Here's an interesting note from college football: apparently
Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis has arranged for an unusual
number of highly-touted high school recruits to make their
official campus visits this weekend, for the showdown between the
#25 Irish and the #6 USC Trojans.
The decision to have so many big-name recruits is notable on
Weis's part because recently the annual USC game has been one to
scare away potential Irish players: in the past two years Notre
Dame has lost 38-0 and 38-3. Weis's struggles against USC -- he's
0-4 -- are a big part of his precarious status as head coach.
After mediocre 3-9 and 7-6 seasons, and with no victories against
high-caliber teams like USC in his five years, Weis's chances to
prove that he can lead Notre Dame to the top might be all used up
without a win this weekend against the Trojans.
So having all the recruits visit on this crucial gameday might be
an indication that Charlie is going all-in and betting that he
will win the game and in doing so convince a few top recruits to
sign on with ND, at the risk of losing the game and consequently
important recruits and... his job.
Weis is famous in college football and the NFL for risking games
by going for it on fourth down. It's definitely within character
for him to pin his Notre Dame legacy on a similar gamble.
topics:
Sports, Notre Dame
