During the winter there was a lot of moaning and groaning about the hiring of Brian Kelly at Notre Dame because the team was switching control from one pass happy coach to another who is just as determined to air the ball out.

However, do not take Kelly’s penchant for throwing the ball as a sign that Notre Dame will continue to have a weak running attack.

In fact, the Irish may have a very powerful ground game in 2010, one which could see the Golden Domers gain the most yards in nearly a decade.

That means Notre Dame may approach a milestone believed unthinkable during the Charlie Weis era:

2,000 yards rushing.

Thanks to Weis’ strong recruiting efforts, Brian Kelly is now walking into a situation in South Bend where there is a lot of talent and experience at the running back position.

So much so that I believe Kelly will ultimately lean heavily on the ground game this coming fall.

It may seem unbelievable given Notre Dame’s past struggles in this area, yet the running game could end up being the strong point for the offense in 2010.

Now, let’s address the four main questions heading into the season.

Will Armando Allen Stay Healthy?

This is obviously the biggest question heading into the season since Allen is the anointed starter and a senior with a ton of experience.

Without a healthy Allen, it is likely Notre Dame will struggle on the ground in the same manner the program has over the past eight seasons. Not since 2001 has Notre Dame rushed for 2,000 yards as a team, a depressing fact if there ever was one.

But, with a strong, rested and healthy Allen the Irish ground game has a lot of potential to do damage on Saturday afternoons.

If Allen is able to run more north-south and hit the holes with speed in Kelly’s new offense, then a 1,000 yard season is well within reach.

How Much Production from Cierre Wood?

Cierre Wood is an x-factor simply because he is projected to be Allen’s backup and his yardage could swing the potency of the Irish ground game in either direction.

A nice and productive red shirt sophomore season from Wood likely means Notre Dame will be, at minimum, a good running football team, while a season of struggle from the Oxnard, California native means the Irish will probably stay a below-average rushing team.

I’m betting on the former and I believe Wood should immediately share carries with Allen at the start of the season.

I don’t think Wood should be the backup and only handle the rock whenever Allen is tired, but that the sophomore is ready to be treated as if he is a legitimate number one runner.

Knowing Kelly’s penchant for using multiple backs, it is likely that Wood will get his fair share of carries and make an impact from the opener against Purdue and onward.

I know Wood is still very young and hasn’t proved anything yet at the college level, but this kid could be something special.

He was one of the top running back recruits in the country a year ago who had a sensational high school career (4,234 yards with a 13 YPC average to go along with 54 touchdowns as a junior and senior), and he looked amazing in the spring game (even if it was against a vanilla defense).

Perhaps more importantly, Kelly switched Theo Riddick to receiver specifically to get Wood carries in the backfield this year, quite a statement for a player who has yet to step on the field for any game action in an Irish uniform.

Most Irish fans would agree that it was freshman Theo Riddick who looked like a future superstar with his admittedly small sample size as a kick returner and running back in 2009, but now Kelly is basically saying Wood is going to be the future at the position.

Is it possible that Wood will be even better than Riddick?

Will Wood be part of a revival of the Notre Dame running game in the future?

That may very well be, and it looks like Wood will be an integral part of the offense from the beginning and is thought of very highly by the new Fighting Irish coach.

What Will Dayne Crist Add?

A lot of pressure will be riding on Crist to take over this new offense and move the ball through the air, but his ability to make plays with his feet could add another dynamic weapon on the ground.

Due to his injured knee, we may not see Crist run the ball a lot early in the season, but at some point he will increase his carries and begin racking up yardage on the ground.

Given the lack of a rushing attack from the Irish quarterback position in recent years, anything Crist offers can be seen as a bonus and just another reason why Notre Dame could have a stronger ground game than in past years.

Last season, with mobile sophomore quarterback Zach Collaros under center, Brian Kelly had his signal caller rush for 344 yards on 57 carries with four touchdowns.

That is 72 fewer yards on 31 fewer carries with one less touchdown than Robert Hughes, Notre Dame’s second-string back in 2009. And that is also with Collaros stepping in for the injured Tony Pike and not even playing a full season.

So, it may not be realistic to expect a whole lot from Crist in the running game in 2010, but his talent combined with the coaching and offensive system indicates that there is the possibility that Crist makes plays with his feet this fall.

Crist may not be a true burner, but given full health he should be able to scamper for six or seven yards on quarterback keepers and reads from time to time.

How Many Carries and How Many Runners?

How often will Brian Kelly run the ball, how many different runners will he use and how many carries will each player receive?

In terms of offensive plays from scrimmage, there was not much of a difference between Kelly’s Cincinnati teams and Weis’ Notre Dame teams as Her Loyal Sons has documented over the past week.

From 2007 to 2009 Kelly’s teams averaged 69 plays per game while Weis’ teams averaged 68.5 plays per game for the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

Since the amount of plays per game should be roughly the same, how many rushing plays can we expect under the new regime?

Again, the amount of rushing plays for both coaches mirrors the overall amount of plays from scrimmage.

Kelly averaged 33 rushes per game, while Weis averaged just over 32.

Certainly neither coach ran the ball a ton, but these are pretty decent numbers from coaches who are known to throw the ball and it shows that both were at least somewhat committed to the ground attack.

And anyway, the problem with Weis’ Notre Dame teams wasn’t that they didn’t run, but rather, his teams weren’t very good at it when they did so.

Poor red zone play, missed opportunities on third and short and a general inability to keep opponents honest with the ground game have all been well documented problems from the Weis era.

Kelly on the other hand, is much more efficient.

Last season Notre Dame averaged only 3.8 yards per carry, while Cincinnati averaged 5.0 per rush.

That extra 1.2 yards per carry is a huge difference and one that can translate into winning two or three more games a season.

In Kelly’s first year at Cincinnati he actually ran the ball 13 more times than he threw it, and I expect the run-pass ratio in 2010 to be about even and it wouldn’t surprise me if he ends up calling more running plays throughout the entire season.

This means, we may see Notre Dame run the ball close to 500 times in 2010.

At any rate, let’s assume Notre Dame averages 70 plays per game and that the run-pass ratio is even. At 35 running plays per game, here is how the season could play out:

Allen-182 carries, 1,019 yards (5.6 YPC)

Wood-130 carries, 663 yards (5.1 YPC)

Gray-52 carries, 223 yards (4.3 YPC)

Crist-52 carries, 234 yards (4.5 YPC)

Hughes-26 carries, 114 yards (4.4 YPC)

Others-13 carries, 97 yards (7.5 YPC)

If you add up those numbers, the team will have rushed for a whopping 2,350 yards putting them somewhere close to 30^th in the nation.

As mentioned before, it is highly likely that Kelly will use a running back by committee philosophy as he is not known to rely on one player to carry the team’s load on the ground.

Keeping his runners fresh and utilizing the depth chart could be a big advantage for Brian Kelly in his first season in South Bend and a key to maintaining a potent offense from September through late November.

Last season, Kelly had one runner with over 100 carries while the back up carried the ball 74 times. The remaining 166 carries were given to a handful of players, including quarterback Zach Collaros.

In 2008, Kelly had two players with 130 carries or more and five players shared the 477 carries during his first season at Cincinnati in 2007.

This fall, Allen should get the most carries and I have him projected to run the ball 14 times a game with a decent increase in his yards-per-carry average from 2009. As long as he stays healthy I think these are very reasonable numbers.

What’s more, Cincinnati’s starting running back Isaiah Pead averaged 6.7 yards per carry in 2009, so is it too optimistic to think that Allen could do the same?

I have Wood running the ball 10 times a game with a very respectable yards-per-carry average, but he is still an x-factor who could be a boom or bust player. He may struggle and not come close to this kind of production, but I think he has the necessary skill set to do so.

Jonas Gray is another interesting player who may very well end up getting a lot more carries than this, but it is still too early to tell what role he will have.

As a back with a great mixture of size and speed, Gray may be used quite heavily in short yardage situations and will certainly be called upon if there are any injuries ahead of him on the depth chart.

As I mentioned before, it is tough to tell what Crist will do on the ground, but three rushes and one sack per game is probably a good estimate, if not slightly conservative.

Nevertheless, I think Notre Dame fans will be happy with at least 200 yards and a quarterback that is able to convert third down plays with his feet. Instead of throwing fades and passing the ball at the three yard line, Crist will be much more likely to stuff it home on his own.

I don’t see Robert Hughes getting a lot of carries, but there should be sufficient short yardage situations where he’ll be touching the ball a couple times each game. This fall, his impact may be felt more as a pass receiving fullback or blocker rather than a runner.

The last category involves the three playmakers that will get their hands on the ball in any number of ways. Personally, I think this category could triple in carries and yardage but we’ll have to see what kind of plays Kelly draws up for Riddick, Floyd and Rudolph.

We can probably expect a handful of reverses to Floyd and some running plays to Rudolph through the tight end option play that was used in the spring game. Maybe these plays only pick up a small amount of yards over the course of the season, but there is also potential for something bigger.

Just thinking about Rudolph taking a quick flip from Crist as a hole opens up in the middle of the line should get any Irish fan excited about the upcoming season.

A lot of people are probably wondering how Riddick will be used now that he has switched to receiver.

He probably won’t be a prime-time threat in the passing game early in the season because he still has much to learn at his new position, but Riddick could make a sizeable impact on gadget plays, reverses, and plays in which he motions into the backfield.

Even if Riddick only touches the ball twice a game in this regard and still averages a healthy yards-per-carry average, the team will have rushed for an additional 200 yards or more.

In fact, don’t be surprised if Riddick surpasses Golden Tate’s rushing statistics from 2009 because Kelly’s system is more conducive to getting the ball to the team’s playmakers and he will probably want to get Riddick a certain amount of touches outside of catching the ball from Crist in the slot.

There may be no wildcat formations, but you can bet that Riddick will get his fair share of looks through the running game even though he’s moved to wide receiver.

Summary: Realistic or Rosy Expectations?

Maybe it was the promise shown during the Blue-Gold game (soft defense duly noted) or the fact that Kelly has coached surprisingly good running teams in the past, but I like Notre Dame’s chances on the ground next year.

Perhaps we’ll see a couple injuries and too steep of a learning curve with the new offense and the ground game will struggle to gain 100 yards each game.

But I think those days are long gone with the arrival of Brian Kelly and his coaching and offensive playbook.

I think it’s more likely the Irish approach 2,000 yards and turn into a spread offense similar to Oklahoma’s that can beat teams through the air as well as on the ground.

So expect Notre Dame to continue throwing the ball with fervor this fall, but don’t be shocked if the Irish also have a very respectable running game.

There are only about 100 more days until we find out.

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The biggest question mark and hole to fill on the depth chart for Notre Dame this off-season, will be the position of safety.

Going into spring camp next month, the Irish will have only one veteran with any significant playing time at safety and it is believed both positions are completely up for grabs.

With Tom Zbikowski, David Bruton and the recently graduated Kyle McCarthy, Notre Dame has had a few very good safety’s in the recent past.

In order to field a strong defense in 2010, Brian Kelly will want to fill this position with the best available options. More to the point, he will be well served to lock up an elite prospect at this position in his next recruiting class.

Here are the top 16 candidates to play safety for the Fighting Irish in 2010:

The Rookies

Austin Collinsworth (Freshman) WR/S

The son of former NFL stand-out Chris Collinsworth, the young Austin was a great all-around athlete in high school who played safety, wide receiver and quarterback. It may be a year or two before Kelly begins finding him a position, so the chances of him starting at safety are fairly low as of now.

Lo Wood (Freshman) CB

With the body type of a smaller cornerback, Wood will probably stay at his natural position. However, with such a depleted depth chart at the safety position, it is not inconceivable that he could impress the coaching staff enough to get on the field at some point next year.

Spencer Boyd (Freshman) CB

Like Wood, Spencer Boyd has the body type of a smaller cornerback and will need to bulk up in order to see some playing time in the immediate future. However, he has impressed with his speed and play making ability, so we can’t rule him out just yet.

Chris Badger (Freshman) S

Badger joins Wood and Boyd as early enrollees this spring which will undoubtedly help their chances of seeing the field sooner rather than later. Badger is bigger than the other freshman defensive backs and safety is his more natural position. It still may be a long shot for him to start in 2010, but it could happen.

The Playmakers

John Goodman (Junior) WR

The athletic Indiana product had some moments of brilliance last year in his limited action as receiver and wildcat quarterback and may very well stay on the offensive side of the ball. Still, Goodman possesses great size and speed and could be an ideal candidate for safety with his soft hands.

Shaq Evans (Sophomore) WR

Besides Michael Floyd, Evans is probably the most highly regarded recruit at the receiver position to come to Notre Dame in some time. As a freshman he played very little, had some ups and downs, and struggled with being away from his native California. Coach Kelly will probably want to keep the budding star on offense, but a move to safety would give the team in instant athletic freak roaming the defensive backfield.

Deion Walker (Junior) WR

Walker has been a bit of a mystery over his first two seasons in South Bend after coming to Notre Dame with a decent amount of fan fare. Since he hasn’t logged many minutes at wide receiver, he could be a prime candidate to move to safety with three years of eligibility left. With his mix of size and speed Walker could start right away for the Irish in 2010.

Jonas Gray (Junior) RB

After a freshman season that saw Gray become a very capable backup, the 2009 sophomore campaign ended in a step back for the powerful runner. He doesn’t have ideal size or speed to play safety, but Gray has quickly found himself squeezed out of carries at running back and could fall as low as third or fourth string in 2010. He may be a bit of a project, but Kelly might consider making the move.

Cierre Wood (Sophomore) RB

Here’s a player who was one of Notre Dame’s biggest running back recruits over the past decade, but did not see the field as a freshman in 2009. We’re left wondering what this guy has, but all indications are that he is supremely talented. He doesn’t have ideal size to play safety, but with four years of eligibility left and at least two runners ahead of him on the half back depth chart, Wood may make the switch.

The Corners

E.J. Banks (Sophomore) CB

Banks did not play as a freshman last season, but could be ready to contribute significant minutes in the defensive backfield in 2010. Even though he is undersized, Banks is a tremendous athlete with a variety of skills. With a few veteran corners ahead of him on the depth chart, Kelly could move him to safety.

Gary Gray (Junior) CB

Although he didn’t start for most of the season and played fewer minutes than three others at his position, Gray might have been Notre Dame’s most consistent corner in 2009. He has all the tools to be a great corner, but those same tools would also make him a great safety as well. With a good amount of eligibility left, Gray might be moved to safety if Coach Kelly solidifies the depth at corner.

Robert Blanton (Junior) CB

After a pretty successful freshman campaign, Blanton took a step back last season seemingly losing that special swagger and playmaking ability from 2008. Although he will probably lock down a starting spot at corner, Blanton has the length that could turn him into a great safety for the Irish. Some improved tackling and added weight could make him an ideal candidate for the switch.

The Leaders in the Clubhouse

Dan McCarthy (Junior) S

The younger brother of graduating and fellow safety Kyle McCarthy, Dan has been slowly making a name for himself in South Bend while pushing for playing time. McCarthy actually came to Notre Dame with more fan fare than his older brother, so it isn’t crazy to think that he will someday start at safety for the Irish.

Jamarious Slaughter (Junior) S/CB

Slaughter found himself inserted into the lineup last season and played his first significant minutes of his career in 2009. He replaced Harrison Smith at safety for the latter part of the season and although he didn’t make much of a difference, he didn’t play terrible. With another off-season under his belt, Slaughter could find himself starting at safety from day one.

Zeke Motta (Sophomore) LB/S

One of the top recruits from last season, Motta played a decent amount on special teams and mop up duty on defense as a freshman. Known to be one of the strongest and best conditioned athletes on the entire team, he will be one of the favorites to start at safety in Brian Kelly’s first season at Notre Dame. His size has been trending towards linebacker, but if his speed can be improved Motta will probably start for the next three years at safety.

Harrison Smith (Senior) S/LB

A week ago, Brian Kelly let it be known that Smith was having a tremendous off-season and would be moving back to safety next season. Given his experience, it is hard to believe he won’t be the top safety all year long. Still, Smith struggled mightily in 2009 after making the transition from linebacker to safety, making many wonder if he has the tools to succeed at safety. Perhaps with a less complicated defensive system and the encouragement and support of a new coaching staff, Harrison Smith will flourish.

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As I was finishing the 2005 best-selling book Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking  by Malcom Gladwell, I was struck by how some of his research and stories made sense of what happened to Notre Dame football over the past five years.

In a nut shell, the book looks into various ways our unconscious mind plays a role in our decision making in everything from spotting fake ancient sculptures, taste-testing soft drinks, creating facial expressions, choosing dating partners and catching criminals.

For a nice concise summary of the book, click here.

Gladwell asserts that we form (in the matter of seconds or sometimes milliseconds) intuitive responses unconsciously, or what he terms “the blink” or “thin-slicing”, and that often times this form of thought is powerfully correct.

What does this have to do with Notre Dame football? Well, the book itself dives into many different areas of our unconscious mind, both positive and negative, but there were three key arguments that kept setting off alarm bells for a major reason why Charlie Weis failed in South Bend.

Quite simply, Weis and the teams he led onto the field thought too much. They overcomplicated everything from day one, be it through sophisticated game plans, the continuing hiring and firing of coaching and the switching of personnel.

His players never used “the blink” very often, by making use of the powerful ability to make snap decisions in the heat of the moment, because Weis had his players bogged down with too much information. Instead of picking a simple formula for success, Weis led government-like scouting reports that laid too much chance for success on complicated offensive schemes and blitz packages.

A great example in the book came from a story about a man who came up with a simplified medical chart to help the over-crowded Cook Hospital in Chicago treat its chest pain visitors.

The problem beforehand, was that doctors were using too much information, taking too many tests (which often contradicted each other) and many times ended up giving poor diagnoses.

But with the simplified chart, the doctors were ordered to follow its three-step procedure and base the rest of their decision on their gut-feeling as medical professionals.

The result? The hospital diagnosed patients properly over 90 percent of the time with the simplified process, compared to roughly 50 percent before.

If diagnosing heart attacks were like trying to win football games, Charlie Weis would be the doctor too caught up in a mountain of data and test results to bring about victory.

The second example is the story of Paul Van Riper, a heavily decorated retired Marine officer who was brought in by the Pentagon to be part of a 21st Century war game.

Van Riper’s assignment was to be the leader of a rogue nation in the Middle East that would be battling U.S. forces in a multi-million dollar simulated war inside the halls of a cavernous northern Virginia government complex.

The disparity between the two forces before the war could not have been any greater. The Americans (Team Blue) had an overwhelming amount of power in troops, ships, artillery and planes to go with nearly unlimited technology and surveillance. It was expected that Team Blue would win the conflict swiftly and with ease.

However, Van Riper’s Team Red ended up defeating the Blue side almost as quickly as the Blue’s thought they would win the war.

The main reason was that Van Riper was decisive and gave his commanders a lot of power to react to situations in the moment to gain advantages wherever possible. On the other side, Team Blue held long meetings and briefings, poured over enormous amounts of data, acted slowly and found themselves dead in the water in a matter of days of simulated time.

The final example from the book details the outcome of the Battle of Chancellorsville during the American Civil War.

On the Union side there was General Joseph Hooker and over 130,000 troops against the Confederacy’s Robert E. Lee and roughly 60,000 men. Before the battle, the Union held nearly every conceivable advantage including an impressive maneuver to encircle Lee’s army and pin them against the Rappahannock River.

However, the battle was not won by the Union and Lee dealt a serious blow to the Union’s chances of winning the war in one of the greatest victories and upsets in military history.

Why? It was because even with more troops, artillery, spies and information, Hooker became indecisive and was unable to coordinate his army during the heat of the moment. In contrast, Robert E. Lee was boldly decisive and took the initiative with less information and less power to use.

I can’t help but think that Charlie Weis was to Notre Dame what Joseph Hooker was to the Union Army.

In both the war game and Chancellorsville, Team Blue and General Hooker were overly satisfied with their advantages and superiority. Just like Weis, they believed a major “schematic advantage” would win the day.

Often times Weis would lead the Irish on to the field against a weaker opponent only to find himself licking his wounds after a Notre Dame loss. Against teams like Syracuse, UConn and Navy, Weis’ teams had a monopoly of talent, yet they did not win. A schematic advantage was not enough.

The Irish teams from 2005-09 suffered from major “analysis paralysis” that hindered the team’s ability to perform at the highest level. Instead of picking one offense, Weis made his teams learn a multitude of differing packages, often switching game plans in the middle of a contest.

Meanwhile, while opponents were busy making adjustments in real time, Weis continually sought out too much information, consulting his atlas sized play sheet for a different formation to send to the huddle. In effect, Weis was merely guessing his way through games as coach of Notre Dame.

It’s not so much that Weis used such a thick playbook and tried to use his “schematic advantage” to beat teams, but that his entire system of operation was bogged down in paralysis because this “schematic advantage” permeated through every player.

Just think about Harrison Smith looking lost at the line of scrimmage and leaving a receiver wide open for a big play. Does that look like someone who was thinking without thinking? Or did it look like someone too confused by the plethora of coverages to know what he was doing?

If Weis had run a power running game similar to Alabama, concentrated on performing that system to perfection, and then used some of his offensive genius to make big plays, perhaps things would have worked out.

Instead, Notre Dame ran the ball 50 times one game, switched to a pro-style offense the next game, switched to shotgun Texas Tech ball the next, switched to West Coast style the next and everything in between. And the biggest problem was that these moves were made during games and sometimes from series to series.

And most of all, this attention to schematic advantage lessened the influence of crucial qualities which college football players need such as motivation, development and conditioning.

In short, Weis was not a very good leader. In the above examples of the Chicago heart chart, Pentagon war game and the battle of Chancellorsville, each problem was solved by someone with incredible intelligence. While it certainly takes a lot of studying and experience to be able to find solutions to the most difficult of problems, knowledge alone is not enough.

No one can deny that Charlie Weis was a smart man, but he never figured out that you can’t treat players like professionals and that scouting and clever formations alone wouldn’t win football games.

Almost immediately, Notre Dame fans have been struck with how different of an approach Brian Kelly is taking in South Bend.

Because of Kelly’s intelligence and experience, he knows what it takes to succeed. We’ve already heard him speak about how important it is to get players to develop and push themselves, to buy into the system, to learn it through and through and to be able to perform at the highest of levels without even thinking about it. It’s something Kelly calls, “unconscious competence.”

As Kelly said, “You can move them to a level that they can’t get to by themselves. That’s player development. That’s at the core of what I mean, to get people to do things that they normally wouldn’t do on their own. ”

In other words, Kelly wants Notre Dame football players to have “the blink” when it comes time to step on the field. He wants them to have confidence in their abilities as players and build a team that can think without thinking. That’s how you take a bunch of two and three star recruits to an undefeated season in the Big East.

Player development, strength and conditioning and fundamentals are three major areas that Kelly has stressed throughout his entire career and it is obvious that his players have been able think without thinking because of their preparation under this system.

When the entire coaching philosophy trickles down the program from a schematic advantage viewpoint, players cannot be developed very well. Without player development there is no harnessing of the potential of the unconscious mind and the ability to think without thinking is slowly stifled.

And the ironic part of is, the team that stresses schematic advantage usually ends up being out-schemed on the field because its players are not adequately prepared for a team that has confidence to think without thinking.

Do not think I believe that the solution to all of Notre Dame’s problems comes from “the blink” factor. There are too many aspects to coaching and winning football games to break it down to something that simple.

However, it is an interesting topic that showcases how successful people, organizations, company’s and teams can harness the ability to act decisively with the proper training in order to gain an edge on the competition.

In a lot of ways, Charlie Weis’ coaching staff was a lot like the U.S. Government during the Pentagon war games. Weis hired some of the best coordinators and recruiters in the country, just like the government brings together the best talent from different federal agencies.

The problem is, without an effective leader laying down a plan for everyone to follow, the odds of success are severely diminished.

Weis hired two defensive coordinators, each of whom had different coaching philosophies. Corwin Brown thought his way would work best, but John Tenuta believed his would work even better.

This is no different than the CIA or FBI trying to work together when both agencies are working in opposite directions.

The result is major dysfunction and a total lack of comprehension during the most critical times of battle during war and on the football field.

As Gladwell points out in the end of the book, “The key to good decision making is not knowledge. It is understanding.”

Both Weis and Kelly have the knowledge. But so far, Weis has proven he did not understand college football.

So far, Brian Kelly has shown through his coaching hires, speeches and football past, that he is the type of coach who knows how to lead and set a foundation for success.

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With each passing week, rumors and speculations grow on who will take over as the newest head football coach for the most watched, scrutinized, hated, and loved team in the country.

Although many believed even before Notre Dame’s Saturday afternoon overtime loss to Connecticut that Charlie Weis was as good as gone, this one leaves very few, if any,  supporters of him in South Bend.

Entering the stadium, arm in arm with his captains and his football team behind him, Weis supplied a watery-eyed moment as he took the field for maybe his last time in South Bend.

Does he already know what lies ahead in the next week or so?

Some say yes.

Rumors were making their way through the Notre Dame community before the game that Weis had told his team he had planned to resign after the Stanford game. Even if that appears to now be false, the entrance itself showed a coach that seemed like he had nothing left in him.

After the game, Weis was seen again sporting the waterworks during the Irish alma mater and then snubbing sideline reporter Alex Flanagan for only one question before making his way into the depths of the tunnel.

The real question now is when, not if, Weis will be fired or if he will resign.

In either case, the call shouldn’t have to be made at the end of the season. Anyone that knows what a football is can sense that Weis’ time in South Bend has run out.

With that said, Jack Swarbrick should inform Weis that he will be letting him go (if he hasn’t already), let his team know, and let them play one last game for their sorrowed coach.

This need not be a messy break-up.

Pat Haden said during the game that Swarbrick has not and will not contact any other programs about their coaches until the end of the season. Choosing to stay quiet on prime-targets who are about to sign extensions through the year 2075?

Not the smartest move, Jack.

Getting the news out about Weis’ future and trying to lure the next big name to South Bend doesn’t need to wait another week. Not only is the Irish fan base on edge, but the current recruits must really be scratching their heads on where Notre Dame is headed.

Patience is a virtue in some cases. In this situation, decision-making is the virtue that needs to be attained.

Urban Meyer, Bob Stoops, Brian Kelly, and all of the other 35 names mentioned with the Notre Dame job are all in their primes and have phones ringing off the hook. Most of these targets haven’t denied interest in Notre Dame, but simply have replied by saying “this isn’t a relevant conversation if there isn’t a vacancy.”

Make that vacancy, Jack.

South Bend needs it. The fan base needs it. The future needs it.

And most importantly, Charlie needs it.

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Notre Dame’s best receiver has been sitting on the sidelines the past five weeks in the form of a sophomore sensation derived from the depths of Minnesota.

After going up for a jump ball in the right corner of the endzone against Michigan State, what also seemed to be his sixth touchdown of the year, Floyd hit the ground, grabbed his shoulder, and shook his head, putting a pit in every Irish fan’s stomach.

Notre Dame gets it's best wide receiver back in Floyd.

He was diagnosed with a broken collarbone and was orginally expected to miss the remainder of the season.

But doctors seemed to forget that this wasn’t any ordinary human being they were diagnosing-this was Michael Floyd, the most talented wide receiver in college football.

Before his devastating injury, he miraculously hauled in five touchdowns, 358 receiving yards to go along with a 27.5 yard per catch average, all coming on only 13 receptions.

Those stats were totaled in a time period of only nine quarters of playing time.

Patrolling the sidelines with an anxious look permanently cemented on his face as he watched Golden Tate make SportsCenter-worthy highlights every Saturday, Floyd has dressed the past three weeks in order to feel like a player again.

Now, with recent good news coming from Monday’s MRI on his previously broken collarbone, Floyd is expected to play against Navy this weekend in South Bend.

What does that mean for the Irish?

Charlie Weis’ offense goes from great to elite.

Many believe that with the sophomore receiver, Notre Dame would have beaten USC due to Floyd being Notre Dame’s top red zone threat, where he is almost unstoppable.

If for not going down during the last quarter at Michigan (he received 15 stitches in his leg after the game), the Irish would have had a great shot at also beating the Wolverines.

Without playing the “what if?” game, let’s just say that Floyd is a difference-maker. And a big one at that.

Last season, Floyd went down with a knee injury against Navy and missed the rest of the season. The Irish offense, especially Golden Tate, struggled to live up to it’s name.

“I didn’t really realize it until the ‘SC game, how much we really needed him,” Tate said. “It was almost like I could do nothing. Whatever I did, they were there. It was all out of my hands.” said Tate.

However, this year Tate added the title of “wide receiver” to his resume next to “all-around athlete”. Without Floyd, he has averaged an incredible 124.6 receiving yards per game and has hauled in six touchdowns.

Throw in his rushing stats and miracles with the ball in his hands, Tate has put his name on some Heisman ballots.

Now that the best receiver on the team returns healthy, the Irish again have the best trio of receivers in the country in Floyd, Tate, and sensational-sophomore, Kyle Rudolph, who has seen decreased production after the loss of No. 3.

With the sophomore from Minnesota patrolling the No. 1 receiver slot, opponent secondaries are in trouble. Who do you double team?

Does it matter?

If opponent’s choose to double Floyd, that will leave Tate with single coverage, something he has dominated this season, and take away attention in the middle where Rudolph is most efficient.

Double Tate, and opponent’s may have an even bigger problem if Floyd proves to be as healthy as he is thought to be.

Tate has proven he can beat the double coverage, and single coverage on Floyd is a death wish for any opposing defensive back. Not to mention, Rudolph will have made a living in the middle of the field.

Now that Notre Dame has produced a fairly decent rushing attack with a healthy Armando Allen, Robert Hughes, and even Theo Riddick, opponent’s now have their hand’s full during preparation for one of the best offenses in the country.

Pick your poison Ken Niumatalolo, Dave Wannstedt, Randy Edsall, and Jim Harbaugh.

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