Tom Dienhart

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis won't say it. He won't call this a "rebuilding" year.

But, heck, I don't have any problem slapping that label on the Irish's 2007 campaign. Anyone who doesn't believe this is a rebuilding year is delusional and should go back to their ND message board.

How can anyone look in the mirror and feel Notre Dame doesn't display all of the telltale signs of a program that's primed for growing pains?

Still not convinced? OK, follow along. I'll wait for you to put down your glass of Blue-and-Gold Kool-Aid before starting.

Brady Quinn is gone. So are Jeff Samardzija, Rhema McKnight, Darius Walker and three offensive line starters.

A maligned defense that ranked 65th in the nation last year and 75th in 2005 is being overhauled. Coordinator Corwin Brown was brought in from the NFL to install a 3-4scheme. Good thing, because Notre Dame has a frightening dearth of defensive line talent -- among other problems.

What's it all mean? As I've said before, Weis should dance a gig if his Irish win eight games this fall. Honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if ND finished .500.

Let me put it another way: If you looked at Notre Dame's debits and credits heading into this season -- and you didn't know it was the Irish's resume -- you'd predict a gloomy fate.

But since this is Notre Dame, well, you know how the thinking goes.

It all should cause you to look hard at what Weis has accomplished in South Bend and compare that to the roses that get thrown at his feet for his coaching "genius."

How many big games has he won?

Eric Hansen on Notre Dame Jury still out on the Irish Weis optimistic but not certain ND will be better than last season

By my estimation, Weis' biggest wins last year were at Georgia Tech and vs. Penn State at home. In 2005, Weis' major triumphs were at Michigan and vs. Tennessee in South Bend. And I'm being generous, people.

Impressed?

THIS is a team that deserved to go to back-to-back BCS games? I think the thumping ND took from Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl and LSU in the Sugar Bowl says it all.

Knowing all of this, do you really, deep down in your heart, think ND would have had a much worse record had Ty Willingham remained coach?

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Come on, be honest.

Regardless, the truth of how magical a coach the confident -- and cocky -- Weis is will be revealed this fall. We all know he says this isn't a rebuilding year. So, anything less than another BCS bowl must be considered a flop, right?

I can hardly wait to see how this unfolds.