Change We Can Believe In?

Who knows?  What should change?  What will change?

Here's my few thoughts on it:

1)  The Offensive Line Dynamic

Shocking yes.  You never could've guessed it.  I'm not sure if this is coaching, scheme, the running plays we call, personnel or all/some of the above.  But something has to change, and asap.  My guess is that the dynamic between Weis' system and Latina just doesn't work.  I would love to see Weis give up the zone blocking scheme and go with something simpler that's easier to execute on a consistent basis.  If that happened, Latina could be the man to deliver on it.  But I doubt Weis will go that route, and so Latina's days may be numbered.  He's a really respected guy and has been a good recruiter as well.  I'm not sure what happened here, but clearly it's an experiment that failed miserably.

Should change?  Yes.   Will change?  Yes.

2)  Running out of the Pro Set

The limited success we had running the ball this year seemed to happen when we spread the other team out with 4 or 5 wide.  The Pro Set with Schwapp in at FB didn't seem to result in any running momentum.  Even when the single back set seemed to be working, Weis/Haywood would end up going back to the Pro Set shortly later.  It blew my mind, and it didn't work.  Weis needs to watch a bunch of film, and see what his offensive identity should/could be.   Spread teams out and pick them apart via the passing and the running game.  Unless Paskorz can be a true running threat (he ran for over 2,000 yards in HS so it's possible), or unless Weis brings in Hughes as a FB/2nd HB, the single set is the way to go.

Should change?  Yes.  Will change?  Doubtful.

3)  Drive-Killing Mistakes

All year our offense shot itself in the foot, seemingly at the worst times possible.  We'd get a couple first downs, we're moving the sticks, we get to the 35 and BAM:  False start, False Start, Sack for 2nd and 50 from our own side of the field.  This seemed to happen often, and it was rarely the same cause.  Clausen forcing a pass into triple coverage.  Grimes tackling a dude on a long downfield run.  Young jumping early AGAIN.  And, for some reason, the big holding penalties, or the unsportsmanlike, or whatever it is always seemed to negate a big old gain (and not a gain that was helped by the penalty in some crazy-magic-weird way).  Weis has to figure out how to teach his team to take care of the ball, and to get engaged in the game mentally.  Fundamentals is the key here, and that's not a new concept thrown out there either.  Learn how to block.  Learn how to block downfield.  Pure concentration on the snap count.  Play with passion and fury, but pull it back before you get stupid.  Learn how to shed a guy your blocking when he starts to go down so that takedown doesn't look like a hold.  Too many times Irish players made these kinds of mistakes, and it cost us points or field position or both, and those swings cost us at least 2 games this year.

Should change?  Yes.  Will change?   Eh, 50/50.

4)  Pressure on the QB

Despite all the promises of downhill and massively crazy blitz schemes, the Irish D never seemed to really get to the QB this year.  Here and there sure, but it's not at all what many of us envisioned when we heard Tenuta was on board.  Next year, this team needs to live in the backfield.  Or if you simply can't get there for some reason - schemes no longer work, the players aren't the right guys, whatever, it's time to back off those blitzes and use those players elsewhere.  Covering the corner for runs is one place, or maybe helping out on those quick hitch routes that 3rd string QBs seemed to kill us with all year.   Don't get me wrong, I thought the D played well this year, and improved as the year went on.  But if we're not putting QBs on their heels, let alone asses, it's time to back off those blitzes.   Another issue here is the DL.  We were working with kind of a patchwork DL this year, and some of the younger guys coming in next year (Cave, Lewis-Moore) and the hopeful progression of gusy like Ethan Johnson may help next year.  The question is whether or not Jappy Oliver is the man.  Given the issues we've had at depth, and the way he helped Trevor Robinson develop, I tend to give him the benefit of the doubt.  I think he's a good guy that gets ND, and the D was pretty solid this year.  I don't think he's a big issue.   I do expect bigger impact from guys like Williams though, so I can see the case for looking elsewhere as well.  Not sure what will go down here.

Should change?  Yes.  Will change?  Probably?

5)  Not Playing with Passion

I actually don't think this is a big issue.  I saw this team plenty fired up in plenty of games this year.  I also don't know that Charlie is to blame for the times where we saw a lack of passion.  Partially, yes, but it's not 100% on him.  It's up to players to get up for games too.  It's up for player leaders to fire up their brethren, and for everyone to come out ready to play.  Brian Smith, a sophomore, and Kuntz seemed to be our 2 big fire-em-up type guys and we need more of them.   And yeah, I saw some inspired play in games throughout the year.  But it ebbed and flowed.  The intensity was there one minute, and gone the next - usually any time we took a lead.  This team needs emotion to drive them for a full game, whistle to whistle.  This is probably something Charlie can help with, and the assistant coaches can help with, but I think it really comes down to the players.  Players need to step up, they need to care and they need to get freaking fired up.  Player leaders can't only lead by example, they need to be vocal and they need to want to rip someone's face off all game long.  ESPECIALLY when we get a lead.  I think we have the kids to make this happen.  And with one more year of prep, I think they'll do it.

Should change?  Yes.  Will change?  Yes.

6)  Make the Special Teams Special-er

This is a place where I think we saw vast improvement this year.  Certainly coverage on kicks and punts was stellar . Our kicking game improved immensely from a horrid start, and I finally have confidence in an ND kicker again.  But our returns need help.  I'm not sure if Tate is the answer.  He's fast as heck, and that's perfect for a WR.  I'm just not sure if he has that explosive burst, or if he's willing to use it, on these returns.  Or maybe it's the blocking here, since we have so many issues blocking elsewhere.  Regardless, it needs help.  I don't think canning Polian is the answer.  Under him the ST improved in many areas this year, and he's one heck of a recruiter.   Cierre Wood could provide a spark here, or maybe Tate just needs another year to fall into his role as the second coming of The Rocket. 

Should change?  Partially.  Will change?  Eh, 50/50.

7)  Humbling the Coach

A lot of folks say that Charlie needs to be humble.  Needs to glad-hand folks and make friends in the administration.  I'm not sure why this matters at all.  I could care less if the dude's a pompous ass, or if he's the sweetest man on earth.  I care if he runs a clean program that graduates kids, and I care if he wins football games.  If we were 10 wins in this year, no one would mention his hubris.  So I don't really care if he ruffles feathers.  I'd much rather have him working on film or out recruiting than sucking up to internal constituents.  I think he's done a decent job reaching out to alums through events and such, and I don't even know if that's worth his time beyond raising money for charity.  I guess I get that it irks people, especially when he's not performing, but I don't really see why unless you hang out around the dude regularly and he just disses you left and right.  Yeah, that'd be annoying.  But otherwise, what's the big deal?

Should change?  Nope.  Will change?  Nope.

8)  WR Route Running

This is an area where we saw improvement this year, but it's still not good enough.  They're not quite as crisp as they should be, they often struggle to come back to the ball when needed (and there's the blocking thing too).  Ianello is in charge, and while we've seen improvement I don't think it's been enough.  The question here is really around recruiting - he's a kickass recruiter himself and a second-to-none recruiting coordinator.  I think he sticks around because of this, and because we've seen progress among a very-young receiving Corps.  One more year and I think they'll be dynamic.  With Tate and Floyd out there, and Shaq Evans coming in as a super-fluid athlete, I think this group will get there.

Should change?  Not really.   Will change?  Hopefully we see continued improvement.

9)  Charlie as a HC or an OC, or a HC, or an OC...ad infinitum.

First he's the offense guy, then he's big picture, now he's offense again.  Charlie needs to figure this out and decide what kind of coach he is.  The problem is that Charlie tends to get bogged down in details.  He's so analytical about things that he struggles to consistently run the program.  Here's a problem, I'll fix that.  This is a problem, I'll fix that.   The coach needs to understand where and how he fits in, and go with it.  Bouncing around here and there trying to plug a little leak here and a little leak there just won't get it done.  This is a big flaw for the coach and one that's just built into who he is.  It's obvious that he'll be focusing more on offense this off-season and next year, and it's clear why.  And while I believe in Corwin and Tenuta, I think Charlie should remain involved in both phases of the game.  I think the defensive players need that HC attention as well, in any program.   Weis really needs to get some things figured out in the way he runs things, rather than bouncing around, but given his situation he can't help but focus almost exclusively on the O this year.

Should change?  Yes.  Will change?  Nope.

10)  Real QB Coach

I think CW did Powlus a big favor in hiring him.  Good guy, gets ND, was a decent QB himself.  But after Vaas and Cutliffe, this is a huge downgrade.  Charlie probably figures that he is the real QB coach, and he can bring Powlus along and help him develop along the way.  Chuck loves that he helped build Brady and Quinn, and so I get why he wants to spend time there.  But he needs to revamp an entire offense.  Which means he needs a guy that he can trust his squad of high-caliber QBs to, so they get proper training and development when CW is away.  Given Clausen's regression in the second half of the season this year,  this needs fixed bad.  Fixing the picks, the slow decision-making at times, the staring down of the WRs all day long.  Powlus is brand new and hasn't done this kind of work before, so you have to think he'll have to take a step back.   Weis needs new blood here, and bad.

Should change?  Yep.  Will change?  Probably.

10)  The Weis "Take What they Give You" Offensive Philosophy

I get how Charlie got here, and it's largely because he used this philosophy with such great success at NE.  But in the college game, and here at ND, it just doesn't seem to be working as much.  To me, it results in a few things.  First, it seems that game-planning gets overly complicated and causes the players to get tripped up in plays, schemes, positions, roles, blah blah blah.  Way too much to think about, so they end up making mental errors.  False starts, holds, wrong routes, blown assignments, whatever.  The other part of that is that it holds a player back from just playing.  Rather than going out and just tearing someone's face off, they're concerned about a complex set of roles and responsibilities.  Second, it's a soft philosophy by nature.  I get that you want to go where a Defense let's you go, but there's something to be said for saying "I'm gonna take these 3 yards, whether you give it to me or not.  And if you don't give it to me, I'm going to make you pay for it, over and over and over."  That kind of philosophy breeds nasty.  That kind of philosophy breeds an aggressive offense.  I think there's a balance between the two that needs to be struck, but his take-what-they-give-you approach is so engrained that I doubt he'll even consider any changes along these lines.

Should change?  At least partially.  Will change?  Not a chance.

Those are my thoughts - what else should change on this team in the next year?  And will it?