyout on a contract can be a tricky situation. And, I for one, am not interesting in helping to fund that buyout after one season of losses. The full price of tuition right now is enough! Patience is in the playbook right now for us!!</p>

19

<p>First of all, yes BC was VERY overrated (just being honest) and now they will fall to about where they deserve to be. They are a talented team but, just like South Florida, they are not the number 2 team in the nation. </p>

<p>I am certainly very disappointed with how we are doing this year and some of the calls (why didn't we try the field goal at the end of the game to win for example) but at the same point this feels very different than when Willingham was fired to me. With Willingham you could look at the recruiting and easily see that we were headed downhill fast. Right now, we still are holding on to the top recruiting class in the nation (I don't know how) and I have to believe that will make a difference. We do have some veterans, but if they haven't had a chance to play, are they really veterans? Just being in the program isn't the same as getting on the field.</p>

<p>Look at Florida and USC. Granted, they are doing much better than us, but they are going through similar problems. It happens. Give the team a few yaers. That being said, I think Weis is way too cocky, doing things like the crazy fake field goal, and perhaps he will get humbled by all of this. I hope so. If not, someone else may come in and take advantage of the recruiting he did like Meyer did to Zook at Florida.</p>

<p>I really don't see Weis being fired in the next 3 years though. After that, who knows.</p>

20

<p>Charlie is definitely not giving us our money's worth. However, Notre Dame can't afford to pay three coaches. Or we could, but I'm sure we have a few better uses for those millions...</p>