We've all read about how ND hasn't improved under Weis. But it's more telling that ND has actually gotten worse this year. If Swarbrick fires him, to my mind, that is why.
Consider some of the key indicators, many mentioned in this morning's numerous columns about last night's calamity:
-- Both Washington and Washington State had more first downs and total yardage than ND against USC. True, USC hung 56 and 69 on Washington and WSU, respectively, but the stats don't lie. Those lousy bottom-feeders, the lowest of the low, were more effective offensively than ND was.
-- Clausen has regressed: Through the Pitt game, Clausen posted 18 TDs against 9 INTs. The next four: 2 TDs and 8 INTs. He finished the year 20-17. Compare that to the top second-year QBs in the country: Sam Bradford (yes, he is a second-year starter) 46-6. Max Hall of BYU, 34-13. The only hope I can muster here is that Colt McCoy was 22-18 during his sophomore year, and he looks brilliant this year. Maybe Jimmy will make the jump to light-speed next year, but the smart money says he won't if the coach is Weis.
-- Overall, the team has returned to utter mediocrity. Last year's victories were over UCLA, Duke and Stanford. Combined record: 11-26, .297. This year's 6 wins were over teams with combined record of 21-49, .300. This team beat the same kind of teams it beat last year, just more of them. It lost to the same kind of teams that defeated ND last year. It played them closer and led some of those games, true. But ND showed that it could not put them away in the 2nd half, and lost all of them. That is regression.
I'm not crazy about firing the coach of a college program with the values that ND professes. But this coach has proven he's an empty suit. He can't deliver on his supposed strength: offense. Jimmy is getting worse and the run game is pitiful. Good receivers like Duval Kamara aren't being used. The offense is predictable, as one USC player said last night.
I don't know if ND has a plan B. But plan A should be to fire Weis.
Consider some of the key indicators, many mentioned in this morning's numerous columns about last night's calamity:
-- Both Washington and Washington State had more first downs and total yardage than ND against USC. True, USC hung 56 and 69 on Washington and WSU, respectively, but the stats don't lie. Those lousy bottom-feeders, the lowest of the low, were more effective offensively than ND was.
-- Clausen has regressed: Through the Pitt game, Clausen posted 18 TDs against 9 INTs. The next four: 2 TDs and 8 INTs. He finished the year 20-17. Compare that to the top second-year QBs in the country: Sam Bradford (yes, he is a second-year starter) 46-6. Max Hall of BYU, 34-13. The only hope I can muster here is that Colt McCoy was 22-18 during his sophomore year, and he looks brilliant this year. Maybe Jimmy will make the jump to light-speed next year, but the smart money says he won't if the coach is Weis.
-- Overall, the team has returned to utter mediocrity. Last year's victories were over UCLA, Duke and Stanford. Combined record: 11-26, .297. This year's 6 wins were over teams with combined record of 21-49, .300. This team beat the same kind of teams it beat last year, just more of them. It lost to the same kind of teams that defeated ND last year. It played them closer and led some of those games, true. But ND showed that it could not put them away in the 2nd half, and lost all of them. That is regression.
I'm not crazy about firing the coach of a college program with the values that ND professes. But this coach has proven he's an empty suit. He can't deliver on his supposed strength: offense. Jimmy is getting worse and the run game is pitiful. Good receivers like Duval Kamara aren't being used. The offense is predictable, as one USC player said last night.
I don't know if ND has a plan B. But plan A should be to fire Weis.
