ND RECRUITING: A POOR EXCUSE FOR A RICH IMAGE
The underplayed story from yesterday’s signing day–and again, how a story about Notre Dame got underplayed is beyond us–was the real, legitimate, non wind-aided (Lemming, windmaker) performance of Irish in recruiting. In recent history , when a recruit like Deion Walker wobbled on signing day, the wobble went full-bore wiggle and turned into defection. (Or theft, depending on your perspective cough cough Urban Meyer cough.)
Yet Walker came through for the Irish, who did what teams sometimes actually do on signing day: address needs while flashing the necessary star power. 3-9 may have been the best “help wanted” advertisement imaginable, as Weis himself admitted after the fax machine was turned off and the LOIs in and secure:
“If you really want to take a negative season and turn it into a positive, you say to these guys, ‘Do you want to play? You’re watching the games, right? If you think you can play here, let’s go, and if you don’t, go somewhere else,’ ” Weis said.
Say what you will, he is honest….and in possession of a startling array of moves.

You can always eat your lunch tomorrow. It’ll probably keep if you put it back in the fridge immediately. (We have a theory as to why Notre Dame’s performance yesterday didn’t get the bandwidth it might have gotten, and it has to do with the perpetual comeback the program has been on, and the media fatigue with it, blah blah etc. We’ll be over here with our bag full of obvious insights putting together a theory that though yesterday was very exciting, in the end it’s all about needing the total package to succeed in college football. Blogger cliche heh RTWT LOL!)









1
domer.mq says:
Hey, man. You’ll never see a ND alum take credit for “Return to Glory.” That was the sort of absurd marketing that happened right around the time the administration asked someone to make an easy-listening song about Irish Football.
Warning: If the pic didn’t make you sick, well, this wont either. What the hell is wrong with you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGHdeEXH7js
February 7th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
2
Ground0EastLansing says:
TRUFFLE SHUFFLE! TRUFFLE SHUFFLE!
February 7th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
3
Edsall is God says:
1 – My uncle (a domer who moved BACK to South Bend) plays that song to wake himself up on Gamedays. And when I say plays it…I mean blasts it so loud it wakes you up in the basement from his room. Never, ever, ever underestimate the love Domers have for Notre Dame. After a while…i kind of liked the song.
Did UConn get any top 100 recruits? Top 1000? Top 10,000?
February 7th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
4
DC Trojan says:
Domer.mg @ 1… wrong. I could take C Weis laying down the boogie in his BVDs, but another 30 seconds of that mawkish faux-Irish MOR tripe and I would have lost control of my digestive tract in its entirety.
February 7th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
5
DC Trojan says:
So I suppose it’s working as designed, now that I think about it.
February 7th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
6
Brian says:
ND recruiting, as you say O, boils down to: You mean I could be a 4 year starter at ND? Sweet!
February 7th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
7
PW says:
Probably testing the offseason Bama-Auburn threadjack waters here, but couldn’t Bama’s stellar recruiting class (at least as compared with Auburn’s) also be attributed as much to their past 2 seasons of mediocrity as to the advent of Saban?
February 7th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
8
Papa Lou BSU says:
I don’t think it’s the broader “perpetual comeback” line that the media is tired of when it comes to ND, per se.
I think it’s specifically the fact that ND has had a boatload of highly-ranked recruiting classes in the Davie-Willingham-Weis era and has relatively little — save being on the receiving end of two Fiesta Bowl thrashings and one Sugar Bowl beating — to show for them in that 11-year span.
Now, whether some of those previous classes were unfairly hyped via Lemming’s puffery is certainly worth debating, but I don’t think it’s unfair for the media to say, in effect, “great, another outstanding class… time for you Domers to actually *do* something with it before we get excited this time, though.”
Eventually, even lazy sportswriters get tired of hyping a trend that doesn’t come true.
February 7th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
9
memphissub says:
Lou BSU, you should really go back and look at the Davieham era recruiting results, particularly Willingham’s. They were the epitome of subpar, with a trend towards mediocre.
February 7th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
10
sb says:
#8…I think the “now do something with it” sentiment pervades all non-domers attitudes, not that we really want them too, its just fun to say when a domer starts pounding his chest and acting all domer-y.
February 7th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
11
Scalz1 says:
They need to sign that guy named “decided schematic advantage” that C Weis has been touting for the past couple of years.
February 7th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
12
Brian says:
#7 — Definite possibility, considering that I believe this was the train of logic used on rationalizing the ND class. “Hey, a football hegemon is showing weakness, power vacuum!”
February 7th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
13
Aerobab says:
Memphissub @ #9:
“Sub-Par” is exactly where Ty wants to be. Over-par is the same thing as a “Bogey”, which is absolutely disasterous on the links!
February 7th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
14
akaRonMexico says:
You guys should interview Omar Hunter and ask him how he liked being lied to about Mattison leaving. Like you said, at least Weis is honest with the recruits.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
15
OhioDawg says:
#9 – Yet it was only with Willingham’s talent that Weiss could win.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
16
BuckeyeDomer says:
#15 Interesting, than I guess Willingham only won with Davie’s talent and he’s only won at UW with … uh, nevermind.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
17
Orson Swindle says:
Mattison’s not going anywhere officially yet. And since when can you blame a guy for possibly taking a pro job? We can’t. It’s not like Omar Hunter speaks Esperanto, and the only Esperanto speaker on staff is Hunter. He’ll be fine.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
18
akaRonMexico says:
#17 – According to the Florida Rivals site it is a done deal.
As for Omar, he may not speak Esparanto but now he really understands what it it like to be lied to and to have someone go back on their word.
I look forward to seeing him declared academically ineligible just like the other DT’s he was brought in to replace.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
19
OhioDawg says:
#16 – You have to win with the prior guy’s talent when you take a job at a school that won’t honor a five year contract. But that’s not the point.
The point is that, unless you live in a bubble, you’ve heard the ND nation rise up as one to lay the blame for last year at Willingham’s feet. It’s just getting a little tired.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
20
BuckeyeDomer says:
OhioDawg: No the point was your’s, that Charlie only won with Ty’s talent. Not a proposition I accept, but if good for the goose (Charlie) then it is good for the gander (Ty). And there is a reason ND Nation rose up on the Ty recruiting issue, it’s true. Ty’s last two classes were ranked in the 30’s and 40’s respectively. Those two classes are/were graduating between 2006 and 2008 (depending on fifth-years) in other words the classes that killed us last year and will not help much next year.
February 7th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
21
Papa Lou BSU says:
Memphissub,
Not to accuse you of revisionist history or anything, but Davie landed at least three consensus Top 10 classes in his five seasons (’97, ‘98 — the Irish were 3rd, and ‘00).
Willingham’s 2003 class was ranked 5th by Scout (Quinn, Samardjiza, Tommy Z., et al). His first class was ranked 12th, not bad considering he wasn’t hired until after New Year’s Day. The “horrible” 2004 class that has taken on mythic proportions among ND faithful and was blamed for this year’s struggles was ranked 30th — ahead of Auburn, Wisconsin, Missouri and BC… all teams whose senior classes seriously outperformed ND. Illinois, whose 2004 class was inherited by [NAME REDACTED], was nearly 20 slots lower and yet, finished with nine wins and a Rose Bowl berth. Oh, and Savior Weis’ first class was ranked a whopping *three slots* ahead of the 2004 class. But I suppose “more devotion to Bill Belicheck than the school that hired him” jokes aren’t as easy to make as Ty Willingham golfing jokes, right?
My original point stands… the talent’s been there. ND coaches in recent years (including Weis) haven’t done anything with it.
February 7th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
22
Jim says:
Papa Lou BSU,
A single recruiting class can not be considered in a vacuum, if a great class is bracketed by to lousy ones then it will not have a dramatic impact. The key is consistancy pulling quality players top to bottome (look a USC) because we all know that the recruiting class ranking is at best a guess.
February 7th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
23
DJ says:
Weis had two good years with Ty’s only good recruiting class. He had one horrible year with a junior and senior class completely bereft of players. Not talent…PLAYERS.
The jury is most definitely out on CW, but I would expect improvement this year and vast improvement in 2009. If ND is a .500 team for the next two years, you can crucify Charlie all you want. He will have deserved it.
February 7th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
24
Papa Lou BSU says:
“Weis had two good years with Ty’s only good recruiting class…”
A top-12 class (Willingham’s first, which he followed with a fifth-ranked class) isn’t “good?” Um, okay.
“He had one horrible year with a junior and senior class completely bereft of players. Not talent…PLAYERS.”
And just whose fault is that, exactly?
“A single recruiting class can not be considered in a vacuum, if a great class is bracketed by to lousy ones then it will not have a dramatic impact. The key is consistancy pulling quality players top to bottome (look a USC) because we all know that the recruiting class ranking is at best a guess.”
Confronted with hard data, you choose to move the goal posts. Fine. The statement was that Davie’s and Willingham’s recruiting classes were lousy. I posted evidence to the contrary, that in actuality, both coaches had some highly-ranked classes during their stays in South Bend. As a wise man once told me, your mileage may vary.
February 7th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
25
kevin says:
Blame Ty and his recruiting all you want but something tells me his recruiting classes were better than Navy’s. Nuff said.
February 7th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
26
Ed says:
PapaLou – the argument is the validity of the rankings that are created the day after LOI day. The vast majority of cfb devotees understand that ND is typically inflated, just as they are in preseason rankings. Loou Holtz has repeatedly remarked on this phenomenon.
You argue your facts well and I have no problem with you.
The question is the set of facts (worthiness of recruiting rankings). Also, ND faced (and still faces) for the past five years at least, a particular problem with numbers at DL. Recruiting rankings simply do not, in a given year, reflect positional shortfalls – they only reflect a bulk number of rating stars, and the flashy speed/skill position player or three.
Last year was on Ty and the ND administration at that time. Period. Knute couldn’t have finessed a winning record with the material CW had. Neither could Charlie Mac, Nick, or Les.
February 7th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
27
Digital Headbutt says:
The longer you look at that gif, the funnier it gets.
February 7th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
28
NogginsJefers says:
Are this year’s recruits total morons or what? Since when have either Notre Dame or Alabama been anything more than a history lesson?
February 7th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
29
Lawrence Ross says:
I hate you for that Weis gif. It’ll stick in my brain forever.
February 8th, 2008 at 4:03 am
30
OhioDawg says:
Weis’ best year came with Willingham’s recruits leading the charge. Last year, with a decided schematic advantage, Weis managed to field an offense that was #110 in passing, #116 in rushing and #117 in scoring.
I’m deeply skeptical of recruiting class rankings, but I haven’t seen anyone put Willingham’s classes in the 100s.
February 8th, 2008 at 6:36 am
31
tim says:
I can’t believe we’re still having this argument. Ty’s first class was Davie’s class, not Ty’s. Ty had one great class and two awful ones. They were small and mediocre on signing day and they dropped from there as players disappeared for various reasons. That is why there were no juniors and seniors last year. No one could have won with that many freshmen and sophomores
February 8th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
32
Bob Hewko says:
Tim- except Urban Meyer.
February 9th, 2008 at 10:32 am
33
OpEd says:
Rivals has ND from 2002 to present as:
24, 12, 32, 40, 8, 8, 2.
I think its very easy to see how the direction of things happened. Weis’ first year after the SB, was the 40th ranked class, Tys Last class. Sorry but if you feel it is a lame excuse, I don’t think it is. That coupled with the fact that Weis hadnt coached at the college level == disaster.
This year it is expected that ND will compete, will get to a bowl game. I expect the year after that they will be, and beat Top10 competition.
February 11th, 2008 at 8:11 pm