USC football: Beyond Jimmy Clausen

October 12th, 2009, 9:47 pm · 5 Comments · posted by Michael Lev, staff writer

USC coach Pete Carroll said Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen is playing his best football, and that is reflected in Clausen being the top-rated passer in the nation (179.25).

But it’s the development of the players around Clausen that has made the Fighting Irish’s offense so effective, Carroll said.

“There’s no one guy you can stop now,” Carroll said.

“This is a very good attack. That’s why they’re averaging 30 points per game. They’re giving everyone fits.”

Notre Dame (4-1) is 27th in the nation in scoring at 32.6 points per game. The Irish are 10th in total offense (470 yards per game).

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Greg says:

October 13, 2009 at 9:46 am

Here we go again, inflating the “image” that is Notre Dame. PC is being diplomatic, as he should. What better occasion than Halloween to reveal the ugly truth about Notre Dame, more trick than treat.

The reality is that Notre Dame’s and Clausen’s heroics amount to barely beating very poor teams, usually at ND, and typically within the last minute or so of the game - not exactly what legend is born of.

As for Clausen, his career can be summed up generally, as…over-rated. In his junior year, he has finally matured enough to beat some bad team defenses with the help of surrounding players, highly recruited, but typically under-achieving.

Moreover, Notre Dame benefits from extremely wealthy alumni, top recruits from brand loyalty, underserved national recognition from sports writers, ESPN, etc., an unqualified TV contract, and a host of myths and fantasies, like “Rudy”, tall grass, Irish luck (potato famine and British colonial rule), and America’s media driven obsession with all things Irish - pubs, brew, luck, fist-fighting, the Celtics, Boston, Red Sox, Patriots, Flogginf Molly, Dropkick Murphy’s, etc.

Charlie Weis must have blessing from the Pope as a “chosen one”; otherwise no one can explain his longevity and compensation. vs. record. Absurd you say? Consider: Weis was given a $30-40 million dollar contract extension through 2015 barely through his first year and a 5-2 record. Tyrone Willingham started 8-0 and finished 10-3 his first year but was not offered an extension. Makes one wonder…

Thankfully for Notre Dame the facts that deserve scrutiny about their dealings and poor football are buried deep in the memory hole of the average east coast sports writer, never to be exhumed. Rather these writers fashion themselves as potential “Rudy’s” and fantasize about their own football potential not realized because most are scrawny and went to FCS schools.

But when ESPN hires Bob Davie and Lou Holtz to opine on matters involving Notre Dame and USC, spending the lead-up week trying to penetrate the impressionable minds of ND’s opponents with myths and fairytales of ND’s “glorious” past, no one points to the subjective and unethical commentating of this conflict of interest. Just as no one explains Notre Dame’s unqualified status; that explanation comes at the hands of USC’s dominant football team.

The Domers can rub their stone, wear their alternate uniforms, grow the grass extra long, activate their moles in sports media to intimidate upcoming opponents, pay Weis another $30 million, put the Star of David on their Catholic school crest, and phone the Pope for support - but when they meet the men of Troy on the field, not even their God can “save his servants” from the wrath of the Trojans because “death be not proud.”

Notre Dame needs to hear the truth; Jesus loves you, everyone else thinks you suck. SC will deliver the message this Saturday! Oct. 17th - what an excellent day of an exorcism…

David Keeling says:

October 13, 2009 at 11:44 am

Love it Greg! The producer that hired Lou Holtz for the game day program should be tested for psycho-annalysis. Charlie Weis has his JoePa trained press-conferences just the way he likes it. Too bad for him, he cannot stare-down the football team on the other side of the field and it certainly has showed…. hasn’t it! Congress ought to investigate how this man is bringing in millions in compensation and has the sorry record to show for it and where those millions could go elsewhere as the Church teaches to help better causes. I am looking at a close game in the beginning with the Domers going ballistic over a few passes being caught and maybe a score on their side. Then reality should come into play with the “physical-speed” the trojans advantage will show. Then the crowd will quiet down and the attendees will slowly leave the stadium and the cameras will show poor Charlie and have pitty on him……………………again.

Tom says:

October 13, 2009 at 4:24 pm

Keep flapping your lips…remember the boys of troy lost to Washington and barely beat an overrated Ohio State. You think you could’ve beat Michigan or Michigan State? I doubt it. You probably get to bring your cheating Pac10 refs…maybe they can call another roughing the snapper and save the game for you…You might be concerned with Golden Tate, Armando Allen, Kyle Rudolph who are going to burn your hapless D and embarass you on our own TV station.

StadiumDudeNamedChip says:

October 13, 2009 at 7:01 pm

NotreDame will Break U$C faces and take back the series that we already own. Getting ready Trojans you have not seen an attack like the IRISH all season long. Talk all the smack you want SC 2nd best to ND and you know it. Your noobie QB is going to get smacked all day and ND wins big. GO IRISH BEAT TROJANS

Brian from B'ham says:

October 14, 2009 at 7:15 am

StadiumDude is trippin’. You know SC is not going to lose to ND. Keep building yourself up for the big disappointment. Charlie Weis is a joke. The only time he came close to beating SC was in 2005 in South Bend. What makes the perception even worse for him is the fact that it wasn’t his team. It was Ty Willingham’s team. There’s no more reason to discuss the matter. Let the players decide it on the field… Go Trojans!!

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