Notre Dame outclassed
Charlie Weis could very well be doing a great job of coaching. But he’s doing a lousy job of winning.

The primary reason why the Notre Dame job is so tough these days continues to exist, whether it’s Weis patrolling the sidelines or Tyrone Willingham. Notre Dame’s academic standards prevent the school from recruiting the overall number of blue-chip athletes that are able to gain admission to other schools.

That’s not to say Weis won’t snag a prize here and there. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen is a prime example. But it’s the overall number of star recruits that is the issue. It’s the inability of the Irish to accumulate quality depth, and therefore to compete against the likes of even Georgia Tech and Penn State.

Notre Dame didn’t just lose those games. It was outclassed.

I’m completely paraphrasing here, but former Irish coach Bob Davie once said something to the effect that, if you took the top 100 recruiting prospects in the nation, Notre Dame would only be able to get a small fraction of them through its admissions process. So if an Irish head coach didn’t nab all of those possible candidates, he would be stuck with a roster filled with lesser players.

That still seems to be the case, except for one major problem: It’s getting worse. Weis appears to be losing ground in recruiting, if the slow and inept personnel on both sides of the ball currently playing for Notre Dame is any indication.

He’s in his third season, and Notre Dame is worse off than it was under Willingham. A lot worse.

Les if more at Michigan?
Les Miles is already being talked up as the leading candidate to replace Lloyd Carr at Michigan.

Let’s hope he doesn’t follow in the footsteps of another LSU head coach, Mr. Nick Saban.

Miles, the Tigers’ current head coach, was an offensive lineman at Michigan under Bo Schembechler in the mid 1970s. He later served as an assistant for the Wolverines before going on to establish himself as a head coach at Oklahoma State, and now at LSU.

After Michigan’s embarrassing flops against Appalachian State and Oregon at home, Carr’s seat is hotter than ever. It doesn’t really matter what the media says about him in broadcast and print diatribes, but rather what prominent Michigan alumni say about him behind closed doors. After all, they write the checks.

As the head coach of the No. 2 team in the nation, Miles certainly is the most obvious candidate to replace Carr. That means from now until the national championship game is completed — which LSU may very well participate in — Miles will be asked about replacing Carr.

What he should say when asked: “I love my alma mater, but I also love the job I have.” That is the truth, or at least I assume so, and it would succeed for the most part in keeping persistent reporters at bay.

What he shouldn’t say: “I guess I have to say it. I’m not going to be the coach at Michigan.”

College football Two-man race with Tebow, McFadden

That last statement is what Saban, then the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, offered to reporters – except substitute “Alabama” for “Michigan” – just prior to taking the job with the Crimson Tide.

Saban didn’t have to do that. He could have said any number of things to keep his options open while maintaining his integrity. Instead, he deceived everybody involved.

Miles would be wise not to make the same mistake.

MORE FROM COLLEGE FOOTBALL

College football Section Front

Get ready for mass exodus Trash Talk: SEC not all it’s cracked up to be Predictions 101: Ohio State to roll, N.D. to win squeaker Opinion: 10 bowl matchups that would be a treat Bowl Projections: Big Ten blows BCS spot CFT: ‘By the numbers’ — McCoy goes for record   Vote: Which is the best conference? Iowa-Ohio St. in-depth video preview, analysis   Rivals.com: Big weekend pays off for Nebraska recruiting Heisman Hopefuls: Ingram leaps to top College football Section Front   Add College football headlines to your news reader: