Hey, everyone remember when the Michigan message boards were simultaneous calling Rodriguez a failure and fretting ND's certain turnaround after hiring an offensive guru out of the Big East?

“Tulsa game is probably the biggest game that I’ve coached in.”

...but what he probably means by that is that he cannot afford to lose it, and I couldn't agree more.

let them fire him.  he's a great coach.  it'd be hard for them to do better.

Lou Holtz used to do this as well.  He'd talk up Navy back when they were horrible.  He may be laying it on a little thick, but he needs to get his team's focus back after that disaster against Navy.

This Brian Kell Hot Seat stuf is good, because it takes the focus off of RR, but bad because it will eventually lead to a slew of "coaches on the hot seat" stories.

Mmmeeeeeeeeee?

Yeah you Jimmy

to communicate that to fans as well as his players.  When it comes down to it the next game is the only game on the schedule.  The next game is the most important right now.  Here me out.  The last game and the other games played you can't dwell on them and there is nothing you can do about it.  The games in the future beyond the next game worrying about those makes the next winnable (Tulsa) game in this case a trap game.  Just another way a coach can say stay focused on these guys.  Another thought if you say the same thing over and over players can get desensitized fans hear coach speak.  just sayin.... now where's my tinfoil hat I put it around here somewhere.

Shavodrick Beaver that is.  

Beaver's Career Statistics
Passing         G Comp Att Yds Int TD Pct Ypg Long
2009 (Fr)        8     1      3    6      0     0 41.7  0.75  6
 

Rushing         G Att Gain Loss Net TD Avg Long
2009 (Fr)         8 27 106   43     63    0   2.3   13

2010?  This will be his break out game this year for sure!  Fear the Beaver!
 

ND vs. Tulsa=The Megabowl

I'm sure there will always be someone who wants to coach at Notre Dame, but the expectations there are really out of control.  I can't imagine Bob Stoops, for example, wanting to leave Oklahoma to go to ND.  

If I'm Stoops, here is how I see the schools:

Oklahoma:  a traditional powerhouse, has the chance to compete for a national championship every year, I am thought of as the guy who resurrected the traditional powerhouse. 

ND: a tradional powerhouse, you can possibley get to where you are competing for a national championship every year, you will be villanized during the almost-inevitably difficult transition period. 

Why would Stoops, or any similarly situated coach, make the switch? 

Go Golden Hurricane.  At least ND brings the comedy every season.

Tulsa has a great chance to win.  It probably is the biggest game on their schedule, because it's probably their most competitve left.

If Tulsa beats ND, ND has a very real chance of finishing no better than 5-7 and missing a bowl.  So even though Kelly is perpetually focused on the next game as being the biggest of the year, it is pretty big when you look at their remaining foes on paper. 

ND is 4-4 and play at home vs Tulsa, #8 Utah, Army, and then at USC.  On paper ND is more likely to lose to Utah and at USC.  One more loss and no bowl.  Between 4-3 Tulsa and 4-3 Army I personally think Tulsa is more likely to "surprise" and win with fancy playcalling (Fear the Beav) but Army could just as well.

Maybe we're only hearing from a vocal minority, but do Notre Dame fans have no perspective? Firing yet another coach would be a total disaster to the program. There isn't even any room for debate on this.

If it was Lou saying it.  I mean, he basically said that every week, no matter how bad the opponent was, when he was coach. (Funny what a job change does...you go from ND will never win a game to ND will win every game they play).

It seems that “back to glory” is ND speak for “win every game or it’s a lost season and we will have your head.”

What would happen if Kelly was fired and X head coach were to come in and give it to them like it is:

"I am the 5th coach you've had in 14 (or so) years.  This program has been hashed and re-hashed to the point that there is almost no foundation left aside from our brand name- and that is quickly fading away as well.  I will bring this program back to where it needs to be, but it will take time.  I will guarantee one thing and one thing alone:  That we will eventually build this program back into what it has been, and should be.  Until then, every fan, alumnus, administrator, etc., needs to have patience.  It takes time to make that happen.  And when I say time, I mean it potentially will take years to get us back to what we once were."

Assuming X coach was proven at building and maintaining winning programs, how would ND react?

If they didn't accept this, because that's the reality of the situation, then the administration’s only hope is to keep hiring and firing coaches until they find a miracle worker who can somehow bring ND "back to glory" instantly.

But everyone knows this isn't possible.

There isn't a coach on the planet, never has been and never will be, who could right that ship overnight.  Not even Vince Lombardi.

So either they calm down, and wait for that slow stew of winning to simmer.

Or, they fire their coach every 3-5 years and continue to bludgeon whatever chances they had of getting back to what they used to be.  And at that point, there’ll be nothing left to resuscitate- assuming there would be a coach who wanted to try.

I listened to the game on my car radio Saturday, and was amazed (and delighted) to hear Bob Criqui absolutely savage ND. He called them heartless, defeated, broken. That was pretty good.

Can't imagine Frank and Brandy doing anything of the sort.

I recall Weis recruiting very well against Michigan in his years at ND; hopefully this early hot-seat will allow M to prevail over ND in any head-to-head recuiting battles going forward. Is Kelly much of a recruiter? Looks like ND is hovering at #8 right now while Michigan is, puzzlingly, out of the top 25, at least on Rivals.