Willingham or Weis, the problem's the same for Notre Dame: a lack of speed

After their 37 to 20 pasting by Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, many Notre Dame fans are waking up to the fact that the team's basic problem -- a lack of speed and athletic skill on a par with the top BCS competition -- still remains.

Notre Dame Head Coach Weis had the players Tyrone Willingham recruited, and my theory -- that they were simply responding to a new voice and a different scheme, which is why the went 9 and 2 -- holds. The coup de grace will be when Notre Dame fails to sneak up on their opponents next year and posts a 7 and 4 record.

In other words, I'm predicting the same slide that Ty experienced during his short tenure. Weis brought in the plays and approach he established in New England and now the NCAA's richer for it. Next year, they can't sneak up on opponents, because there's a "book" on what they do now.

Let's see how Weis and the alumns get along in 2006.