Photo Story: A Loser’s Legacy – The Waning Days of the Rich Rodriguez Era at Michigan

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Tomorrow, Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan Wolverines play the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus. The embattled Rodriguez, who has led the Wolverines to 7 wins this season after falling short of bowl eligibility the last two years, needs a signature win as he nears the end of his season season; none would be bigger than beating Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes.

The likelihood of that happening, of course, is very slim. While the Wolverines can put up points, their defense offers little to no resistance. Thus, expect Terrelle Pryor (whose recruitment still represents Rich Rod’s first loss to Tressel) to run wild and the Buckeyes to beat Michigan…again.

Wondering how Rodriguez is dealing with the waning days of his maniacal rule in Ann Arbor, I traveled there this week to take lots of photos and record the conversations I heard. The result is the photo story below, which tells the tale of a man being forced to come to grips with the legacy he is leaving at one of college football’s Mount Rushmore programs.

The legacy of a loser.

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Which Former Notre Dame “Legend” Looks Better in Purple?

jimmy-clausen-teletubby

Apparently the Carolina Panthers made their rookies dress up in stupid outfits for Halloween.

How do I know this? Because the blog Cat Scratch Fever has a picture of former Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen dressed up as the purple Teletubby. And on Clausen’s Twitter account, it says, “no just I dressed up along with all the other rookies lol.

LOL indeed Clausen. LOL indeed.

Immediately, I thought of another Notre Dame “legend” who looks good in purple. The question is, who looks better?

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MNF Preview and Prediction: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs

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MSF’s weekly coverage of Monday Night Football is sponsored for the second straight year by Sadler’s Smokehouse.

Sadler’s, North America’s leader in premium, pit-smoked meats, recently announced the launch of the new Tailgate Ready Beef Brisket featuring, a specially sized package and easy instructions for heating on the grill.

Click for more information on Sadler’s Tailgate Ready Beef Brisket, and click here for Sadler’s tailgating flyer that counts down the 32 best tailgating cities in America. You can also become a fan of Sadler’s on Facebook.

sadlers-monday-night-football

The nightcap of the first Monday night of the 2010 NFL season, and final game of Week One, is an AFC West matchup that is strangely not being played on the West Coast.

But will location matter? And will you be able to stay awake for the whole thing anyway?

One of those answers and more as we look at the San Diego Chargers at the Kansas City Chiefs.

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Charlie Weis Fired as Notre Dame Head Football Coach

What we all expected has now apparently come to fruition.

According to ESPN reports, and first reported by the New York Daily News, Charlie Weis has officially be relieved of his duties as Notre Dame head football coach.

Let the speculation for his successor officially begin.

Will Jimmy Clausen, Golden Tate Enter NFL Draft?

jimmy-clausen-golden-tate

With the season winding down for the Fighting Irish there is a question that’s just as big as whether Charlie Weis will return.

What will the future be for Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate?

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Another Day, Another Sucker Punch for Notre Dame Fans

jimmy-clausen-charlie-weis

Can we start calling Notre Dame “Sucker Punch U” now? At least for this week?

The sucker punching started this past Saturday, when Mike Brey, Tyler Harangody, and the Fighting Irish lost to Jim Calhoun and the UCONN Husk–wait a minute, crap…got that mixed up.

Let’s start over.

The sucker punching started this past Saturday when Charlie Weis, Jimmy Pickles, and the Fighting Irish lost to Randy Edsall and the Connecticut Huskies in South Bend.

It continued early on Sunday morning when Jimmy Clausen was sucker punched at a bar in the wee hours of the morning.

And then this morning there was more sucker punching with the reports that Clausen’s family has sold their home in South Bend.

But does this latest sucker punch really amount to much, or is it much ado about nothing?

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Connecticut Wins One for Slain Teammate, Defeats ND 33-30 in 2OT

It was another disappointing outcome for Notre Dame fans and their players. Senior day at Notre Dame was spoiled by the Huskies.

Once again you can’t blame the offense because the Fighting Irish’s offense played very well today. They did a very nice job of balancing the running and passing game, but once again the defense let this team down. The Irish let thew Huskies run all over them, with the Huskies running for a total of 231 yards and two TDs.

And you can’t overlook the dedication that UConn showed all game. You could tell they were playing with a purpose. This was UConn’s most memorable win in its existence because it is the first time they have won since cornerback Jasper “Jazz” Howard was stabbed to death.

Jazz this is for you,” UConn coach Randy Edsall said“Best win we have ever had.”

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Notre Dame-USC Preview

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Saturday is a huge day for the Notre Dame football team as they go against the 6th ranked USC Trojans. The Trojans have beaten the Irish seven years straight, and since the “Bush Push” the Trojans have won easily every time.

Still the Irish players believe they can beat the Trojans.

A win against the Trojans would elevate not only the Notre Dame coaches and players, but all their fans as well. The Irish have a stellar offense, but they haven’t seen a defense as good as the Trojans.

It will be a tough challenge, but one that means a lot to both teams.

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Yes, Charlie Weis’ Tenure as Notre Dame Head Coach Can Get Worse

charlie-weis

Despite the “decided schematic advantage” that he has brought to South Bend (best seen here and here), Charlie Weis’ tenure at Notre Dame has not gone quite as well as he and the Notre Dame faithful had hoped.

Let’s see, there was that 3-8 record in 2007 that featured losses to Air Force and Navy, and then last season’s 7-6 mark that was highlighted by a loss to Syracuse (a football program on such solid footing that it turned to a former Duke basketball player to play quarterback this year). 

The putrid aftertaste of this 10-14 two-year span is most notably seen in this encouraging billboard that a group of ex-Irish football players bought in South Bend before this season started.

But just when you thought that things could not get worse in South Bend, that Weis’ seat could not possibly get hotter, there is this: Notre Dame’s 207-game sellout streak, which dates back all the way to 1973 (around the same time that this photo was taken), is in jeopardy of being broken this weekend.

Update: Well that didn’t take long.  The sellout streak is alive, according to ESPN. I’d like to think we had something to do with it…but I know we didn’t.

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Notre Dame-Michigan State Recap: McCarthy’s INT Saves the Irish From Another Tough Loss

notre dame-michigan stateIt was the same scenario for the Irish, just a different but better outcome this time…all thanks to Michigan State.

Michigan State again gave their opponent a second chance, only for it to bite them back in the butt.

Late in the 4th quarter, Michigan Sate was down 30-33. Michigan State’s WR, Larry Caper, beat all of the Irish’s defense. He was wide open. All he had to do was catch the ball. Instead the ball was too high, and while Caper got his hands on the ball, he wasn’t able to catch it.

It would have been a TD and given the Spartans the lead, and maybe even the game, but it only led to an Irish interception that would clinch the game for the Irish.

The hero tonight?

Kyle McCarthy is the big man on campus this weekend for Notre Dame. His interception at the 4 yard line, with 57 seconds left, sealed the win for the Irish. A win that they needed really badly. Last week, Notre Dame let Michigan come back and beat them. A loss that put even more doubt on the team, including head coach, Charlie Weis.

The Irish aren’t even close to showing that they are the real deal. They won the game, and while thats all that matters in the end, having another late night scare shows that this team doesn’t know how to finish a game. It was another scare for loyal Fighting Irish fans. A scar that not many fans want to endure 2 weeks in a row. A scare that kinda ticks you off.

One thing that will make fans happy is Jimmy Clausen continues to play extremely well. He threw for 300 yards with 2 TD passes and no interceptions. He is looking like a great leader for a team that needs one. He has played very well this year, and is a reason why the Irish should be hopeful this and next year.

A huge blow to the Irish is the loss of WR Michael Floyd. Floyd suffered a broken collarbone when he landed in the endzone. He leads the nation in receiving yards per game (160), and in yards per catch (29.1). Luckily, Golden Tate and Clausen were able to pick up the slack, something they might have to be doing for some weeks. It’s not yet known how long Floyd will be out.

Overall a win is a win. However I am beginning to doubt this defense that, in the first week, looked very strong. They have given up two straight 30+ point games. A team can’t expect to win when their defense gives up that many points in a game. Defense should be the main thing for the Irish to work on this week in practice.

The Irish’s season depends how the defense plays. Look for the defense to step it up next week.

Michigan State-Notre Dame Preview and Prediction

Notre Dame-Michigan State Preview - Prediction - Point Spread - Kickoff Time - TVThis game is not as hyped up as the Michigan-Notre Dame game, but it’s still a big game — maybe even bigger — for the Fighting Irish.

Let me just say one thing looking back at last weekend and then we can get into the preview: Notre Dame lost the Michigan game because of terrible, crazy, offensive play calling.

What were they thinking when they called two pass plays with the lead late in the 4th quarter!? Run the ball and make Michigan use their timeouts! It was just dumb play calling at its “finest”.

Now back to the ND-MSU preview. Before we delve into the analysis, here are the particulars for Saturday’s matchup:

Michigan State at Notre Dame

  • Michigan State-Notre Dame Date: Saturday, September 19th
  • Michigan State-Notre Dame State Kickoff Time: 3:30 ET
  • Michigan State-Notre Dame TV Channel: NBC
  • Michigan State-Notre Dame Point Spread: Notre Dame -10.5

Notre Dame has to win this game, and on paper Notre Dame is the stronger team; but this is sports, and if you haven’t found out yet that anything can happened in sports, well you’re not a very astute fan.

So while Notre Dame should win this game, don’t count out Michigan State too easily.

Despite the 30+ points given up against Michigan, Notre Dame’s defense has improved dramatically. While the Irish offense is explosive, I believe it is their defense that will be the key to this game. Defense wins football games, as the old adage goes, and Notre Dame has the defense to do beat Michigan State, along with the offense to back it up.

Michigan State needs to stay to the basics of football. That is playing smart football, not giving up many turnovers, and converting on chances. Michigan State is running against the wind in this game, but playing smart football can make all the difference.

This game will go to the team with the better choices, play calling, and whoever converts on the others mistakes. Those are fairly common things you have to do to win a football game, but not many teams can do that in a game, and they end up paying the price for not sticking to the basics.

Overall I see Notre Dame winning this game comfortably. if not, then maybe Notre Dame isn’t as good as they were hyped to be.

I’ll Tell You This: The Meaning of Bradford’s Injury, ND’s Win, and Why the Jets and Lions are Making a Mistake

[Editor's note: This is the second installment of Big MB's weekly post entitled I'll Tell You This, in which he tells us all what in the sports world -- to quote the great Peter Griffin -- is grinding his gears. Enjoy...and stay tuned for an upcoming appearance by Big MB on the soon-to-be resume MSF podcast.]

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1. Sam Bradford

Sam BradfordThis past Saturday, Oklahoma was upset in new the Dallas Cowboys stadium by BYU. What’s worse is that last year’s Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, Sam Bradford, injured his throwing shoulder on his way to the ground. Sooner Nation stopped breathing for a moment, however with recent reports it seems that the Sooner’s Slinger will only miss 2-4 weeks.

I’ll Tell You This: For all of you skeptics of Mark Sanchez and other athletes coming to pro sports early, and for all of you haters of high schoolers jumping to NBA, this is the case against you. Bradford decided to stick around one more year when he could have been the #1 pick last year. What if this was a career ending injury? Even though it’s not at this point, what if it severely affects Bradford’s play?  Bradford would possibly never get to live his dream of playing pro football. And worse, what would be his future profession after dumping all of his time into becoming an A-level quarterback?

2. Saving Weis?

Charlie Weis and all of South Bend (and those who support the Irish) may breathe just a little easier after Notre Dame pitched a shutout against Nevada. Jimmy Clausen finally looked like the quarterback that he has been hyped to be, completing 15 of 18 passes for 315 yards and 4 touchdowns.

I’ll Tell You This: No coach in sports is under as much pressure as Charlie Weis is right now. Notre Dame MUST win, and look good in doing so. However, this was Nevada. It’s the first week of the season. The team that should have won did. Next week brings bitter rival the Big Blue of Michigan. Someone shoot Charlie a text and let him know his job is still on the line.

3. Al Davis Strikes Again

Once again, Bill Bellicheck is a genius and Al Davis is a fool. This past weekend the New England Patriots traded DE Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders for a first round pick in 2011. Seymour is getting older and has seemingly started to lose a step, but is still an upgrade to a porous Raiders D-Line. However, the question remains: is he worth a first round pick?

I’ll Tell You This: There is not a soul on the earth that can honestly tell me that Al Davis made a good move, or ever will. Seymour is a “right now” type of guy, and Oakland is FAR from a “right now” type of team. There is no doubt that the Patriots will likely be picking top 5 in the 2011 draft, and that is something that no one in the entire NFL (save for New England) wants to see (and it’s possible that Al Davis won’t even live long enough to see). Al Davis needs to let go of this historic NFL franchise or they will never succeed. It’s definitely the black hole….a place where NFL players and winning go to die.

4. The Rookies

NFL rookies take the cake this year as both Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions and Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets will both get the starting nod at quarterback for their respective teams this season.

I’ll Tell You This: Although I think both guys are talented and will be good quarterbacks in the NFL, both teams are making mistakes starting them. Yes, some quarterbacks do well when thrown right into the mix (see Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts). However, in many cases it hurls what may have been a talented superstar into the cursed pool of the draft day flops (See Ryan Leaf, Joey Harrington, and David Carr). And some never can turn it around afterwards. Both teams have respectable veteran starters in Daunte Culpepper (Detroit) and Kellen Clemens (NY).  I can only hope for the sake of these two QB’s that they follow Peyton’s path to success and not Ryan Leaf’s path to America’s Funniest Home Videos.

5. The Knockout Heard Round the World

LeGarrette Blount held back from going into standsEveryone has seen it. Most of us saw it every hour for 48 straight hours on every sport program on television. And while for a fan of MMA like myself it was somewhat exciting to watch, America was once again taken aback by another sports thug when Oregon standout running back LeGarrette Blount sucker punched Boise State’s Byron Hout after Hout spouted a little trash talk to Blount. Blount made things worse by almost going Ron Artest-style on a couple fans on his way to the locker room. It took 4 or 5 police officers and building security to keep him from broaching the stands.

I’ll Tell You This: Although it is very sad to see a player throw away his career for lack of ability to keep his attitude in control, I do find it funny that the game started with both teams meeting at midfield for a handshake in light of “Good Sportmanship Week.” What I also find funny is that Blount ran his mouth ALL week before the game and then after getting held in check and to career lows, couldn’t take what he had been dishing out. The senior received a one year suspension, thus ending his college career. What will he do with his time off? Maybe he should give the Winnepeg Blue Bombers a call. He can hang out with Pacman Jones. They would make a cute couple. Canada can have him too.

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You can follow BigMB on Twitter by going to www.twitter.com/mylesb3269.

Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame Hand Nevada a Beating

Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame beat NevadaCharlie Weis and his team must feel really great right now after shutting out Nevada, 35-0. It was a right step on the road to recovery for the Notre Dame football team.

All areas of the team were spot on. The defense was fast and shut down both the running and the passing game. The offense was unstoppable. Notre Dame ran away with the game early, and once they had it they never looked back.

Jimmy Clausen had a Heisman-caliber game, throwing for 315 yards and 4 touchdowns. The ball came out out of his hand like a bullet and was always incredibly accurate as well.

Sure, it wasn’t a top 25 team they played in South Bend on Saturday, but a game like that should improve Clausen’s confidence in the pocket and the overall confidence of the offense. It was a great day for the junior QB and hopefully we will see more games like that from him.

It was just a blast to watch this game. Being a Notre Dame fan I had seen some bad football being played by the Irish over the past 2 years, and this game was basically a vacation from all that bad football. For once this team looked like the old Fighting Irish I knew and loved.

It was a big win against a small school, but it seemed like it was a huge win against a huge team. You could see the happiness on the players’, coaches’, and fans’ faces. This is a win the team needed. To start off a season like that, after playing so poorly the past couple of seasons, must be a big relief. Hopefully it is also a sign that this team can do big things this year.

Next week the Irish play against rival Michigan. It is another big game and comes against a team that is in the same position Notre Dame is, only worse. Both teams will want a W, so expect a hard fought football game. You can check out the game on September 12 at 2:30cst.

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* – Jimmy Clausen photo credit: AP via BoDog Beat

Charlie Weis’ Fighting Irish Have One More Year to Finally Prove Themselves

Notre Dame 2009 Season Preview: Weis, Irish Have a Lot to Prove in 2009When people say Notre Dame, most people think about the football team. The Fighting Irish have always been a very prestigious football school. They hold the second best all-time winning percentage of any college team – behind only Michigan – but the past two years have not been so good to the golden domers.

In fact, the past two years have been hell for Irish fans.

Notre Dame went a combined 9-15 over the past two season, including setting the record for most losses in a season in 2007 with nine. The Irish especially did not fare well against their main rival USC, losing 0-38 in 2007 and 3-35 in 2008.

So you would think it could only get better for the Irish, right?

Well, that’s exactly what might happen.

Follow the links to StubHub for great deals on Notre Dame football tickets and all college football tickets.

This year has the potential to be a comeback year for the Irish. With a relatively easy schedule, the Irish can post an above .500 record for the first time in two years and could end up in the top 25 – or *gasp* even the BCS – at the end of the year. The Irish were ranked at 23rd in the pre-season polls, which I think is a lenient ranking considering how average they were last season.

One thing is for sure, after yet another stellar recruiting class pulled into South Bend by Charlie Weis: the Irish have the players to prove they belong in the top 25. The Irish’s recruiting class was in the top 10 again this year, and we all know that recruiting is a necessary step in rebuilding a college football program into the powerful force it desires to be.

Furthermore, the returning players on offense have matured and should be ready to take another step forward this season, which is obviously one in which the Irish hope to win a spot in one of the major bowl games. And not only do they want to be in one, they want to win one.

Notre Dame 2009 Season Preview | Notre Dame Football TicketsThe offense is led by junior QB Jimmy Clausen and junior WR Golden Tate. These two love each other and are prepped to have a stellar year. Clausen has been called a bust by some, but he is now in his prime and so is the offense. Notre Dame is known to have had potent offenses in the past, and it all starts at the QB position. With greats like Joe Montana, and recently Brady Quinn, Clausen has high expectations to fulfill.

Another person who is not a player also has infamously high expectations to fulfill. And when I say that, I mean – who else? – Charlie Wies.

Going into his 4th season, Weis has put up a modest 29-21 record. The only great year Weis has had was in 2006, when they went 10-2, but lost in the Sugar Bowl to LSU. After the disappointment of the last two years, fans have been calling for Notre Dame to fire Weis, and there was rumors after last season that he was in fact going to be fired. However, Weis wasn’t fired, and this year will be a statement of just how good a coach Weis is.

He has clearly had mixed reviews over his coaching career with Notre Dame. All agree he is a great recruiter, but some argue he is a terrible on-field play caller and coach. Is his offense too complicated for a college football team? Some have said so. The overriding trust is that Weis has the tools, and he mentally understands how to move the football. Now can he use those tools effectively and instill the same knowledge into his players?

We will just have to wait and see.

As you can see, this year will be a make or break season for the Fighting Irish and their embattled coach. The players are there, the schedule sets up nicely, and the fans are ready. Will this be a comeback year, or will it just be another disappointment?

Nobody can know, except maybe Touchdown Jesus.

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[Editor's note: you can catch Notre Dame's first game this Saturday, September 5, against Nevada at 3:30pm est. Follow the link to see the entire Week 1 college football schedule and point spreads.]

* – Notre Dame gold helmet photo credit: UND.com

* – Charlie Weis / Jimmy Clausen photo credit: AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar via WSBT.com

Simeon Rice Calls Jon Gruden a Scumbag and Somewhere Charlie Weis is Smiling

Simeon Rice Calls Jon Gruden a ScumbagWhile doing my usual late-night perusal of ProFootballTalk before shutting my computer down for the evening, I came across a pretty interesting item containing some rather inflammatory comments made by Simeon Rice earlier today.

It seems that Simeon Rice is not too big a fan of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden, who was recently fired and replaced by Raheem Morris.

“How I feel personally? I could tell you that, too. I think he’s a scumbag,” Rice said. “I think he’s a scumbag personally. That’s when he’s telling you one thing and… You know what he told me? ‘Simeon you’ll be here in the next five years.’ I got injured [and] this man’s never said one word to me. I won a Super Bowl for you. I got 13 sacks, 12, 15 every year for you. I balled. I got injured [and] you let me go like it was nothing.”

Wow. Players who have been cut holding grudges is nothing really new, but coming right out and calling the guy a scumbag is pretty surprising.

What do you think?

Is Jon Gruden a scumbag?

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Hop over to PFT to read the rest of Simeon Rice’s comment. He goes on and on listing off players who had beef with Gruden for one reason or another, and describing situations that turned into “debacles” because of how Gruden handled them.Simeon Rice Calls Jon Gruden a Scumbag

Simeon Rice had quite a football career. He shattered the previous Big Ten sack record of 36 by notching 44.5 sacks while at the University of Illinois. He was then picked 3rd in the 1996 NFL draft and was a highly productive player for the Cardinals and Buccaneers (helping Tampa Bay win the 2002 Super Bowl) before suffering a series of nagging injuries. He bounced around after being cut by the Bucs and developed a reputation of being a little bit of a malcontent.

As with anything, I’m sure that the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Jon Gruden obviously rubbed some people the wrong way during his Tampa Bay tenure, and I’m sure this won’t be last “scumbag” story that comes out. But Simeon Rice’s comments should probably be taken with at least a little bit of a grain of salt. No doubt there is some animosity there for the unceremonious way that Rice was jettisoned from the Bucs when his production deteriorated, but that’s the way it goes in the salary-cap era NFL.

Still, you have to wonder what the Golden Domers think of the myriad of negative pub that Jon Gruden has been getting recently. It is the worst-kept secret in sports — heck, it’s not even really a secret — that Notre Dome has long coveted Jon Gruden to someday restore the pride of Touchdown Jesus; and the feeling is mutual. But when when of your only public defenders is John Daly, well that has to say something doesn’t it?

One thing is for sure, somewhere Charlie Weis is smiling — and probably feeling just a little bit more secure in his job than he was about a week ago.

Charlie Grimace