ESPN College Football

Today wraps up Coaches We Love to Hate week, a theme that brought the readers out in full force the past few days.

On Tuesday, we asked you who the most hated Notre Dame coach was, in addition to fielding your feelings toward opposing coaches.

Unsurprisingly given his performance in South Bend, Charlie Weis has run away in the most-hated poll, with Dan Devine coming a distant second. Why? One reader, Aaron Short, suggested that could have more to do with his portrayal in "Rudy" than anything else.

Ah, the power of Hollywood.

As for opposing coaches you guys hate, the usual suspects filled my mailbag: Lane Kiffin, Urban Meyer, Pete Carroll and Mark Dantonio.

Here's why ...

Joe from Danville, Pa.: Two words: Little Giants. Mark Dantonio by a margin so wide science has yet to determine a system of measure that can determine it.

Brian from Raleigh, N.C.: Currently, I dislike Kiffin the most. If you really listen to nearly any interview he gives, he's still the snotty little brat we always thought he was. I don't know how the media can listen to him and not get that impression. I actually respect Dantonio a lot. I hate MSU, and fortunately that particular school is unable to have more than one really good sports team in a season so committed to mediocrity they are. So as long as [basketball coach Tom] Izzo is there, we won't have to worry about them being too good too often. The ND coach I disliked the most? Gotta be Weis in my lifetime. They all have driven me nuts from time to time ( was born under Devine, grew up under [Gerry] Faust and [Lou] Holtz) but those ND teams simply were not what Notre Dame football is about.

Rose from Los Alamitos, Calif.: No longer a college coach, but Pete Carroll was the worst. The hair at my nape stood on end when I would hear him speak. Just a bad feeling that the guy was not to be trusted.

Jim from Notre Dame, Ind.: Pete Carroll is far and away my least favorite (former) coach. The man never stopped badgering the officials about any call against his team (even blatant cheap shots ... which, with the players he recruited were frequent), was constantly on the playing field and outside of the coaches box (AT LEAST ISSUE HIM A WARNING!), and honestly, I've never hated an opposing coach more. That said, his replacement is making a run at Carroll's title. His comments about Notre Dame make me irate, and his general demeanor and pouting face are loathsome. I hate them, I hate USC (University of Spoiled Children/University of Sanctioned Cheating), I REALLY HATE USC, and I would love nothing more than for them to be undefeated when the Irish roll into town and beat them. P.S.: When USC was sanctioned (I thought they deserve the death penalty... REGGIE BUSH GOT A HOUSE!!!! A HOUSE!!!) and Pete Carroll got out of dodge, it showed just how slimy he really is.

Brett from Denver: Im younger so I couldnt tell you about coaches predating the mid to late 90's, but since then, to me it has to be Lane Kiffin. Its not even about the ND USC rivalry either, its what he did to Tennessee. Then pile on his arrogance and I despise no one more.

Aaron Short from Bloomington, Ill.: Do you think Devine is coming in second on the Notre Dame coach list because of how he was portrayed in "Rudy"? And in response to the opposing coaches. Lane Kiffin has to take this one. The guy jumps to the NFL, fails ... miserably, which I'm not putting the guy down for taking a chance but then Tennessee gives him a great opportunity. So he takes it and talks it up, saying and I quote "We'll be singing Rocky Top all night long after we beat Florida"... Urban Meyer's Florida, that is. Once again FAILS, miserably ... Pete Carroll darts out of LA before his crap hits the fan leaving Lane Kiffin a back door out of Knoxville. And even though he wants to try to beat Florida again because he reaallllyy wants to sing rocky top all night long, he leaves the Vols in the gutter and jumps back into the loving arms of USC, knowing that a 2 year post season ban would still be better than getting wiped up and down in the SEC. Him and Todd Graham need to set a lunch date together, if the two could commit to a place.

Mullin from Hamilton, N.J.: Without a doubt it's Urban Meyer. Now we know why he wouldn't come to his dream job at Notre Dame. He already has secondary violations at OSU and complaints about his recruiting tactics ... and how come nobody ever brings up the 30 guys that got arrested in his tenure at FLA? That doesn't work at ND. Throw in the fact that he's stolen several top recruits from ND at those 2 schools puts him as public enemy #1.

And we have a voice from the other side, too, as reader Tom Jeffries from Gas City, Ind., defends Charlie Weis' work ...

Tom: Matt I love reading your stuff every week. You do a great job. That being said, this poll was way off. Charlie got the most votes, but it was totally undeserved. First and foremost lets not forget that the last 2 BCS bowls ND was in, was under Charlie. Also I think we can all agree that he was a great person off the field. He did tons of charity work and donated more money than I will ever make in my lifetime. [He] is a good mind, who had trouble adjusting to the college game and getting the right staff together. [He] belonged in the press box, calling the plays. That why he went to Kansas City and dominated, had a good run at Florida, and is now back coaching at the BCS level at Kansas. Lets at least state the facts and give credit where credit is due.

As always, thanks a bunch for sharing your feelings. And for keeping things civil in a post like this. I can't say I'm too surprised by the amount of hatred toward USC's former and current coaches, and the expectations surrounding the Trojans this season should only add to the intrigue and animosity.

• In case you haven't noticed, it's coaches we love to hate week. Colleague Mark Schlabach kicks things off by explaining why we love to hate. (Neither Brian Kelly nor his predecessor are let off the hook here.)
• I'm guessing readers of this space won't agree with the sentiment, but Gene Wojciechowski says that USC coach Lane Kiffin is no longer hated the way he used to be.
• Ivan Maisel, meanwhile, takes a look back at Knute Rockne's rivalry with Michigan's Fielding Yost.
• Switching gears a bit here, FoxSportsSouth.com's Andrew Jones suggests that the ACC roll out the green carpet for Notre Dame.
• BlueandGold.com's Lou Somogyi takes a trip down memory lane with the Notre Dame recruiting class of 2008, which saw most of its players graduate this past weekend. (Lou also has a nice nugget in there on the correlation between Triple Crown winners and Notre Dame's success.)

Colleague Mark Schlabach's latest way-too-early preseason top 25 is out, and Notre Dame did not make the cut.

The Irish had been Nos. 23 and 24 in the first two early 2012 rankings, respectively.

Five of Notre Dame's 2012 opponents are in the top 25, including three in the top 10. All five are in the top 12.

• No. 2 USC
• No. 6 Oklahoma
• No. 9 Michigan
• No. 11 Michigan State
• No. 12 Stanford

Our conference bloggers also released their latest conference power rankings. Here's how the Irish's upcoming opponents fared in those rankings:

• Purdue (No. 7 Big Ten)
• Michigan State (No. 1 Big Ten)
• Michigan (No. 2 Big Ten)
• Miami (No. 9 ACC)
• Stanford (No. 3 Pac-12)
• Oklahoma (No. 1 Big 12)
• Pitt (No. 5 Big East)
• Boston College (No. 11 ACC)
• Wake Forest (No. 6 ACC)
• USC (No. 1 Pac-12)

What does this Big-12/SEC bowl game mean for Notre Dame? That and much more was asked during today's Notre Dame chat, a transcript of which can be found here. Some highlights:

• Sean (Philadelphia): Matt, why do people seem to think Aaron Lynch was ND's best player? Te'o and Eifert are clearly better and are already being projected as 1st round picks next year. I would also put both Cierre Wood and Theo Riddick ahead of Lynch, along with Zack Martin. Heck, I think you could argue that fellow freshmen Stephon Tuitt, who actually had a higher recruiting ranking, is just as good as Lynch. Aaron has a bright future, but to write off the season over 1 kid who is mostly one dimensional is a but extreme.
• Matt Fortuna (2:14 PM): Sean, I don't think people are writing off the season over the loss of Lynch, though it certainly hurts. And no, Lynch isn't ND's best player, though he was shaping up to be in the coming years. Few freshmen do what he did when first stepping onto the field, and those are the kinds of talents you need to compete for BCS spots on a consistent basis. Throw in the whole "warm-weather-kid-away-from-home-in-cold-Indiana" and you wonder what this says to other big-time recruits weighing ND against other powerhouse programs nearby.

• Travis C. (Lake Highlands): Why hasn't anyone asked about the Big 12/SEC news from today? It looks like CFB is moving to 4 power conferences, with eventually the Big12/SEC winner meeting the B1G/PAC winner for the championship. Does this make Notre Dame start looking at joining a conference?
• Matt Fortuna (2:42 PM): Travis, I was waiting for someone to ask. Here's what AD Jack Swarbrick had to say to The New York Times' Pete Thamel after the news broke, via Thamel's Twitter: "We don't think it has significant near-term consequences for Notre Dame." Swarbick also added that each conference let him know about the talks in the past few months. That being said, with no more AQs/non-AQs, the dividing line has seemed to begin between the Big Ten, Pac-12, SEC, Big 12 and everyone else. The ACC, which many figured to be ND's landing ground should it ever give up its football independence, took a hit today.

• Mike (Cape Coral): Lets get serious here, with all the BCS playoff talk going on, should fans start to worry about the loss of independance. How long until ND is forced into the ACC or even the B1G? I would prefer the B1G but I know the ACC has more to offer the other sports.
• Matt Fortuna (2:47 PM): Mike, I'd have to think the ACC's chances of getting ND took a big hit today, as the conference appears to be on the other side of the dividing line between the elite powers of college football.

• Mike (Mission Viejo, Calif.): After watching USC sign another two five star players this week, I can't help but think Notre Dame might never be able to catch up. I mean, weren't the sanctions supposed to bring USC back to the rest of the group? it's the first season they lose scholarships and they are favorites to win the title.
• Matt Fortuna (2:54 PM): Mike, I don't have the link in front of me, but look up the Heisman Pundit's piece this week on how the sanctions may have actually helped USC. It allowed the Trojans to focus more on their recruiting targets, eliminated complacency, spread out some of the talent (as opposed to having 10 All-American RBs, etc.) and made Lane Kiffin think outside the box (i.e., more of a passing offense than balanced because of the current weapons). It's amazing what they've done given the restrictions placed on them.

A look at the week that was in Notre Dame recruiting ...

• Our experts recap the week in The Verbal Commitment podcast.
• Notre Dame is one of four schools to visit five-star cornerback Vernon Hargreaves (Tampa, Fla./Wharton) in the past two days, our Corey Long writes.
• ESPN150 running back Ty Isaac (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic) committed to USC this week, ESPNChicago.com's Scott Powers and WeAreSC.com's Erik McKinney write.
• Tight end Josh McNeil (Durham, N.C./Hillside) tells our Dave Hooker that Notre Dame is in his final 12 .

Eyes still sore from the shirt off ...

• Former Notre Dame tight end Dave Casper led this year's College Football Hall of Fame class. For a look at each member of this year's class, click here.
• From yesterday: Joliet (Ill.) Catholic junior running back Ty Isaac committed to USC, ESPNChicago.com's Scott Powers writes.
• USA Today has released its always-interesting look at college athletics' finances.
• Former Notre Dame quarterback Nate Montana is transferring from Montana to Div. II West Virginia Wesleyan, Fritz Neighbor writes in The Missoulian.
• BlueandGold.com's Dan Murphy looks at Notre Dame's Week 3 opponent, Michigan State, coming out of the spring.

USC landed a verbal commitment from ESPN150 running back Ty Isaac (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic) on Tuesday.

Issac, the 2011 ESPNChicago.com Offensive Player of the Year, is ESPN's No. 68 overall prospect. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound running back chose USC over Notre Dame, Michigan and Auburn.

"We've been to a lot of schools and done our homework," Isaac's father, Tyrone Isaac, told ESPNChicago.com's Scott Powers. "We dwindled it down to one school. It was about what they were able to offer academically and what they offered athletically. It came down to the right fit for him. It was about the tradition, and he fit with the players and coaches."

Isaac had visited Michigan and Notre Dame. He ultimately wanted to play in a pro-style system.

"I knew I was ready to make my decision," Isaac told WeAreSC.com's Erik McKinney . "My mom and dad were cool with it and we were all in agreement with it."

As good of a prospect as Isaac is, this is far from a big blow to the Irish, who have plenty of depth at the position and have long been eyeing four-star prospect Ryan Green (St. Petersburg, Fla./St. Petersburg Catholic). Green, ESPN's No. 48 overall prospect from the Class of 2013, visited Notre Dame last fall and his family has said that there are plans to return both this summer and for the Sept. 22 night game against Michigan .

The odds of Notre Dame appearing in the BCS title game have fallen from 22-1 to 25-1 following the spring season. Whether the Tommy Rees situation will affect that line again remains to be seen. For now, our Travis Haney takes a look at how the Irish's title odds may have taken a hit , along with five other teams that have changed Vegas' (or the bettors') minds lately. (Odds courtesy of Bovado.)

A better starting point for the Irish might be the odds to get into a BCS game for the first time since 2007 (and that bludgeoning at the hands of LSU). What's fair there? 10-1? 12-1? Somewhere in there?

This BCS title number could have shifted in the past few days, in the wake of Tommy Rees' arrest. Then again, the Rees issue could help Notre Dame's odds, seeing as how redshirt freshman Everett Golson was the standout in the spring scrimmage. But until Golson gets some real game action, it's impossible to know whether he's the real deal -- at least enough to start factoring it into the Irish's season expectations. The same goes for George Atkinson, who wowed fans with 124 yards in the spring game. But he rushed for just 27 in 2011.

Among other factors, such as pesky things like enough talent and depth, it's unlikely that the Irish could skate through their schedule -- one that includes Oklahoma, in addition to mainstays such as Michigan and USC -- without a setback or three.

The Irish's 2012 opponents haven't done much this spring to affect their standing one way or another: Oklahoma has jumped from 18-1 to 10-1, but Michigan has fallen from 18-1 to 25-1.

ESPN's "College Football Live" began breaking down its preseason top 20 teams Monday, with Kirk Herbstreit and other analysts examining a new team each day at 3:30 p.m. ET.

The gang won't be breaking down Notre Dame.

The Irish checked in at No. 24 in the preseason poll, one spot ahead of Florida. Rival USC leads the poll, with other 2012 opponents Oklahoma (No. 5), Michigan (No. 10), Michigan State (No. 12) and Stanford (No. 15) also cracking the list.

Notre Dame's place shouldn't be too surprising, as the question marks at quarterback and tough schedule have many doubting what kind of year this could be. The Irish have fared in a similar spot (20-25 range) in most other early preseason polls.

In the spirit of transparency, here's how your friendly blogger voted in the poll, which was submitted before the Bobby Petrino mess unfolded in Fayetteville, Ark.

1) LSU
2) USC
3) Alabama
4) Oklahoma
5) Oregon
6) Arkansas
7) Georgia
8) South Carolina
9) West Virginia
10) Michigan State
11) Clemson
12) Florida State
13) Michigan
14) Stanford
15) Kansas State
16) Virginia Tech
17) TCU
18) Texas
19) Nebraska
20) Oklahoma State
21) Ohio State
22) Boise State
23) Notre Dame
24) Rutgers
25) Wisconsin

Hope everyone enjoyed the holiday ...

• Colleague Kevin Gemmell catches up with USC coach Lane Kiffin here and here.
• Former Notre Dame assistant Bill Sheridan's time with Ohio State lasted ... not long. He's on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• Former Irish wideout Jeff Samardzija is fighting for a spot in the Chicago Cubs' rotation.
• Questions await Michael Floyd at the combine, Eric Hansen writes in the South Bend Tribune.
• Everett Golson is CBSSports.com's Bruce Feldman's most intriguing redshirt freshman.

Football Outsiders' Brian Fremeau took a swing at nitpicking the flaws among the five teams ranked atop Mark Schlabach's way-too-early top 25 poll.

Two of those teams, USC and Oklahoma, host Notre Dame this season. Here's some of what the Irish -- or any Trojan or Sooner opponent, for that matter -- should try to do, according to Fremeau:

In L.A.:

Generating consistency and dominance on defense needs to be the point of emphasis this spring. The Trojans forced three-and-outs on only 32 percent of opponent drives last year, the 70th-best rate in the nation. All 10 BCS bowl team defenses last season were better at getting opponent offenses off the field more quickly. (The other four teams in this article were much better at forcing three-and-outs, each ranked in the top 12 in this metric last season). Those extended drives were a major liability in USC's losses to Stanford and Arizona State last year -- the Trojans gave up 92 offensive points on only 26 non-garbage opponent drives.

And in Norman:

The offense was productive last year, but there's still plenty of room to improve in efficiency. The Sooners' 39 points per game ranked 10th nationally, but only 18th in points per drive and 84th on points per explosive drive (possessions that average at least 10 yards per play). Big plays were a problem on defense, as well. Oklahoma's overall defensive efficiency was strong (sixth best at forcing three-and-outs), but the Sooners gave up explosive drives on 13 percent of opponent possessions. The departures of Big 12 playmakers at Oklahoma State and Baylor will be helpful, but Oklahoma will need to limit explosive plays to truly be a contender.

Our Will Harris took a look at the odds for next season's BCS title contenders. He divided 17 teams into three categories: favorites, contenders and longshots.

With 20-to-1 odds, Notre Dame falls into the contender category, joining Arkansas, Clemson, Michigan, Texas and Virginia Tech. Among teams from that group, Harris likes the Hokies' chances to emerge from the pack as a darkhorse title contender in 2012:

The Clemson defense that was vaporized by West Virginia in the Orange Bowl is an unlikely candidate for a quick fix, and as mentioned earlier, we want proven coaching for title futures. We're optimistic about Mack Brown's total overhaul at Texas, but Year 2 is too soon and there's still a black hole at quarterback.

At a little better price the Razorbacks would have our attention. Arkansas is a strong program with a top-10 coach. Bobby Petrino's regime will overtake LSU this year, and the man who went 41-9 at Louisville will eventually bring at least one SEC title to Fayetteville. This could certainly be the year, as the schedule is favorable, but a trio of new coordinators and a rebuilt receiving corps are reasons for caution.

Like Arkansas, Michigan and Notre Dame are on the rise behind excellent coaching, but the best of this group for 2012 looks like Virginia Tech. With Bobby Bowden gone, this is Frank Beamer's ACC. A national title is the only hole in Beamer's résumé, and he is setting up for one more run behind quarterback Logan Thomas. This will not be an experienced offense, particularly along the line, but the skill position talent is outstanding and the bulk of the defense returns. Virginia Tech is a physical, disciplined team that knows its identity. This program is a constant threat to post an unbeaten season, and at 25 to 1, the Hokies are the most appealing play on the board.

Irish opponents USC and Oklahoma fall into the favorite category, with odds of 8-to-1 and 12-to-1, respectively.

Surprisingly enough, Michigan has worse odds than Notre Dame, at 25-to-1. The Wolverines have had a higher preseason ranking than the Irish in virtually every way-too-early 2012 poll.

On Monday we took another crack at ranking Notre Dame's 2012 opponents. The rest of the bloggers ranked their conference's teams. Here's a look at where the Irish's opponents stacked up against their conference brethren:

• Purdue: No. 7 Big Ten
• Michigan State: No. 1 Big Ten
• Michigan: No. 2 Big Ten
• Miami: No. 6 ACC
• Stanford: No. 3 Pac-12
• Oklahoma: No. 1 Big 12
• Pitt: No. 6 Big East
• Boston College: No. 11 ACC
• Wake Forest: No. 8 ACC
• USC: No. 1 Pac-12

Navy (Sept. 1, independent) and BYU (Oct. 20, independent) were not ranked since they don't play in a BCS conference.

Our Mark Schlabach took another crack at his way-too early top 25 today. In response, we'll try again to rank Notre Dame's 2012 opponents.

1. USC (Nov. 24, away): Virtually every early outlook has the Trojans slated as the preseason No. 1 or No. 2 team, and rightfully so. Matt Barkley enters 2012 as the Heisman front-runner and USC will return to the familiar position of having the target on its back throughout the season.

2. Oklahoma (Oct. 27, away): Considering Notre Dame is the only current official, penned-in game that is absolutely going to happen for the Big 12 favorites next season, I'd imagine the Sooners would get up for that.

3. Michigan State (Sept. 15, away): A growing defense will keep Sparty plowing ahead in Year 6 of the Mark Dantonio era, which may just begin with MSU as the Big Ten favorite.

4. Michigan (Sept. 22, home): A number of early polls suggest Michigan as the leading Big Ten contender, but I think some of its losses on defense will be tough to replace. Nonetheless, any team with Denard Robinson under center has a chance to make big things happen, as Notre Dame fans are all too aware of.

5. Stanford (Oct. 13, home): Who needs Andrew Luck when you have that much time in the pocket? Throw anyone under center behind that offensive line and he'll have all the time he needs to make something happen.

6. Miami (Oct. 6, Chicago): The Hurricanes make the biggest jump from the last time we looked at the Irish's opponents. An experienced defense and a great recruiting year for Al Golden suggest this program is back on the rise, pending NCAA sanctions.

7. BYU (Oct. 20, home): I said it before and I'll say it again: If Riley Nelson has a big year, watch out.

8. Purdue (Sept. 8, home): This contest scares me if I'm an Irish fan. First game back from what is sure to be an exhausting season-opening trip in Dublin, with a hungry in-state rival waiting for them and looking to build on momentum following a strong 2011 finish and weak 2012 opener (Eastern Kentucky).

9. Wake Forest (Nov. 17, home): Jim Grobe teams usually perform better than they should, but the Deacs must recover from a weak finish in 2011.

10. Boston College (Nov. 10, away): No more Luke Kuechly means happier offenses everywhere. The Eagles just hope that means theirs, too, which will be in its first year under coordinator Doug Martin.

11. Navy (Sept. 1, Dublin): The Midshipmen have a brutal start to the 2012 schedule, facing the Irish in Dublin before going to Happy Valley to face Penn State, but things get easier afterward. Can they put the awful luck of 2011 behind them and beat the beatable opponents?

12. Pitt (Nov. 3, home): Paul Chryst seems like the right fit, but asking him to lift the Panthers out of their underachieving ways in Year 1 is a bit much.

Our Mark Schlabach's latest 2012 look has Notre Dame at No. 24, one spot below its previous ranking in his initial 2012 early rankings.

There's no question the Fighting Irish are a better defensive team under coach Brian Kelly, and now he's trying to address his team's lack of overall speed through recruiting. The Irish offense continues to struggle because of turnovers and poor quarterback play. Kelly will again oversee a quarterback battle in the offseason, with Tommy Rees, Andrew Hendrix, Everett Golson and freshman Gunner Kiel (who enrolled in January) battling for the starting job. The Irish will be without star receiver Michael Floyd, but tight end Tyler Eifert decided to come back for one more season. ESPNU 150 receiver Justin Ferguson was a major recruiting coup after losing Floyd. The defense should continue to improve, as young linemen such as Aaron Lynch and Stephon Tuitt get stronger. Notre Dame's schedule in 2012 is daunting, with nine games against teams that played in bowl games, including road contests at Michigan State, Oklahoma and USC.

Irish 2012 opponent USC sits atop the latest rankings, with other future foes Oklahoma and Michigan State coming in at Nos. 4 and 9, respectively.

Stanford is No. 13 and Michigan is No. 14, making it five Notre Dame opponents in the top 14.