Notre Dame can't afford more information overload
Early in the morning on Dec. 17, Charlie Weis will step off the recruiting trail and begin dissecting where he went wrong this season.
The Notre Dame coach undoubtedly will spend time reviewing a botched preseason, a chaotic quarterback situation and an ill-fated schematic change for the opener against Georgia Tech. He will pore over a woeful run game, a fragile offensive line and a freshman quarterback (Jimmy Clausen) who made strides after a taxing college football baptism.
If Weis is as detail-oriented as he claims to be, he will scrutinize every practice period, play and decision since August. The coach whose mind is purportedly his greatest advantage will put it to use.
"Are they schematics? Are they personnel? What exactly (are) the problems?" Weis said Sunday. "I really don't know yet until after I've gone ahead and (done) a full analysis."
Here's a tip to Weis: Don't think too hard.
Weis' biggest error this season was trying to outsmart and outscheme the natural personnel cycle of college football.
Brady Quinn could grasp Weis' offense because he was a two-year starter at quarterback. Jeff Samardzija, Maurice Stovall, Rhema McKnight, Darius Walker, Anthony Fasano and a host of offensive linemen could understand the "phonebook" - the term Irish players jokingly used to describe Weis' complex playbook - because they were veterans.
When those guys were around, Weis could run Notre Dame's program like he would an NFL team.
But to expect a bunch of freshmen and career reserves to comprehend and execute the same system was impractical. And the decision to transform the offense for quarterback Demetrius Jones in the opener proved disastrous.
Weis conceded his error after Notre Dame's 38-0 loss to Michigan in Week 3, saying the team needed to find a small niche, "a foundation for us to grow from." Whether the Irish have found that niche is questionable, though Clausen's development is encouraging.
"There's a big difference between an 18-year-old and a 23-year-old," Weis said Sunday. "It isn't like just like a rookie in the NFL, because you can have a rookie in the NFL that's very mature because he's already 22 or 23. They can play with the 30-year-olds and it's no big deal.
"Maturity wise, there's a huge difference."
Understanding that difference is a crucial step. Weis will have a more experienced and talented team in 2008, but he must carefully judge what his players can handle.
Notre Dame can't afford another information overload. Otherwise, the school might not think twice about what to do with Weis.
After another 3-1 effort, here is my final regular-season installment of picks.
Virginia Tech at Virginia, 11 a.m. Saturday ESPN2
The skinny: I've gone against Virginia all year and gotten burned. Not this time. The Cavs are flat-out clutch.
The pick: Virginia 20, Tech 17
Oregon at UCLA, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC regional
The skinny: Can the Ducks salvage their season without Dennis Dixon? Jonathan Stewart could struggle against the nation's 17th-ranked run defense, but Oregon will find a way.
The pick: Oregon 31, UCLA 30
Notre Dame at Stanford, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, ESPN
The skinny: The worst season in Notre Dame history can't end any other way.
The pick: Stanford 24, Notre Dame 21
Missouri vs. Kansas (at Kansas City, Mo.), 7 p.m. Saturday, Channel 7
The skinny: The neutral site will be a factor, but Kansas is too good on both sides of the ball.
The pick: Kansas 38, Missouri 31
Rittenberg on the season: 35-13