Live Blog: Notre Dame vs. USC

FanHouse writer John Walters is living in South Bend, Ind., during one of the most pivotal seasons in Notre Dame history. Check back daily for his dispatches on the Irish.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Flat-lined against a blue-gray sky...huh?

Greetings from the Notre Dame Stadium pressbox, which is filled with budding eulogists this afternoon. National scribes from publications and websites alike, many of them here to see whether USC will blow out the Irish and put the nail in Charlie Weis' coffin.

Sorry, I just don't see it that way.

Follow John Walters live blog after the jump.

If the Irish lose by four touchdowns or so, then yes, it is time to wonder whether Weis simply cannot motivate his team for the big games. Any other outcome, though, bodes well for his health.

Walking along the South Quad this morning, both Alumni Hall and Dillon Hall had hung bedsheets that had the names of all the blue-chip recruits who are visiting this weekend. Besides each name was a box and for those who had already verbally committed (e.g., Chris Martin), a checkmark inside the box.

That those signs were more prominent than the scattered "Fall of Troy" signs is telling. This game, for the Irish, is about much more than moving up in the polls and ending a seven-game losing streak. This is about the future of the program. This is about proving to those four- and five-star kids (honestly, they could stage the Army All-American Game as the halftime entertainment today) that, as Weis likes to say, "the arrow is pointing upward" in South Bend.

Whether or not that's true... tune in to NBC at 3:42 p.m.

P.S. The grass is short today.

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

10-17-2009 @ 6:28PM

Hey their Boski said...

As I watch the Notre Dame-USC game 1 of 2 things must be wrong. 1 Notre Dame doesn't have the great athletes everyone thinks. 2 Charlie Weis is a terrible coach. I feel that number 2 is correct, as evidenced by his decision in the 2nd quarter to go on 4th & 1 instead of kicking a field goal. Not only was the decision wrong, but the play that was called was absolutey atrocious. His defense is either filled with weak players or his defensive coordinator is watching another game. The offensive and defensive schemes they come up with remind me of high school. Notre Dame will not return to the elite with these guys calling the shots. Receivers from USC wide open, ND defenders can't tackle, it has to be embarressing to the University. Goodbye Charlie, you're not overrated, you should be rated at all.

10-17-2009 @ 6:39PM

greatqb44 said...

34-14..SHOCKED I TELL YA

10-17-2009 @ 6:42PM

a4manbob said...

WE ARE! SC

10-17-2009 @ 7:24PM

samtull said...

Charlie Weis has to go after this year. We need new blood that can win the big games.

10-17-2009 @ 7:25PM

BIG KAHUNA !! said...

I can't believe NBC is talking about Clausen ND rising to the occassion when Barkley SC (freshman) outshined him the whole game.

10-17-2009 @ 8:05PM

Bruce said...

Now can we FINALLY dump both Notre Dame and Ohio State from the Top 25, where they NEVER belonged? (Oh yeah-- add Penn State to that list, too. Joke-Pa and his neutered lions are battling "mighty" Delaware State this week!)

10-17-2009 @ 9:40PM

fishstew4 said...

Get a life

10-17-2009 @ 8:38PM

cdastor512 said...

Hey Bruce...Penn St didn't play Delaware St today. Michigan did. If you're going to bash the big ten at least get your facts straight. Duma$$

10-17-2009 @ 9:47PM

geraldr5 said...

I hope ND keeps Charlie Weiss forever!!!

10-17-2009 @ 10:20PM

adf3415 said...

Damn...just couldn't get one more roughing penalty to get ND into the end zone!
Good try though Charlie et al!
Is there anything more annoying than NBC as the ND network?

10-18-2009 @ 12:35AM

jplaforce said...

Great game! 3 more yrs of watching Matt Barkley and Pete Carroll! It just doesn't get any better than that! Fight on!

10-18-2009 @ 2:28PM

Bobby Dodd said...

I cannot believe you ND ass kissers act like getting beat by a ranked team somehow makes the Flaccid Irish legit.

They suck. Fat Charlie is a loser as head coach.

How about let's stop pretending ND is anything but a bottom tier college football program??

Keep Weis if you want, but stop acting like the man is a good coach. His record speaks for itself.