k19
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Posted on Sat, Sep. 10, 2005
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/JOE RAYMOND
With a victory at No. 3 Michigan today, Charlie Weis would be the first first-year Notre Dame coach to win his first two games away from South Bend since Knute Rockne in 1918.
He'd be Weis to ignore the hype
By Wendell Barnhouse
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Charlie "The Little Tuna" Weis is this week's Resident Genius.
When you're the coach at Notre Dame, the spotlight shines 24/7/365. The glare is an Irish vow for better or worse, for winning or losing. A dominating season-opening defeat of Pittsburgh, on national television, has made everybody believe that Notre Dame's new coach is a Weis Guy.
For his next trick, Weis takes the Irish for another road trip. No. 20 Notre Dame plays at third-ranked Michigan today.
It's the opening act for tonight's blockbuster Texas-Ohio State contest.
The Irish and the Wolverines have tradition, similar stadiums, memorable fight songs and a rivalry that is heated even though it isn't staged every season. Michigan is No. 1 in all-time victories and winning percentage; Notre Dame is second in both categories.
"Not to downplay it, but it's no different for me this week than it was last week," Weis said. "That's how I view it. Might be different emotions for the players who experience it, but I view it as going to Michigan Stadium and trying to win the game.
"I have no emotions at all about Notre Dame versus Michigan. None."
The mouth that uttered those words sits below a crew cut, not a tousled silvery main.
But Weis is a Billable coach. He fell out of the Bill Parcells-Bill Belichick coaching tree and hit every branch. Weis' comments about the Michigan rivalry came from the Ignore All Hype chapter of the Book of Parcells.
Weis, who earned three of his four Super Bowl rings as Belichick's offensive guru, outmaneuvered Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt in the opener. The Irish had 42 points and 502 total yards -- numbers that recent ND teams would take two games to acquire.
Savvy play calling, talented quarterback Brady Quinn, a veteran offensive line ... sure, hey, why not pencil Notre Dame into a BCS game right now?
Weis might be the right coach to shake down the echoes in South Bend, but he's far from the perfect fit when it comes to dealing with the frenzy created by the outcome of each game.
He's a taciturn drill sergeant, my-way-or-the-highway ball coach.
"We've played one game, and we've played fairly well in one game," Weis said this week. "But they count by 11. It all comes down to how we play this week. We'll see how we're rated after we play Michigan."
On the opposite sideline will be Lloyd Carr. In two of the past three seasons, Carr was outfoxed by former ND coach Tyrone Willingham. Last season, the Wolverines let a winnable game in South Bend slip away because of conservative play calling.
But Saturday in the Big House, Carr's concern centers on his defense.
In the Wolverines' past three games, they've allowed an average of 434 yards in total offense.
"When I see that defense, it really worries me," former Michigan coach Bo Schembechler said. "First of all, I'm not sure that we have enough speed in there right now, particularly in the secondary. Secondly, our tackling is atrocious. That's not typical Michigan defense."
While Carr, who won a share of the national championship in 1997, is critiqued by former Michigan coaching greats, Weis can only play ghost buster. His time at Notre Dame will be measured against legends.
The last first-year Notre Dame coach to win his first two games away from South Bend defeated those noted powerhouses Case Tech and Wabash. That happened in 1918. The coach was Knute Rockne.
All it took was a lopsided victory over a ranked team on the road and Weis has become The Next Legend.
"Don't ever fool yourself about coaches being geniuses. There is no such thing," Mike Ditka told reporters before the Irish defeated his alma mater Saturday. "As great as Bill Walsh was, he was lot better when he had Joe Montana and Steve Young.
"Usually the good teams have the best football players. The better players, the better coach you are."
By all accounts, Weis is recruiting at a national championship level.
If Notre Dame upsets Michigan Saturday, Irish fever will become rampant.
Weis, though, knows what Ditka and the rest of us know. Willingham started his Notre Dame career 8-0 and was hailed as a genius. Two seasons later, he was a dismissed dolt.
Anyone in THE NE area catch this..............
If Weiss had lost he would have owed Brady a Case of Beer.
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I love it! Bring back Chan Gailey.
