When Does the Charlie Weis Free Ride End?

Lloyd Carr and Michigan have been the college football story through the first two weeks, but what about Notre Dame?

Editor’s note: I hate Notre Dame and I am sick of the school getting free passes within the media over and over again simply on the bases of their tradition. The Irish have not won a significant game in fifteen years. They now have nothing but tradition, because they are certainly not building on it.

Charlie Weis, the Teflon coach of the Irish, has largely escaped scrutiny and criticism, even though Notre Dame has lost four straight games, all by more than 20 points. It’s the kind of streak that … can get a coach fired (cough, Ty Willingham, cough).

At what point does someone besides ESPN’s Pat Forde mention that Weis won with Willingham’s players two years ago? Who will point out that last year, the Irish beat just one team that was ranked at the time of the game, and got smoked by everyone else? And assuming the Irish get bitch slapped by Chad Henne-less Michigan this weekend, and go on to end the season with a losing record (yikes, looking at this schedule, it’s totally possible), when do the Irish faithful call for the head of Weis?

Sadly, never. They can’t do him like they did Willingham – duh, ND shelled out millions to keep a guy because he lost a close, memorable game against USC, and because the NFL (specifically, the Giants) may or may not have had interest in his services.

The only funny part is that barring some serious infusion of transfer talent, we can’t see these guys improving enough to reach a bowl game next season. How much of a hit does Weis take on this? He seemed to be a lock for a lucrative head coaching gig in the NFL after one season with the Irish … now, not so much.

Those of you who know me know that I really hate it when people try to make a race issue where there is not one. But I can’t help but think that the Ty Willingham vs. Charlie Weis coaching change was nothing but a racial issue. I know all the apologists will tell you it has to do with recruiting classes, and just wait, and blah blah blah. Whatever. Almost identical numbers and the only difference is skin color? This looks bad for all you high and mighty Domers.