ND has one fifth year senior at center, two very low talent upper classmen (Ty’s recruits that, though untalented still start becuase they’re simply older and more physically developed than the 19 year olds that Weis recruited) and two underclassmen that are talented….but underclassmen.

That said, if the line still struggles next year, we don’t even need to revisit this subject to agree that he sucks.

Here are the facts. Notre Dame is in the worst season in its illustrious history. Some of it is the fault of the laziest coach in college football who refused to recruit for three years (those classes were ranked reasonably, but they lacked any significant linemen..which we can all agree is the MAJOR problem at ND this year). And some of it is Weis’s fault.

You can’t argue that AFA or Navy was more talented than ND, no matter how little talent Ty brought in. So you can’t blame it all on him. But you also can’t name me a team that is playing with less experience and fewer upper classmen than ND is this year either.

But here are the differences between the two that lead to the different treatments:

1. Weis works hard. Ty did not. It’s a well known fact that Ty averaged 72 holes a week DURING the football season. He would check into the golf course on campus using a pseudonym so as to protect his anonymity. Weis is in his office at quarter to five EVERY morning.

2. Weis is recruiting. He has the number one class in America at this point coming in. You don’t fire a coach..any coach when that’s the case. You chance losing those recruits. And that could be devastating…beyond this one year debacle. Ty, on the other hand left him with a team that had fewer than 75 scholarship players. By contrast. After the University of Miami endured the second strongest penalty in the history of the NCAA, they were left with 75 scholarships.

3. Weis’s record is the same as Ty’s or one worse, I’ve lost track. But a much better measure of success is successful seasons. Now you can argue that ND didn’t deserve to go to the two BCS bowls until you’re blue in the face. They were 9-2 and 10-2 regardless. Those are successful seasons. Further, the 9-2 season was one in which most pundits predicted us to be 6-6 at best. Ty on the other hand, won with Bob Davie’s recruits (hey if you can argue that Weis won with his, than you can’t deny that either) and then won 5 and 6 games. That’s not a blip. That’s a pattern of mediocrity. Add to that the lack of any recruiting..and well..you figure it out. I’ll freely agree that if Weis wins fewer than 8 games next year, he should and will be fired.

4. Weis is learning and willing to change things. In year two he fired and re-hired his defensive coordinator. There will be more changes this year. These include a willingness to accept blame (he does that every week, but the media takes one quote in the 11th game and makes it seem as if he throws his players under the bus) and a willingness to admit wrong. The only reason we know he’s changing his practices is because he’s said so. Let’s contrast that with Ty. In year three, Ty was told that he needed to replace his offesnive coordinators or he wouldn’t be asked back. He refused citing loyalty..the same loyalty that he DIDN’T show when he moved to Washington and refused to take along the same coordinator that he was asked to fire. He also routinely (and still does) threw his players under the bus. One of his famous quotes was, “I don’t have a bad day.” This came after he ALWAYS blamed “execution.” He still does. ASk Washington fans.

Now that I’ve written a novel, I won’t get into the ridiculousness of saying that ND has the only easy way into the BCS when Michigan could back its way in despite losing to any team that’s worth a damn and that Florida St. made it at 6-5(I think) last year.

NewAZtiger: I think you’re finally starting to understand my original post. I don’t think many rational football fans would argue that ND’s struggles are almost entirely due to coaching inadequacy. I’ve noticed that many programs are succeeding with Freshmen at key positions, which calls Weis’ ability to develop players into question.

You’ve had better recruiting classes than Ty, and worse performances year after year. If that isn’t coaching, then what is?

For example, UGA and AU both have 2 freshmen playing on the O-line, multiple freshmen on O and D, and they still manage to play good football. Oh, and they were out-recruited by ND the last 2 years as well.

Edsall and Adam, you’re Notre Dame and you’re 1-9! Not 4-5 with a few bad breaks. Wake the hell up. The longwinded rationalizations of Domers used to be irritating, annoying and sometimes amusing. Now it’s just pathetic. Don’t worry about the “haters”. Worry about them being right this time and take action. SC’s 38-0 victory this year was the least satisfying I’ve seen in the series because it wasn’t even a valid competition. You have a disaster on your hands. And I don’t want to hear how you already have next year’s number one recruiting class, ’cause it won’t be number one on signing day; and it won’t play like number one, two or three years out. Time to put 25 mil. in the collection plate and move on.

He’s taken a program that was average, shot it in both knees and then took it hunting with Dick Cheney. Oh, and while he was doing that, his fat ass sued someone for a botched bariatric surgery. The guy has no discipline. He’s got fat rings on his fat fingers and that got him a couple of recruiting classes. What recruits are going to bang down the doors of ND now?

Actually, I can’t spell it anyway.