Think it is possible to keep Charlie on as a recruiting specialist when he decides to call it quits as a coach? He has done a hell of a job this season.
Rome | Email | Homepage | 11.29.05 - 6:26 pm | #

Did we know, was it known, why didn't we know, that Ty wasn't big on recruiting? There are a million things to keep a coach of any big time program busy, but recruiting is, for better or worse, a vital part of the job.

I keep hearing how Ty'd rather be out on the golf course than in a high school athletic director's office. How true was that? Is CW that much of an exception? The regular season is over for most colleges and high schools. Even the relatively few bowl-bound coaches must know that now is the time to try to reap a harvest of recruits. Did Ty really delegate that job? Do other coaches really follow the same route?
Soapbox | Email | Homepage | 11.29.05 - 6:37 pm | #

And, hey, Bob Davies did not do that good of a job of recruiting either. I think Charlie's biggest asset is that he's an ND alum. His sincere love for the university will carry over into those recruiting sessions. I am guessing that Davies, from Youngstown State, and Willingham, from Michigan State, had few deep feelings for the University beyond their paychecks. Also, what do you think the Irish record for 2005 would have been with Willingham still at the helm? Again, I am guessing at 6-5. Maybe, 5-6, but not 7-4 or better.
baseballeddy | Email | Homepage | 11.29.05 - 7:55 pm | #

2-9 under Ty and Navy would have been close.
Yago | Email | Homepage | 11.29.05 - 8:49 pm | #

Soapbox,
After CDub's Magical Mystery Tour in May, nearly all of the Chicago papers were reporting the local HS coaches as saying "WOW! Where have you (i.e. ND football coach) been??!! We haven't seen one for a decade....
Domer95 | Email | Homepage | 11.29.05 - 9:44 pm | #

4-7 AT BEST
Domer95 | Email | Homepage | 11.29.05 - 9:45 pm | #

Quick quwsetion, who will be the FB next year, Schwapp or Schmidt?
Matt | Email | Homepage | 11.29.05 - 10:26 pm | #

Why would it be Schmidt? Schwapp has played pretty well, and I would expect to see him make an even greater improvement before next season. He has a ton of upside.

Connecticut rules.
Michael | Email | Homepage | 11.30.05 - 12:03 am | #

Schwapp certainly has the inside track on the fullback slot going into the 2006 season, but I will always be prejudiced against him for his heart breaking fumble in the Michigan State game. He tried to stick that ball over the goal line for a score from the one and had it knocked out of his hand. If he had just used his head and held on to the ball, the Irish may have won that game in regulation time. So, even if he is the fullback of 2006, he still has a lot to prove to me. And, if he does not learn to use better judgment on carrying the ball, he may run himself out of that inside track.
baseballeddy | Email | Homepage | 11.30.05 - 1:10 am | #

"if he does not learn to use better judgment"? That was Schwapp's third college football game ever, and he hasn't fumbled in the eight games since. I think maybe you're being a little hard on him. Not to mention the play was dead a good 2 or 3 seconds before the fumble and a MSU defender had his entire hand inside his facemask... It was a bad idea to try to reach the ball, but give the guy some well-deserved credit, too.
Mike | Email | Homepage | 11.30.05 - 4:04 am | #

This talk about Schwapp's goal line play has me thinking. Would it have been a bad move if he scored? Was it a bad play when Walker did it this past weekend?

At least, Schwapp was being agressive and trying to make a play. I am alright with that. I would think that is better than a Freshman playing in his 3rd game being tight.
Jeff | Email | Homepage | 11.30.05 - 7:08 am | #

Speaking of players of the year, Wendy's has a High School Heisman award and the one from NY state LOVES ND. Anyone hear if ND is interested in him?

http://www.wendyshighschoolheisman.com/

Joseph Garigliano
Tri-Valley High School - Grahamsville, N.Y.
Academics: Class rank: 2 of 91, 4.00 GPA, Student Council Representative, Freshmen/Junior Class officer, Academic/Honor Society, Sullivan County Inter-Academic League, Recognition of Academic Excellence: English, Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, Global Studies, United States History, Architectural Drawing, Math A, B, and Precalculus

Athletics: Baseball Captain, Varsity Letter Winner, pitcher/third base/left field, Most Improved Player, Basketball Varsity Letter Winner, forward Football Captain, Varsity Letter Winner, quarterback/safety/punter/kicker, Section 9 Class Champion and Championship Game, record career-passing yards/TDs, Most Valuable Player, All League/Division/City, All County/District Track & Field Varsity Letter Winner, sprinter (55, 200, 400 meter)
Weightlifting

Community Service: Fundraiser for St. Jude’s, tutoring, Salvation Army, United Way, Tri-Valley Baseball Rent-A-Player President, Pumpkin Party, babysitting, volunteer at concessions
Soapbox | Email | Homepage | 11.30.05 - 8:56 am | #

Does he save starving puppies too? I mean Jesus, what DOESN'T he do?
Brad | Email | Homepage | 11.30.05 - 9:42 am | #

Have to agree with the comment above about Schwapp's play in MSU. That play was a matter of inches...if he had scored that touchdown, everyone on this message board would be sitting here talking about what an agressive, hustling, never-give-up play it was. Since he didn't get it and the ball was knocked out of his hands, it was a dumb move. Matter of inches between being a hero and being a goat. I would like to think that given another year of practice and coaching, he could turn into our next Marc Edwards (I have such a man-crush on him). And what's so wrong about having three or four (or even five) capable backs? Would that let us run full-house backfield plays in short yardage situations? I would love to see that...line up with a couple of fullbacks and a good tailback and garuntee ourselves a three yard gain every time.
ND Alum | Email | Homepage | 11.30.05 - 10:30 am | #

Ah, the full house backfield. Just thinking about it arouses me, honestly.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 11.30.05 - 11:01 am | #

And I want to see Chris Stewart lined up in the backfield on those short yardage and goal line plays next year.
Daniel | Email | Homepage | 11.30.05 - 11:52 am | #

Against the Trees, Darius did the same reach as Schwapp, so we can't fault Schwapp for that play against MSU.

If Schwapp can improve his speed and his hands, watch out - he's already a good blocker.
Andy | Email | Homepage | 11.30.05 - 3:49 pm | #

This has nothing to do with this post, but I just came from espn.com and I'm pissed. It's impossible for Ivan Maisel to conceal his hatred for Notre Dame. I may be biased, but he's still an idiot.

Thanks, I feel better.
jaisn | Email | Homepage | 11.30.05 - 4:33 pm | #

I loved how Maisel does his best to gloss over Oregon's 5 TD loss by pointing out that they led 'SC at halftime. Pathetic.
scott | Email | Homepage | 11.30.05 - 4:45 pm | #

It should have been RPN instead of Schwapp on 4th and 1 in MSU game.

This one is on you, Charlie!
Tintin84 | Email | Homepage | 11.30.05 - 4:46 pm | #

I feel there's a decent shot that Schwapp gets a look at dline or linebacker. He's only ~20 pounds lighter than our tackles now, and shorter, so the strength difference is probably not that huge. He's reportedly got an enormous bench number, and was a very good linebacker in HS. Weis seems to like having a big tailback/running threat fullback and Schmidt seems pretty similar to RPN in terms of build and style. However, either Schmidt or Schwapp would have to deal with a suddenly deeper linebacking corps with this recruiting class anyway.
Dillon08 | Email | Homepage | 11.30.05 - 5:19 pm | #

Multiple running backs were a mainstay of Irish offense in the 60's and 70's. Usually three backs with 600 to 800 yards each per season.
dbldomer7375 | Email | Homepage | 11.30.05 - 5:42 pm | #

There were some pretty decent 3-back combos in the 80s as well (Brooks, Green, and Watters comes to mind).

I never like a guy trying to stic the ball over the goal traffic. The only time I like to see it is when a guy is heading toward the corner and there's only one defender in the area. Plus, Schwapp did it up high, over the pile while Darius was already low to the ground (not that I particularly liked Darius doing it). Bottom line for me is, don't do it; keep driving low with your legs and get your whole body in.
Irish Rat | Email | Homepage | 11.30.05 - 7:02 pm | #

I know that this can start additional controversy, but, to me, there are two plays in the ND 2005 season that stand between a perfect season and the great year the Irish had anyway -- Schwapp's fumble vs. MSU and Leinart's fourth and nine pass completion in the USC battle. I hate that "one-arm extension of the ball" under any circumstances because it has a tendency to promote a loose carrying of the football, period. And, when the ball is carried loosely and carelessly, fumbles happen.
baseballeddy | Email | Homepage | 11.30.05 - 7:16 pm | #

Here's what I love about Maisel on espn.com. He slams ND down to #10 and talks about how you shouldn't struggle with Stanford, but when he talks about other teams he praises them for winning when they were playing bad (such as he does with LSU almost getting killed by a horrible Arkansas team). How's that for inconsistency?

Wait, that's right, he's employed by the same network that employs Bob Davie. Nevermind.
JohnWA | Email | Homepage | 11.30.05 - 7:53 pm | #

Also notice that Maisel calls out ND for having only three wins against opponents with winning records (in two different places on the website, no less), but fails to mention that if you take 1-AA wins out of the picture, the same is true of Auburn and Oregon.

Don't let facts get in the way...
irishdevil | Email | Homepage | 12.01.05 - 1:19 am | #

Maisel says ND's BCS bid is automatic. Is this right? I thought it was only automatic if we were BCS ranked 6th or higher with 9 wins. My understanding is that if we are BCS 12th or better with 9 wins we are available for an at-large bid. Which is right?
Eddie | Email | Homepage | 12.01.05 - 8:40 am | #

Eddie,

It's not technically automatic, your understanding of the situation is correct. What he meant was that no BCS bowl will pass up the opportunity to choose the Irish due to their fan base and the money it brings in, which makes it de facto automatic for them to choose us.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 12.01.05 - 9:03 am | #

I wonder if Maisel mentioned that fact that Oregon has not beaten anyone currently in the top 20.
Dad the Domer | Email | Homepage | 12.01.05 - 9:56 am | #

Of course Maisel didn't, and neither does anyone rooting for Oregon to get in the game either. The sports radio station in Portland is full of Oregon nuts that just see 10-1 and say they "deserve" to be in the BCS. They refuse to compare schedules, refuse to talk about how they got housed by USC, gloss over the near losses to 3-8 AZ and a bad WSU team, and argue that the Pac-10 is the toughest BCS conference because of USC, UCLA and themselves.

Here was Maisel's response to an e-mail I sent regarding his inconsistency with ND and LSU, "Stanford played its archrival in the same stadium the week before and got hammered." I'm still trying to figure out how that's a counterargument.
JohnWA | Email | Homepage | 12.01.05 - 12:26 pm | #

I think you should all calm down about Ivan Maisel. It's not his fault that he's not intelligent enough to understand these things.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 12.01.05 - 1:11 pm | #