Expectations make you or break you. Your success and failures are all based on what is expected. In the world of sports all teams, players and coaches are not equal. What is acceptable play for some isn't for others. The same can be said for coaching and team play. In most sports your expectations are set through preseason prognostications. Let's take college football for example. USC came into the season with high expectations most prognostications had them within the Top 5 in the country despite the fact that a Freshman QB would be taking all the snaps and that the was filled with new starters. USC now stands at 7-3 and people have even spoken of the programs emanate demise. On the flipside let's look at Kentucky. The Cats' head into this weeks matchup against the Volunteers at 7-4 which includes a big win at Georgia last week. Wildcat fans are ecstatic about how this season has played out. Sure they would like to have some games back but they will take 7 or 8 wins and a bowl every day of the week. Though USC has one less loss and has beaten both Ohio State and California on the road, has beaten a rival in Notre Dame on the road their season in comparison to Kentucky's is a huge disappointment. USC is expected to compete for titles while UK plays for bowl bids.
A 6-5 record didn't undue Charlie Weis at Notre Dame it was the failure to meet expectations. Weis's run included some very positive moments. Under Weis Notre Dame has had the highest % of Football players graduate more than any other D1 School. Notre Dame's offense was filled with the best collection of playmakers the school had seen since the Lou Holtz era. Clausen, Tate, Floyd and Rudolph will likely be 1st Round Draft Picks when their pro careers begin. After years of lackluster recruiting Weis made the Irish relevant again with all his classes being ranked within the Top 20 but 4 of his classes were considered by many to be within the top 10. Weis also lead his teams to two consecutive BCS bowl in his first two seasons. All Weis's success however lead to higher expectations and he didn't deliver. When Weis was hired he came in confident and brash and playing the role of tough Jersey Guy. In his press conference Charlie Weis pointed out to Notre Dame just what their football program had become just in case they didn't know. Weis stated "People right now you are a 6-5 football team and that's just not good enough. It's not good enough for the players it's not good enough for the fans and it's certainly not good enough for me." Now as Weis sits at 6-5 with only one more game in his tenure the words still ring true but with a little less arrogance this time around.
Notre Dame wants to win in football. During the Weis era the admission standards have gotten lowered. The facilities are now at the elite level. The money given to the coaches is now at the elite level. And scheduling the schedule has gotten beyond manageable. Next years slate features both Western Michigan and Tulsa. All these changes should allow for the Irish to be a 8-10 win team every year and once per recruiting class compete for a National Title. Notre Dame is one of about 8 schools in the country that can obtain the level of success if the right person is put in charge. I don't know who will be placed at the helm. I know the coach will have head coaching experience. I know the coach will be a big name. And I know the coach will be paid handsomely and will be given everything needed to put a winner on the field.
I also know the same expectations will be placed on the new regime and that 6-5 isn't good enough.
NFL
*Though the Browns vs. Lions was billed as unwatchable TV it ended up being the most exciting game of the day. Quinn went 21-33 for 304 and 4 TD's while Stafford went 26-43 for 422 and 5 TD's to go with 2 INT's. The end came down to two boneheaded moves. 1st of all though the Pass Interference was pretty blatant you don't call a PI on a Hail Mary unless the WR is prevented from jumping up for the ball or assaulted. Secondly why in the hell would Mangini call a timeout? Stafford came out of the game hurt forcing Culpepper to come into the game straight off the bench. Mangini calls the timeout which allows for Stafford to return and the rest they say is history.
*What a bad day for the AFC North. I feel it is a very good conference with the exception of the Browns but both the Steelers and Chiefs loss to terrible AFC West squads while the Ravens blow one at home to the Colts.
*Speaking of the Ravens. John Harbaugh had a rough go of it on Sunday. After settling for FG's all day and a Flacco turnover Harbaugh had One timeout left and the two minute warning. Colts had the ball and had appeared to convert on a 3rd down. The ball spot was close to the first down marker and Harbaugh debated challenging the spot. Instead of requesting a measurement which wouldn't have burnt a timeout he called the timeout then requested the measurement. That left the Ravens with only the 2 Minute warning to stop the clock. Colts ran three plays and punted to end the game. Had the Ravens had a timeout they would have still been in trouble but would have had about 30-40 seconds left in the game.
*In other conference news. The NFC East was supposed to be the best conference in football but no team has been consistent all year. Dallas, Philadelphia, and the Giants all looked unimpressive in their wins this week. Dallas 7-6 over the Redskins, Giants 34-31 in OT against the Falcons without Turner and the Eagles 24-20 over the INT's of Denver.
*It's hard to believe but at a time this season Denver had a three game lead over the Chargers in the West. 3 straight losses and the Broncos find themselves out of the division lead.
*It isn't a NFL Week this season without some double digit favorite beatdowns. This week was no different. Patriots, Vikings and Saints all where over 12 pt favorites and all covered comfortably. I don't know what the winning % is for double digit favorites this year but if I had to guess it would be around 65%.
*Since the Raiders benched Russell I haven't' been able to honor his terrible play. Never fear though in this season's NFL it's not to hard to find some terrible QB play. This weeks Russell award goes to Mark Sanchez 8-21 for 138 with a TD and by the way 4 INT's. Due you remember when the Jets where unbeaten and Sanchez showed poise beyond his years.
College Football
* In the biggest coaching blunder of the week Les Miles looked really bad in the closing of the Ole Miss contest. Down by 2 with the ball at the 32 and in field goal range the Tigers lose yardage on two consecutive plays to get out of FG range and in a 4th and forever. Miraculously Jefferson completes a Hail Mary of sorts but with no timeouts and 1 second left the FG team must get on the field to attempt the FG once the ball is snapped. The umpire places the ball the FG unit is nowhere to be found Jefferson snaps the ball and spikes it Ballgame over. Lost in this is the fact that after the WR screen that lost yardage on 3rd down Miles wast about 18 seconds before calling the Timeout prior to the 4th down play so instead of 27 seconds left the Tigers have 9. After the game Miles claims that they had Personnel issues on the sideline. But the video evidence suggest otherwise.....
* How can it be November and Florida and Alabama are playing the likes of Florida International and Tenn-Chattanoga?
*In what was a brutal week of College Football in terms of lack of big games the UConn Notre Dame, LSU vs. Ole Miss and Oregon vs. Arizona all made for exciting TV and all where great games.
* The Heat is on Rich Rod in Ann Arbor but I don't feel as though it should be in the pressure cooker stage just yet. Rodriguez had to make a complete roster overhaul from the Power Running game of Michigan past into the Spread Option attack of Rodriguez and that takes time. Next year you SHOULD see progression if not Rodriguez is toast.
*Call me crazy but I want to be the man who breaks the story first. Urban Meyer will be the next Head Coach of Notre Dame. Tebow will be gone the Gators will be in a slight rebuilding stage and Notre Dame will throw down 6-7 Million a Year to have him if not more. Meyer is named after a Pope and Meyer is of the age that the Notre Dame mystique still means something. Like it or not Notre Dame is the biggest name in College Football and Meyer would love to return the Irish to Glory.
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