Spectre of Willingham Still Looms Large Over Irish

I couldn't do it.

As much as I do and always will support the Fightin' Irish, I couldn't watch another bowl loss this season. I stopped watching after LSU scored their first TD of the second half, and went to bed. Part of this was because I was just really tired after unwisely staying up playing Splinter Cell two nights ago, but the other part of me was the weariness of seeing my team try desperately to overcome the carnage that Tyrone Willingham has wreaked on it for three years.

A friend of mine told me that he thinks Notre Dame screwed Ty Willingham over by letting him go after only three years. I think this is a fallacy for the following reason: Ty Willingham was simply not willing to do what it took to attract top rank talent to Notre Dame across the board.

Now, some of you will say "oh, Brady Quinn isn't top rank talent? Jeff Samardzija isn't?" I'm not going to disagree with you there: those guys are first day draft picks, no doubt. Maybe even Victor Abiamiri and Derek Landri. But that's where it ends. And the real problem isn't in the high-profile roles: it's in the down and dirty grinder players: your two lines (offensive and defensive), linebackers, and particularly our defensive backs. Let's put it this way: look at our linebackers and d-backs: each of them featured a player who had to be converted from another position (Travis Thomas at LB, Chinedum Ndukwe at safety) in order to fill a need. And both decisions also left us light at other positions.

Notre Dame, on its own as a name and as an academically high-ranked school, is going to attract a few smart talented players. That's where Brady Quinn and his ilk show up. But let's face it: recruiting isn't something you can do by just walking up to some recruit's door and saying "hi, I'm from Notre Dame." You have to put some work into it, particularly with all the media bad-mouthing that goes on. And for whatever reason, that wasn't something that Willingham was able to do on a national basis like Notre Dame requires.

LSU dominated us last night because of their two lines and their defensive backs. We couldn't break through their offensive line enough to put pressure on Jamarcus Russell, nor stop them from setting up a good running game. Their defensive backs were able to cover our receivers well enough that Quinn had to take too much time in the pocket. ND never stopped trying, and I have all the respect in the world for the drive of our players. But if the size and speed aren't there, you're never going to be able to get anything done.

People say Charlie Weis is overrated. Well, I look at it this way: he's currently being asked to excel with players who are outclassed at almost every position by the opposition. And for the most part, he's succeeding. The only teams who have beaten us in the past 2 years, with one exception, are GREAT teams. Michigan State (the exception), USC and OSU last year, U of M, USC, and LSU this year. And hell, we almost beat USC last year.

Check out this blog entry at Her Loyal Sons. They say it much better than I can, particularly when I'm so full of vitriol.

Update: More support for this thought (though a little less giving than my own words) from Dan Wetzel at Yahoo! Sports.