Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1535097
46 SUMMER 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED I s it premature to include Notre Dame in the 2006 college football national title discussions? Ready or not, it will be inevitable throughout the summer and prior to the Sept. 2 kickoff at Georgia Tech. After just one season, those are the expecta- tions Charlie Weis has created and de- mands from his players and staff. Nevertheless, is it unrealistic and too much too soon for a program that (a) lost a minimum of three games each of the last 12 seasons, (b) posted an 0-8 record in bowl games since 1993 while 79 other Division I-A teams won at least one postseason event, (c) was humbled by Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl several months ago and (d) has numerous un- resolved areas on defense and special teams, not to mention issues of depth at most positions on offense? One year ago, an eight-win, top-25 finish was perceived, at least on the outside, as the Holy Grail the program aspired to reach. With back-to-back subpar recruiting harvests in 2004 and 2005, and reeling from consecutive 5-7 and 6-6 campaigns, the Irish were tee- tering between the precipices of irrel- evance and learned helplessness. Similar to Ara Parseghian in 1964 and Lou Holtz in 1986, Weis has dramati- cally altered a defeatist culture that of- ten basked in moral victories and prag- matically accepted consistent losing as a valuable life lesson. Conveniently forgotten is both Par- seghian and Holtz had "setbacks" in their second seasons, partly because of the exponential rise in expectations. Suddenly, 7-2-1 was a disappointing season for Parseghian in 1965, particu- larly after concluding with a 12-3 loss to Michigan State and a 0-0 verdict at Miami. Suddenly, Holtz was castigated in 1987 despite leading the Irish to their first major bowl in seven years. Still, the Irish were outscored 80-30 in their final three games for an 8-4 finish. Likewise, Weis will never again be up for Coach of the Year honors at Notre Dame with a two-loss regular season. ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit already has stated the 9-3 finish in 2005 will be re- membered as Weis' worst. Careful, now. In 2007, the Irish will lose Brady Quinn, Jeff Samardzija, Rhema McKnight, four starters along the offensive line, Derek Landri, Victor Abiamiri, and probably Tom Zbikowski. That's not unlike losing Bryant Young, Aaron Taylor, Jeff Burris, Tim Ruddy, Jim Flanigan, et al after an 11-1 season in 1993 and finishing 6-5-1 the next year. By last count, the 2007 roster will have only 10 seniors and 14 juniors, and will be top-heavy with sophomores and freshmen feeling their way around. Recruiting shortages in back-to-back classes eventually catch up with you. Consequently, the setback for Weis and Co. might be in 2007, while 2006 is projected as the year to make a run. Is such an expectation realistic? All one has to do is look at how other recent champions with tradition-laden pasts were built with the right leadership in place over the five years. Texas (2005) — Mack Brown was mocked as "Mr. February," the man who could sell icicles to Eskimos but not post the marquee triumphs on the field. In 21 years as a college head coach, he had never won a conference title, never mind a national title. And from 2000-04, his Longhorns were 0-5 versus archrival Oklahoma, getting outscored 189-54, including 63-14 and 65-13 slaughters. USC (2003-04) — In 12 straight sea- sons from 1990-2001, the Trojans failed to finish in the top 10, a streak longer than Notre Dame's 11 from 1994-2004. USC lost a minimum of five games every year from 1996-2001, including 6-6 in Pete Carroll's debut (2001), with a 10-6 setback to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. The hiring of Carroll was greeted with disdain as well because other top candi- dates such as Dennis Erickson and Mike Bellotti had spurned the fallen program. LSU (2003) — Would you believe the Tigers finished under .500 in eight of 11 years from 1989-99, including 4-7 in 1998 and 3-8 in 1999? Then in the Nick Saban era, one of the first results was a loss at home to UAB. That prompted an article from The Sporting News on how Death Valley had become more like dead valley. Where did the Tigers get off believing prosperity was around the corner? Ohio State (2002) — The Buckeyes fired John Cooper after the 2000 cam- paign because he was 2-10-1 versus Michigan. Glen Mason and Jon Gruden were publicized as the most likely suc- cessors, and Jim Tressel's hiring from a Division I-AA school was originally greeted with some tepid emotions. The Buckeyes lost to Lou Holtz's South Carolina team in the Outback Bowl to conclude with a 7-5 record in Tressel's first year (2001), so what right did they have to anticipate a national title the following year? Yes, it seems Notre Dame should be more concerned about posting its first back-to-back winning seasons since 1997-98 than shooting for the whole enchilada. Then again, when the players and ev- eryone else believe the program is in the midst of its third major renaissance over the past four decades, grandiose dreams will blossom before their time. And that's when you know Notre Dame is becoming Notre Dame again. ✦ BEST OF THE FIFTH QUARTER ✦ LOU SOMOGYI ✦ JUNE 2006 Expectations Beyond Norm A Natural Evolution EDITOR'S NOTE: The late, great Lou Somogyi possessed an unmatched knowledge of Notre Dame football, and it was his mission in life to share it with others. Those of us at Blue & Gold Illustrated would like to continue to provide his wis- dom and unique perspective from his more than 37 years covering the Fighting Irish for this publication. Similar to Ara Parseghian in 1964 and Lou Holtz in 1986, Charlie Weis (above) dramatically altered expectations for the Notre Dame football program during his first year in charge. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN