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If not for his attitude, Weis might not be on hot seat
I mean, obviously if Weis is coaching in South Bend next year, Notre Dame administrators want him to win. But do they want this guy to be their coach for the next five or 10 years? Do they like having him around? Do they feel he represents the school well?
CHARLIE IN CHARGE?
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These things matter everywhere in college football, but they especially matter at Notre Dame. Weis is, among other things, a proud alum of the school. Yet from the start of his tenure, he has alienated various alums, former players and other people of influence in South Bend.
Weis is now 28-21 at Notre Dame, but 9-15 in his past two seasons. His team was just outgained by USC 266-9 in the first half. Plus, Notre Dame fired Tyrone Willingham when he was 21-15 after three seasons; if the Irish keep Weis, they will face charges of both hypocrisy and racism.
Yet despite all that, I still think Weis would keep his job if people liked him more.
I once talked to the father of a Notre Dame player and casually mentioned that Weis had a big ego. The dad quickly corrected me: "He has a huge ego!" And this was a guy who, by and large, seemed to like Weis. Charlie's ego is accepted as fact, by both admirers and detractors and, as far as I can tell, by Weis himself. He has referred to himself as "some obnoxious, sarcastic guy from New Jersey" with more than a hint of pride.
That was fine when Weis took Notre Dame to Bowl Championship Series games in his first two seasons. Critics said the Fighting Irish only got those bids because they were the Fighting Irish, and they might be right, but the fact is that nobody could quibble with Weis's coaching acumen in those two seasons.
In retrospect, winning early might have killed Weis's chances for long-term success at Notre Dame. If he had opened his coaching career with a 3-9 or 6-6 season, it might have punctured his ego, at least a little, and forced him to make vital connections with important people at Notre Dame. Instead, Weis saw those two BCS berths as further proof of his genius.
He's not a genius. None of them are. And what Weis should know by now is that his ego was not all that charming even when he was winning — people just put up with it.
The shame is that Weis is the first Notre Dame coach since Lou Holtz who did not shrink from the pressure of the job.
If Weis is fired, what happens to the Fighting Irish? Notre Dame has not been a serious national player in 15 years, and there is an increasing sentiment, nationally, that Notre Dame's days as a national title contender are history. You've heard the arguments. No self-respecting high school stud wants to go to South Bend. The school's academic standards are too high. The names Rockne and Leahy mean as much to kids today as Lindbergh does.
I don't buy it. First of all, Weis has recruited very well. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen was the most touted player in his class, and Weis lured him out of California. Last year, Notre Dame's recruiting class was ranked among the top five in the nation by people who rank such things.
Bob Stoops has rebuilt a powerhouse in Norman, Okla. Nick Saban has rebuilt a powerhouse in Tuscaloosa, Ala. This is not a knock on those towns I haven't been to either and I'd love to see both. But you can't tell me high school players around the country know anything about Norman and Tuscaloosa. They know that Oklahoma and Alabama are historically top 10 programs, and that Stoops and Saban are great coaches.
The Notre Dame name still resonates, too. The right coach can still win big there. And once the Irish get rolling, all of their built-in advantages — their own TV network deal, a national name, more media attention than any other school, an extraordinary alumni and fan base — will help them keep rolling.
Whether you love Notre Dame or hate Notre Dame, don't kid yourself: Notre Dame can still win big. But the Irish need somebody who is both a great coach and the right coach. Weis clearly thinks he is a great coach. We'll find out shortly if Notre Dame thinks he is the right coach.
Top Five
1. Alabama Left tackle Andre Smith is not on the Heisman list below. But maybe he should be.
2. Florida Steve Spurrier was 5-8-1 against Bobby Bowden. Urban Meyer is 4-0. Yeah, I know, this is not the same Florida State program that Spurrier faced. I'm just throwing it out there.
Bowl season roundup
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Bowl recaps and analysis:
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EagleBank: Wake 29, Navy 19 | CFN
New Mexico: Colo. St. 40, Fresno St. 35
St. Petersburg: S. Florida 41, Memphis 14
Las Vegas: Arizona 31, BYU 21 | CFN
New Orleans: SMU 30, Troy 27 (OT) | CFN
Poinsettia: TCU 17, Boise St. 16 | CFN
Hawaii: Notre Dame 49, Hawaii 21 | CFN
Motor City: FAU 24, Cen. Mich. 21 | CFN
Meineke: W. Virginia 31, UNC 30 | CFN
Champs Sports: Fla. St. 42, Wis. 13 | CFN
Emerald: Cal 24, Miami 17 | CFN
Independence: La. Tech 17, NIU 10 | CFN
Papajohns.com: Rutgers 29, N.C. St. 23
Alamo: Mizzou 30, N'west. 23 (OT) | CFN
Humanitarian: Maryland 42, Nevada 35
Texas: Rice 38, W. Michigan 14
Holiday: Oregon 42, Oklahoma St. 31 | CFN
Armed Forces: Houston 34, Air Force 28
Sun: Oregon St. 3, Pittsburgh 0 | CFN
Music City: Vandy 16, BC 14 | CFN
Insight: Kansas 42, Minnesota 21
Chick-fil-A: LSU 38, Georgia Tech 3
Outback: Iowa 31, South Carolina 10 | CFN
Capital One: Georgia 24, MSU 12 | CFN
Gator: Nebraska 26, Clemson 21
Rose: USC 38, Penn St. 24 | Analysis
Orange: Va. Tech 20, Cincinnati 7
Cotton: Ole Miss 47, Texas Tech 34
Liberty: Kentucky 25, East Carolina 19
Sugar: Utah 31, Alabama 17
International: UConn 38, Buffalo 20
Fiesta: Texas 24, Ohio St. 21 | Analysis
GMAC: Tulsa 45, Ball St. 13
BCS title: Florida 24, Oklahoma 14
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3. Texas This seems like a good time to tell Oklahoma fans once again that I don't have a vote in any poll.
4. Oklahoma Four straight games of more than 60 points ... just ridiculous. Sam Bradford's performance against Oklahoma State was as impressive as any I've seen this season.
5. USC Without any real chance at the BCS title game, will the Trojans lose interest in the UCLA game or take it out on the Bruins? We've all seen enough of USC over the years. Expect the latter.
Four for the Heisman
1. Colt McCoy, Texas
2. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
3. Tim Tebow, Florida
4. Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech
I expect McCoy to win the award, and obviously I have no argument. But this is one of those years where four or five guys deserve it.
Under the table
Florida has been the best team in the country since the beginning of October. But I'm curious to see how the Gators perform down the stretch of a close game. They have only played one all year, and they lost it.
Of course, Alabama has to keep it close for us to find out.
Would Tennessee have hired Kiffin if he was still the offensive coordinator at USC? Or did his struggles with the Raiders make him more qualified to coach in the SEC?
I'm not really criticizing the hire — Kiffin might be great. He has a dynamic personality and could provide a jolt of energy to the Volunteers. I am just genuinely curious why Lane Kiffin is the best guy for Tennessee.
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