For Weis or Not For Weis, That is the Question

For Weis.  That is the answer.

I wrote after the Michigan game that Charlie Weis had finally figured out the college game.  He hasn't perfected it, but after the glaring problems last year I don't expect that quite yet.

I don't even know if I'm completely behind Charlie yet, but the anti-Weis camps that have built their fires on the outskirts of campus have pushed me over the line in his favor.  I guess you'd call me anti-anti-Weis.  Here's why:

1) Recruiting.  I just wanted to get this one out of the way.  Its a dead horse that's been beaten worse the Willingham's Huskie teams.  Obviously he's a top-notch recruiter, and equal credit goes to Brown, Tenuta, Ianello and all the coaches who visit the prospects and potentially do more work than Weis does on the recruiting trail.

Disputing this staff's ability to recruit is as ignorant as it comes.

2) Game Day.  This is a plus and a minus for Charlie.  After removing himself from Offensive Coordinator play-calling duties, our team looks more prepared as a whole.  I've only had a problem with the gameplan once, and that was against San Diego State.  Since then, I blame execution by the players and play-calling by Mike Haywood far more than I do Weis.

Maybe I'm giving Haywood too hard of time and not giving enough blame to Weis, but frankly eight straight runs to start a game (Michigan State) is an awful idea with the way this team is built.  I think I realized that Michigan State week was be the last time Haywood had complete control over the plays.  Some one realized that we need to be a pass-first team, and I have to assume it was the head coach.

3) Motivation.  I used to think Charlie couldn't motivate, but this team is motivated.  For the first season since maybe Willingham's first eight games (and now I think it was guys like Shane Walton and Vontez Duff who inspired that sick defense), you see that special fire in the eyes of the defense that separates them from just another group of defenders.

This team believes in each other and their coaches, and more importantly you can literally see how much more they believe in themselves.  That starts from up top, and Weis has instilled a confidence unlike any I've seen in an Irish squad since the early 90s.

4) Losses.  The losses haven't been on the coaches.  Against both Michigan State and North Carolina, our team looked prepared and poised.  I blame both of those losses on the players.  Their execution in the run offense was terrible against MSU and their ability to tackle was atrocious. 

Against North Carolina the Irish had that game completely in their hands.  Clausen's interception that was returned for a touchdown was a double mistake.  Besides the obvious seven points it put on the board for the Tar Heels, it livened up an otherwise dull home crowd.  Against a young away team, and more importantly a young quarterback, a raucus home crowd can more than easily sway the momentum on the field.

5) The Future.  I can't tell you loudly enough how special next year is going to be.  This time last year we were celebrating our first win of the season against a team that had lost two quarterbacks and gave up what seemed like fifty turnovers.  I'm not taking anything away from the fact that we capitalized on those situations, but let's not ignore the fact that it was a gift-wrapped victory.

Essentially we were one of the worst teams in the nation last year.  We have almost the exact same team this year and almost all of that team will show up next year as well.

Look at the progress a bunch of 18 and 19 year olds made in one off-season.  Now salivate on how much progress will be made when those 19 and 20 year olds go into their second off-season together. 

That progress is the coaches.  Coaches led by Charlie Weis.  How could you say that he's not good at his job?