Whether you're a Charlie Weis supporter or hater, or even just a random college football fan, after today, it should now be clear to you that Weis needs to be fired. Today the Irish, playing AT HOME, and up 20-10 heading into the 4th quarter against a team that was 2-8 with a lame duck coach, somehow managed to lose. This is the worst loss of Weis's tenure, and probably the worst loss of the last 15 years for the school. I don't remember a loss by Bob Davie or Ty Willingham being anywhere near this bad.
Let's just go over how awful Syracuse is. First, they're arguably the worst BCS conference team outside the state of Washington. Two, Syracuse had two wins this season coming into this game - over Louisville and Northeastern. Three, Syracuse hadn't won on the road in more than year.
And on top of all this, remember that before last week's game against Navy, Charlie Weis said publicly he would take over sole responsibility of offensive playcalling for the Navy and Syracuse games.
So, in other words, this loss is entirely on Weis. He "accepted the challenge" of pitting his play calling against two of the worst D-1 schools in the country - all while throwing his offensive coordinator under the bus - and I'm sure he arrogantly thought he could sleepwalk through these two games and stave off the criticism aimed at him. Except he failed. Magnificently.
Now, it's unlikely that Weis will be fired, but that's only because of the massive buyout it would take to get rid of him. People hardly want to be dropping millions these days - even schools - with the way the economy is. But you can be damn sure that the majority of the boosters will be ready to get rid of Weis at the first possible opportunity.
And if you're worried that Weis will suddenly whip off some big wins that make people change their minds, forget it. What's the biggest win of Weis's coaching career at Notre Dame? There isn't one. Not a single one. And that won't change. He's too arrogant of a prick to change.
And last, but certainly not least, I should inform you that Notre Dame fans were actually so pissed by the team's performance against Syracuse that they threw snowballs at Notre Dame's players. Not even Philly fans throw snowballs at their own players.
At first people started by throwing the snow in the air, but then began quickly tossing snowballs toward the Notre Dame sideline. Defensive lineman Ian Williams got hit in the helmet, defensive end Ethan Johnson was struck on the left cheek and a St. Joseph County police officer on the sideline looking into the crowd got hit in the chest.
When the Irish defense held a meeting on the sideline, injured linebacker Brian Smith stood on a bench to try to shield his teammates. But when a snowball hit defensive tackle Pat Kuntz, he stood and faced the crowd and appeared to challenge whoever threw it to come down on the field.
When the Irish defense held a meeting on the sideline, injured linebacker Brian Smith stood on a bench to try to shield his teammates. But when a snowball hit defensive tackle Pat Kuntz, he stood and faced the crowd and appeared to challenge whoever threw it to come down on the field.
Part of me says that's unfair, another part of me says, man, if any team ever deserved to have this happen to them, it's Notre Dame.
But in the broader context, would you want to keep a coach who once made fans so angry that they pelted their own team with snowballs? I sure as hell wouldn't.
Weis regrettably won't be fired for this game, as he should be. But it's all right, because he not only dug his own grave by losing this game, he buried himself too.
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