Eric Hansen

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Notre Dame head football coach Charlie Weis dabbled in political correctness Tuesday, but not to the point that he recanted his bold diatribe made to a Notre Dame-friendly crowd last April.

"I've always been one never to make excuses and not blow hot air and (believe) you back your words by your performance on the field," he told the group at a brunch that preceded the annual Blue-Gold scrimmage last spring. "I think that's the message our team is going to (follow) on Sept. 6 with San Diego State. I think the first opportunity we'll have to make a statement is that day.

"Then we'll listen to Michigan have all their excuses as they come running in, saying how they have a new coaching staff and those changes. To hell with Michigan.”

Forget for a moment that last year’s supposed foot-in-mouth moment in this rivalry, Michigan running back Mike Hart’s victory guarantee, “inspired” Notre Dame to lose 38-0 in the most lopsided verdict in the history of the series. There was something refreshing about Weis’ bluster.

It shows that he finally gets the Michigan-Notre Dame vitriol. Heck, there are probably Ohio State fans who have softened their disgust for Weis a little. After all, isn’t “To Hell With Michigan” the third sentence kids in Columbus typically learn after “gaga goo-goo” and “I want a sweater vest?”

This is the game that will determine the trajectory of Notre Dame’s 2008 season, if not define it. As uninspiring as the Irish played in a 21-13 escape from San Diego State last Saturday, Weis rediscovering his inner bull in the china shop couldn’t have been better timed.

It’s not all about fundamentals and techniques. Not in this game. It’s about emotion. It’s about motivation. It’s about gaining recruiting edges and exhuming old grudges.

“Anyone who is a Michigan fan should know and understand that that comment pays respect to Bo and his mentality when playing an opponent,” said Weis, referring to the late Michigan coaching icon, Bo Schembechler.

“As a matter of fact, Shemy and I had a big chuckle over this in summer during training camp,” Weis said. “And we shared a moment that this question would probably be asked on this day. So take it for what it's worth. But I think that's a very respectful comment towards coach Bo's ‘To hell with Notre Dame.’ ”

There were some in the media too young to remember Schembechler was human enough to have children, and thought perhaps Weis had channeled the late coach himself. “Shemy” -- Glenn Schembechler III -- is actually Schembechler’s son and a scout for the NFL’s Washington Redskins. And he confirmed Weis’ story Tuesday to The Detroit News.

“Yes we did," the younger Schembechler said of the conversation. "I think it's hilarious he would say it. If there's anything that will make the rivalry any better, it's something like that. Bo wouldn't want it any other way."

Fair enough. But what was the part about Michigan making excuses? A “tribute” to Lloyd Carr?

There will be X’s and O’s in this game, and perhaps as fascinating a matchup in that respect ever in this series, even with this being only the second meeting since the inception of the AP poll in which both teams came into the game unranked.

New Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez runs the spread offense, which Weis actually went to go learn from the Michigan first-year head coach last offseason when Rodriguez was still at West Virginia. Weis had ticketed mobile Demetrius Jones as his quarterback in 2007, at least until precocious Jimmy Clausen’s throwing elbow was fully rehabbed from surgery.

Weis ended up pulling the plug on the spread and Jones roughly 30 minutes into the season as ND was thwarted 33-3. The opposing defensive coordinator in last year’s opener was Georgia Tech’s Jon Tenuta, now a member of the Irish defensive coaching staff.

Rodriguez had rare success against Tenuta in the Gator Bowl to end the 2006 season. The Mountaineers piled up 38 points and 442 offensive yards in the win Rodriguez will be matching up with an Irish defense with a strong Tenuta influence Saturday.

“I thought it was really interesting how (Rodriguez) calls almost every play at the line of scrimmage,” Weis said. “I've run no-huddle for years. But no-huddle is a limited package where you have X number of plays and you run those plays over and over again.

Now (spread teams) have (a lot of plays), and a lot of teams do this. (San Diego State coach) Chuck Long was doing it the other day…I was fascinated with them doing that. I don't know if mentally I could do that. I guess if I had their system in there and had one formation like they'll do a lot of times, you probably could get used to doing that.

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“I came back with those notes. I don't know how much they'll help us, but I got 'em.”

He’ll get help presumably from having the 1988 ND national championship team in town for a reunion and from having former Irish coaching legend Lou Holtz on hand for the unveiling of a statue of him.

“I think it's something that is very telling when you say this was the last team that had Notre Dame at the top,” Weis said. “And that's what your goal is, that's what you're shooting for, that's what every Notre Dame team should be shooting for, to get Notre Dame back so that they aren't talking about 20 years since the last one. (And) if you don't involve Lou, you'd be dumb.”

Getting the blood boiling for Saturday wasn’t such a dumb move, either.

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