Football Soap Opera

The saga continues at the University of Meeechigan, where it looks like LSU Coach Les Miles is having a change of heart. Rumors around Ann Arbor (major whore, by the way) were swirling about how bad the UM AD Bill Martin botched this whole thing. After hearing Martin was dead set on Ball State's Brady Hoke, the Michigan faithful went to the top and asked for their Board of Directors to get Martin back on track and try to sway Miles back to the dark side. Below is the abridged version of the Detroit Free Press article. To see the whole article, click the title.

Miles appears to be a Michigan coaching candidate again. Miles had a phone conversation Friday morning with Michigan athletic director Bill Martin and school president Mary Sue Coleman, according to several people with knowledge of the call. Michigan received permission Nov. 28 from LSU athletic director Skip Bertman to speak with Miles, as long as it was after the Dec. 1 SEC championship game. So asking LSU again for permission was not an issue; U-M is believed to have initiated Friday's call. LSU athletic director Skip Bertman said Monday night he didn't know if Miles had had contact with Michigan. But he said he doubted anyone could sway Miles to leave LSU.

When Tom Osborne started looking for a new Nebraska football coach, he hired a search firm to help. When Bill Martin sought a new Michigan football coach, he figured he didn't need a search firm. Think about that. Osborne is one of the best coaches in the history of the sport. Martin was a casual football fan before becoming Michigan's athletic director. Yet Osborne is the one who used a search firm. If Martin had hired a search firm, he likely would have a coach by now.

Who has ever heard of an Athletic Director botching a coaching hire? Sounds new to me too! Maybe UM's AD will get the job done, unlike you know who.

The Road Less Successful

Despite not having a "quality" road win, Notre Dame made another first this season, cracking the ESPN Power 16 poll. The Irish are 16th in the poll which is a composite of all the ballots from a panel of ESPN.com experts. It does not reflect any one individual's picks. Below is this week’s poll.

ESPN Power 16:

1. North Carolina (26-2), 3 (RPI)
2. Memphis (27-1), 2 (RPI)
3. Tennessee (24-3), 1 (RPI)
4. UCLA (23-3), 9 (RPI)
5. Texas (23-4), 4 (RPI)
6. Kansas (24-3), 8 (RPI)
7. Duke (24-3), 5 (RPI)
8. Xavier (24-4), 6 (RPI)
9. Stanford (22-4), 20 (RPI)
10. Georgetown (23-4), 10 (RPI)
11. Louisville (22-6), 12 (RPI)
12. Wisconsin (23-4), 13 (RPI)
13. Indiana (24-4), 18 (RPI)
14. Connecticut (22-6), 11 (RPI)
15. Vanderbilt (24-4), 7 (RPI)
16. Notre Dame (21-5), 21 (RPI)

Here’s what ESPN’s Andy Glockner had to say about the Irish:

“Thursday's game at Louisville is a huge quality check on ND's ultimate upside. The Irish are just 5-5 away from the impenetrable Joyce Center and haven't beaten a surefire NCAA Tournament team away from home all season. Can the Irish and their "live 3 or die" philosophy get it done? It actually could be up to the D, which has been very porous lately.”

Andy, Andy, Andy, you sure kick below the belt don’t ya? Well I decided to look further into this issue and see what the other Power 16 has done on the road. After compiling all of this, I’m not too impressed. Here are the road wins for each of the Power 16 against the RPI’s Top 50.

Tennessee (Xavier, Memphis)
Memphis (none; The Tigers have 2 neutral site wins over Oklahoma and UConn in NYC)
UNC (Ohio State, Clemson, Miami)
Texas (UCLA, Oklahoma, Baylor, Kansas St.)
Duke (UNC)
Xavier (UMass, Dayton)
Vanderbilt (none; Vandy’s best win on the road is at Georgia [139 RPI])
Kansas (USC)
UCLA (Stanford, Washington St.)
Georgetown (West Virginia)
UConn (Indiana, Syracuse)
Louisville (UNLV, Marquette, Pitt)
Wisconsin (Texas, Indiana, Ohio State)
Indiana (Southern Illinois, Ohio State)
Stanford (Washington State, Arizona)
Notre Dame (none; The Irish beat Kansas State in NYC)

So before you spout off again Andy, you better check your facts! It will always come back and bite ya in the ass.

GO IRISH!

That's What I'm Talking About!

Even though this video may not be suitable for work or children, it's definitely suitable from a fan's standpoint!

Tenuta is what the Irish needed. Can't wait for the Blue and Gold game. T-minus 14 days!

California Dreaming for Kevin White?

What would the off season be without rumors? Well according to CBSSportsline.com journalist Dennis Dodd, Notre Dame Athletic Director Kevin White could be a possible candidate as the next Pac 10 Commissioner.

"If you playoff proponents want a ray of hope, here it is: Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen is rumored to be stepping down next year. (His choice, by the way) Hansen, along with the Big Ten's Jim Delany, is part of the blockade against a plus-one. The new commissioner might be able to slowly melt some cold presidential hearts within the conference.

Watch for the Mountain West's Craig Thompson to go after the job. That makes sense, but there is another name in the rumor mill that will blow your doors off: Notre Dame AD Kevin White.

Hansen is the longest-tenured major-college commissioner having been in his position since 1983."

If Hansen does indeed call it quits in 2009, White would be the frontrunner. 1.) His familiarity with the conference and his ties with those schools should help. Dr. White's tenure as the head of the Arizona State athletic department didn't get unnoticed whatsoever, as he helped improve facilities and the NCAA violations. 2.) Family will be close by too! White's son, Danny, is an Associate AD at Fresno State and is expecting their first child. That would be the first grandchild in the White family.

Other possible candidates for the Pac 10 besides White and Craig Thompson might be Ohio State AD Gene Smith. And speaking of Smith; if White does bolt South Bend for the sunny skies of California, he would easily be the Fighting Irish's first and most obvious choice. Smith was a former player that was part of the 1973 National Championship squad and a coach under Dan Devine from 1977-1981.

If Smith doesn't pan out, there's a huge list of folks that would be itching at the chance to come to South Bend. Below is just a short list of the most obvious choices for Fr. Jenkins.

Athletic Director Candidates
Smith is the only choice in my opinion, but the rest will be considered because of university ties.

Barry Alvarez (Wisconsin): Assistant football coach under Lou Holtz
Joel Maturi (Minnesota): ND Alum
Steve Orsini (Southern Methodist): ND Alum
Mike Bobinski (Xavier): ND Alum
Bubba Cunningham (Tulsa): ND Alum and former Associate AD
Larry Williams (Portland): ND football captain under Gerry Faust and former ND employee

Once again this is only rumor and speculation, but in this crazy world of Intercollegiate Athletics, moves are made in a blink of an eye!

Fitzgerald Is Out

According to Beano Cook today from ESPN.com

Beano Cook (4:05 PM)

Apparently, I've been told that Pat Fitzgerald, my pick for the next coach at Notre Dame isn't even interested. It's hard to believe, but I've been told that. I don't have another pick, because you only get one. If I were Iowa, I would be worried about Kirk Ferentz, if Notre Dame approaches him. However, I believe that Notre Dame has already hired their next coach. That's just their opinion, but we will know who the next coach is by next week this time at the latest