Anyone who watched the Pitt-Notre Dame game (it was the only game on at my gym, honest!) on Saturday saw two badly-coached teams. The final two minutes of regulation was a clock-mismanagement debacle by the Irish (Weis), who only escaped to OT after the Panthers’ botched last drive ended with an inexplicable interception.

ND then went on to lose in OT with an offense unable to move the ball since halftime (see Pitt’s masterful defensive adjustments).

Saturday was a statement game for Charlie Weis, a game his team needed to win to prove they’ve turned the corner. Instead, Notre Dame blew a two-touchdown lead at home against a Pitt team that’d previous been torched by Rutgers.

So what is Weis doing to regroup the troops for a desperate stretch run? Beating down one of his players who told the truth after the Saturday loss.

The CHICAGO TRIBUNE reports receiver Golden Tate, who torched the Pitt defense for 111 yards receiving and a touchdown on Saturday, said the Irish were “‘too comfortable’ and therefore couldn’t finish off the Panthers despite a two-touchdown halftime lead.“

With Pitt outscoring Notre Dame 26-16 in the second half and OT for the win, that sounds reasonable enough. Especially for someone who was inside the huddle all game.

Don’t tell that to Weis though:

“Let’s just say I’ll talk with Golden and he won’t be saying that anymore,” Weis said. “Just like Michael Floyd was lateraling the ball in the North Carolina game.”‘

Weis also, indirectly, cited a mental error Tate made in the second half - in driving home his point about the the receiver talking out of turn.

We’ve all heard about the kinder, gentler Weis this season. But as the walls close in, it appears he may be turning back to the bunker mentality that, in my opinion, help buried the Irish in ‘07. Tate obviously meant no harm with his benign, postgame assessment, and didn’t deserve Weis’ slight.

Is Weis’ strained relationship with his players what’s holding Notre Dame back? Or am I overreacting?