Weis, Carroll Battle On, Off Field

Charlie Weis and Pete Carroll had a memorable football battle last year at Notre Dame Stadium. We could see another one Saturday at the Los Angeles Coliseum. But it’s the unseen battle, the recruiting war, that could determine how this rivalry plays out in the future.

Notre Dame has 12 Californians on the roster and is looking to sign more, which is why Weis will take advantage of his time in Los Angeles to recruit. Along the way he might bump into Carroll, the USC coach who has restored Trojan luster through great recruiting.

“Pete is a tireless recruiter,” Weis said. “That’s probably my biggest complaint. I wish he’d stay home. Every time I’m on the road, there’s a handful of (coaches) that are out there either coming right before me, right after me or on the same day. Unfortunately, he’s one of them.”

The results are obvious -– USC has won 54 of its last 57 games and two national titles.

“He’s not willing to rest on his laurels and sit home and take for granted, hey, this is USC, you want to come here. He’s a very big competitor off the field, especially in recruiting, as he is on the field.”

Weis is just as competitive (witness his 19-4 record and outstanding recruiting), which should make for some compelling drama, on and off the field, in the years ahead.