IBG: Quest for the Signature Win

1. The weather forecast for Saturday's game (as of this writing) has the high temperature in the mid 40's with some chance of rain (or snow?). What weather would give Notre Dame the best chance to beat USC? Why?

Let it snow. It's always bugged me that we don't take advantage of our biggest home field advantage against our biggest rival.

On paper, one would think that the strong running game of SC would do better in the snow than our pass-heavy offense.

But I don't care. Half of those pansies on the Trojans haven't ever played in snow.

And for those of you (like myself) that have, you remember how miserable it was the first time. You can't feel your fingers, you're miserable, and you wonder about the sanity of the people who told you to suck it up and go play.

We've been there, done that.

2. Irresistable Force or Immovable Object? Notre Dame's offense is ranked #10 in yards (470 per game) and #27 in points (32.6 per game). USC's defense is ranked #6 in yards allowed (238.6 per game) and #4 in scoring allowed (just 8.6 points per game). In 2008 Notre Dame had just 91 total yards against USC. Will the Notre Dame offense be able to move the ball on Saturday? If so, how?

SC's defense is legit. And I felt much better about our chances when we had Floyd in the lineup.

That said, I think that this game, more than any we've seen, will resemble the Patriots offense. Look for Weis to throw the book at 'em - 5 wide, goal line, Leprecat, spread, pro set, I formation, Double tight, bunched receivers. Hell, I wouldn't be shocked to see a play run from the A-11. By forcing the defense to react to a new formation on every play, this offense can take advantage of mental mistakes.

And that is how we beat them - by forcing mental mistakes. These guys can hang with our offense athletically, but if we can turn this into a chess match, I like our chances.

3. USC's offense is #22 in yards (430.6 per game) and #53 in scoring (28.8 points per game). Notre Dame's defense is #100 in total defense (403.2 yards per game) and #59 in scoring defense (allowing 23.8 points per game). Will the Notre Dame defense be able to slow down the USC offense? If so, how?

I excpect SC to score some points. They have some legitimate weapons, and will get a few TDs.

The key here is to finally create some disruption. SC has a great O-line, but we need to find a way, somehow, to land some of these blitzes. If we can blitz effectively, we'll eliminate the big play over the top and rely on their ground game. And I like our chances to slow down the run game.

4. In 2008, with Michael Floyd unable to play due to injury, Golden Tate had 2 catches against USC for a team-high 15 receiving yards. How do you expect Golden Tate to play against USC this year?

I think the Tate has proven that he can do a lot more than catch passes this year, and I expect to see us continue to be creative on offense in ways to put the ball in his hands.

That said, I think that the key receivers in this game will be sophomore Kyle Rudolph and tailback Armando Allen. With SC smartly rolling coverage to Golden Tate, these guys will be crucial as outlets for Clausen throughout the game. If Clausen can be patient, Golden will eventually break through the coverages.

5. Jimmy Clausen has started to get some Heisman buzz. In your opinion, which Notre Dame player is the most deserving of Heisman attention, Jimmy or Golden Tate? Why?

Golden Tate is far more exciting to watch than Clausen, and has that flash that would lead me to believe that he is the best non-quarterback candidate in the country. He's certainly most likely to have that "Heisman moment" that becomes indelible in the minds of voters. But, Clausen's numbers don't lie, and he's thrown game-winning passes to multiple players.

Long story short, Jimmy is most deserving of the attention, but Tate has a better chance of actually winning it thanks to his dramatics.

6. Overrated or Underrated. Notre Dame cracked into the AP Poll at #25 this week. Are they overrated or underrated at #25? Where would you put them in your poll?

The Irish are underrated at #25.

They should be ranked ahead of Houston (lost to UTEP) , Oklahoma (2 losses), , and Oklahoma State (lost to Houston). A last second loss in the Big House should put the Irish on par with South Carolina (lost to Georgia), BYU (lost to Oklahoma) and Utah (lost to Oregon) in the rankings, ahead of the previously mentioned teams.

Which would put them somewhere between 19 and 22.

7. USC Song Girls: Ambassadors of Collegiate Goodwill or Anachronism from a bygone era of oppressive sexist stereotypes?

Much like OC Domer, I'm gonna have to come down pretty firmly on the side of "Ambassadors of Collegiate Goodwill."




8. Green Jerseys? There's a lot of "green" talk coming from campus this week, and it raises the question of whether the team will be wearing green on Saturday. Do you want to see the green jerseys or not? Why?

I'm torn here.

And I think that the decision should be made in the locker room by Coach Weis and team leader Jimmy Clausen.

Because, if you're going to wear them again, you'd damn well better be pretty f#(%!@g sure that you're going to put a boot in SC's ass.

'Cause if you bust 'em out and lose, THAT will be their legacy.

And on that note, I hope they do have the confidence to pull them out again.

9. Name the next number in this sequence: -3, -20, -38, -35, _______. Explain.

+10

I think that the most impressive thing that the Irish could do this week, especially after the late game heroics required against their last 4 opponents, would be to have a 2-score lead late in the 4th quarter.

If we end up having a close win, we won't get the legitimacy we need from this game. We'll be stuck with the caveat that we play to the opponent.

Also, if there are any controversial calls (and there always are), a close win will give the Notre Dame haters in the media (I'm talking to you, John Saunders) something to use to discount the Irish victory.

And I want this game to leave NO doubt that the Irish are back.

I like the Irish 38-28.

SC Week!

Beat SC!

25 Greatest College Football Experiences

So, recently me and a couple of my friends decided that we are going to start traveling to one game each year, and we want to try to see the best that college football has to offer. So, we are trying to compile a list of the 25 greatest college football experiences. We'll hit at least 1 each year, and at the end of this epic undertaking, I intend to write a book about the experience.

So, I'm looking for nominations for the top college football experiences, and after reviewing all of the suggestions, I'll try to narrow down the list to 25.

To start, here are the ones that we've come up with so far. I'm trying to put together a list that hits as many of the great stadiums in the game, without going to the same stadium multiple times if possible, so we can get a breadth of experience. Therefore, while a game like Notre Dame vs. Michigan in the Big House or Notre Dame Stadium may be worthy of consideration, it would be trumped by Mich/OSU or ND/USC. Some of the rivalries (like Mich/OSU and ND/USC) are worthy enough to warrant a trip to both stadiums for that rivalry. Also, I'm not including actual bowl games or conference championships in the list - I'm looking for the best of regular season college football.

So, here's the list we've put together so far - it's already at 27 games, and I'm sure it will get bigger yet before I can pare it back down. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

For economy's sake (and my own sanity), if you are reading this syndicated elsewhere (ala Bleacher Report), please comment on my original posting at Domer Law Blog.

If you are a blogger/sportswriter and want in on the annual trip, please e-mail me at nwaechter@hotmail.com, and I'll put together a mailing once each year's destination is announced.

Notre Dame v. USC @ Notre Dame Stadium (South Bend, IN)

Notre Dame v. USC @ The Coliseum (Los Angeles, CA)

The Game (Michigan v. Ohio State) @ The Big House (Ann Arbor, MI)

The Game (Michigan v. Ohio State) @ The Horseshoe (Columbus, OH)

Army v. Navy @ West Point (West Point, NY)

The Red River Shootout (Oklahoma v. Texas) @ Cotton Bowl (Dallas, TX)

World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (Florida v. Georgia) @ Jacksonville Stadium (Jacksonville, FL)

USC v. UCLA @ Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA)

Iron Bowl (Alabama v. Auburn) @ Bryant-Denny Stadium (Tuscaloosa, AL)

Civil War (Oregon v. Oregon State) @ Autzen Stadium (Eugene, OR)

Old Oaken Bucket (Indiana v. Purdue) @ Memorial Stadium (Bloomington, IN)

Magnolia Bowl (LSU v. Ole Miss) OR Battle for the Rag (LSU v. Tulane) @ Death Valley (Baton Rouge, LA)

Magnolia Bowl (LSU v. Ole Miss) @ Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (Oxford, MS) "The Grove"

Battle for Governor's Cup (Florida v. Florida State @ The Swamp (Gainesville, FL)

Battle for Governor's Cup (Florida v. Florida State @ Doak-Campbell Stadium (Tallahassee, FL)

Lone Star Showdown (Texas v. Texas A&M) @ Kyle Field (College Station, TX)

Lone Star Showdown (Texas v. Texas A&M) @ Darrel K. Royal Stadium (Austin, TX)

Oklahoma v. Missouri @ Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (Norman, OK)

Nebraska v. Missouri @ Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE)

The Game (Harvard v. Yale) @ Harvard Stadium (Boston, MA)

The Rivalry (Legigh v. Lafayette) @ Fisher Field (Easton, PA)

White Out (Penn State v. TBA) @ "Happy Valley" Beaver Stadium (University Park, PA)

Tennessee v. Alabama @ Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, TN)

Georgia v. Georgia Tech @ "Between the Hedges" Sanford Stadium (Athens, GA)

Battle for the Axe (Wisconsin v. Minnesota) @ Camp Randall (Madison, WI)

Commonwealth Cup (Virginia v. Virginia Tech) @ Lane Stadium (Blacksburg, VA)

Backyard Brawl (West Virginia v. Pittsburgh) @ Mountaineer Field (Morgantown, WV)

IBG: Quick Questions (aka Subway Domer nearly screwed the pooch on this one)

So, apparently Subway Domer did get around to posting some questions for this week, so here goes...


1. Describe your worst nightmare coming true on Saturday. Can that nightmare become a reality?

I'm assuming you mean related to Notre Dame football, as I'm guessing that the entire stadium being attacked by 1,000s of giant spiders wasn't what you were going for here.

Honestly, my worst nightmare is that we lose.

Think about this for a second.

We've all given Coach Weis a pass on rebuilding this team from the decimation that Tyrone wreaked on the program.

But his criminally reckless behavior in recruiting at Notre Dame pales in comparison to the intentional dismantling of the Huskies program that Tyrone tried.

And then Coach Weis, in year 5 of his rebuilding project inherited from Ty, LOSES to Sarkisian in year 1 of his?

It would be, psychologically, a death blow to everyone's confidence in Weis, and immediately render moot any argument put forward for retaining him as head coach.

2. Can we all agree that Jake Locker will be the best quarterback that we have/will face all season?

Yes. I stated this in the first IBG of the season, and I'll restate it again here.

Jake Locker is the best quarterback that we will face this season. He is a seasoned veteran with the athleticism to beat you on the ground and through the air. He reminds me of a cross between Antwaan Randle-El and Steve Young. In fact, although his stats will never bear it out because he plays on an otherwise atrocious team, he may well be the best QB in the country. Including JC and Jesus H. Tebow.

3. Replace two starters on both sides of the football for the Washington game. Who are they, who are they replacing, and why?

OFFENSE: Move 1: I'm going to cheat here, and simply change the way we do things for move #1, as (unless you're going to give me the fantasy of plugging Floyd back into the lineup), I don't want to replace any of our skill positions. So, instead of REPLACING anyone, I'm just going to tweak our formations. On any given snap, Armando Allen, Golden Tate, and Kyle Rudolph line up in variations of tailback, slot receiver, tight end, and fullback. And from that, we can shift into or out of any number of formations. Jimmy Clausen is of course optional here, as we move into and out of the Leprecat offense.

Rudolph could be a hell of a lead blocker, and the amount of speed coming out of an AA/Tate backfield is ridiculous. Also, I think Rudolph could be an interesting tailback with his size and deceptive speed, especially as you have to account for AA and Tate on the outside.

We've already experimented with varying forms of the "Leprecat" offense, so now I just want to add in the twist of using Kyle Rudolph in the backfield as well as TE and split out.

Move 2: Bench Sam Young for the first half. He may be our most experienced and most physically talented offensive lineman, but his mistakes have cost this team too many times, and I would send him a message that he had better shape up, or we'll leave him on the sidelines. Plug in whoever is next on the depth chart (Taylor Dever or Matt Romine, depending on how coach decides to play it).

DEFENSE: Move 1: Easy - Te'o for Toryan Smith. Toryan does not appear to have the fundamentals necessary for middle linebacker for his level of athletic ability. Te'o may be lacking the same fundamentals, but his athleticism makes up for mistakes.

Move 2: Tougher, but I'll go with Sergio Brown for Harrison Smith. I just get the sense that Harrison isn't quite getting it. Brown has made some mistakes, but he just always seems to be around the ball.

4. Ty Willingham enters the stadium in the second quarter. What happens?

*Shudder*

I think in this situation, the entire fanbase, en masse, rushes the field, picks up the Moulder of Men, marches him out to St. Joe River, and unceremoniously dumps him in.

Then they return to the stadium, everyone (ushers included) drinks a shot, and then they resume the pounding that the Irish are giving the Huskies, who are only 1 season removed from Ty's criminally reckless recruiting skills, compared to Notre Dame's 5.

5. Are you impressed with the improvement in the run game in 2009, or is it a figment of our imagination?

How could you not be? This team's running game is absolutely Holtz-esque. And that's AFTER the Big Ten portion of our schedule. Verducci is the next Joe Moore, and as far as I'm concerned, we need to make him a Notre Dame lifer.

After what Stanford did last week to Washington, you'd have to be drooling if you're Armando Allen.

6. Who's hotter, Wendi Nix or Erin Andrews? Why. It your hottie a defensive or offensive player?

Given the choice, I'd have to go with Erin Andrews. But, I'd much rather be my own person, and go with the write-in of


Alex Flanagan

I mean, come on guys. Wendi and Erin are so last season...

And Alex is totally a tight end. (Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink. Say no more.)

7. Predictions please...

This is the week that Washington remembers that they were 0-12 last year.

Jake Locker throws for 250 yards (150 of them to himself, incredibly enough) and 3 TDs (again, 2 of them to himself), and runs for 200 yards and 2 TDs, accounting for a total of 7 of the Huskies' 5 touchdowns.

IRISH 140-35

(all seriousness aside, I'll take the Irish, 38-10)

Jimmy Clausen: Earning his stripes

I've been on record several times over the past few years knocking Clausen. I've heard rumblings and grumblings about campus about his cocky attitude and sense of entitlement. I've even had my own less than impressive run-ins with him myself as recently as last season.

But I gotta admit, the kid is earning my respect this year.

He's clearly starting to learn what it is to be not just a leader on the football field, but slowly also learning to be a Notre Dame man on AND off the field.

Gone is the cockiness and bravado of a kid who hasn't proved anything, and it has been replaced by the quiet confidence, grit and determination of a leader.

And that, more than anything, is why I'm climbing onto the Clausen for Heisman bandwagon.

I posted last week that I thought his numbers should have placed him at the forefront of the QBs in consideration for the Heisman, but this week, hobbled by turf toe, he showed what we all look for in a Heisman quarterback - the ability to put his team on his back and pluck victory from the jaws of defeat. He limped out onto the field with 3 minutes left, and like Brady before him, the team KNEW it was going to find a way to win. And on the strong right arm of Jimmy Clausen, that's exactly what they did.

The season is still young, and Clausen will have plenty of opportunities to prove his mettle as a legitimate Heisman candidate. Perhaps he'll even have one of those classic TV moments in the ND/USC game. But I doubt any will be remembered as fondly in history as the final drive against Purdue late Saturday night - a drive that may not have just saved the season, but the program.



With a healthy toe and a healthy Armando Allen going into this weekend's tilt against Washington, a hot team which has surprised a lot of people (including the vaunted Trojans of USC), this may be the week where Clausen lights up the Huskies, and with them the hype for ND/USC going into the bye week.

Go Irish! Beat Huskies!

What does beating Purdue mean?

Alright, so there has been much moaning, wailing, and gnashing of teeth on the Notre Dame message boards. The fan base has splintered into two groups:

1. Weis is a horrible coach, and [example of poor performance from most recent game] is why he'll never win a championship at Notre Dame. Hire [Stoops, Meyer, Saban, Gruden, etc.].

2. Weis has rebuilt this program and has us playing well, and [example of good performance from most recent game] is why we'll get to the national championship next year. Besides, we could never get [Stoops, Meyer, Saban, Gruden, etc.].

I've been working on an analysis of Coach Weis' career thus far, and I'll post that over the bye week. But in the interim, we have one of the clearest arguments for both sides in this week's game.

Side 1:

Weis is a horrible coach, and the complete lack of tackling fundamentals in this game show that we'll never have a defense capable of winning a championship at Notre Dame. Hire Stoops.

Side 2:

Weis has rebuilt this program and has us playing well, and going into an opposing stadium against a Big Ten team that hung around with Oregon and coming away with a win without our top receiver, top running back, and only half of our Heisman candidate quarterback is a testament to the depth we've developed and is why we'll win the championship next year. Besides, we could never get Stoops.

*****

And I'm really stuck on the fence here. As I watched the game with my buddy Ian (a Purdue guy), it was kind of hilarious to watch. At one point we seriously got into an argument about whose team is more capable of choking a game away.

I think that everything you need to know about this team is summed up in this quote by Weis:

"You know, they (Purdue) had a couple of carries where they got yards, and then the rest of the carries I mean, they gained 56 yards on three carries, and they gained 11 yards on the other 14 carries. They had a 26 yard run, a 15 yard run and a 15 yard run, and they were really the only runs that were over ten yards, and the rest of it averaged less than a yard a carry."

So to sum up, if we wouldn't screw up a few times a game, we could be really good.

Every coach I know has stressed that the team that makes the fewest mistakes will win the game.

And we still make too many mistakes.

We've got the talent, and (finally) the depth. We have the motivation and the belief.

But I'm tired of watching us shoot ourselves in the foot over and over again.

If I were Coach Weis, I would spend no time trying to put in a gameplan this week. We'll run our base offense and defense against Washington.

I'd spend every second of practice time available drilling fundamentals. Fundamental tackling. Rip/swim/spin drills. Fundamental blocking. Catching drills. Passing drills. Kicking drills. Ball running drills.

I want some Oklahoma drills, baby. Learn to hit someone one-on-one and put them in the ground.

If this team started playing solid fundamental football, they could run my pee-wee team's offense and defense and beat everyone on their schedule. We're relying too heavily on athleticism and not enough on crisp, clean fundamental football.

And that's on the coaching. Watch it, coach - I may be falling off the fence here pretty soon if you don't clean things up.

IBG: Life Without Floyd Edition

1. The obvious question for the week, how does Notre Dame deal with the loss of Michael Floyd? What wide receiver steps up? How, if at all, does the offense change?

I think that we need Duval Kamara to step up his game. He's been toiling in the shadows of Tate and Floyd, and now he has the opportunity, with the coverages all rolled over to Tate, to prove he can win the one-on-one matchups.

Of course the offense changes when such a potent weapon disappears from your arsenal. Just look at last year's offense when he was out of the game. However, unlike last year, I think we have enough options, including a running game, to mitigate the loss of Floyd. We still have Tate and Rudolph, and Armando out of the backfield. Maybe even one of the other receivers (Parris, Evans) will step up their game.

Although I'd much rather have Floyd out there on the field, this injury actually makes next year's team even more dangerous. You know Floyd will come back being Floyd (it is just a collarbone, not a leg injury of some sort), and now we'll have a lot more game experience on an already dangerous receiving corps.

I'm already salivating to watch this offense next year...

2. After seeing three games from Notre Dame in 2009 have your expectations increased, decreased, or remained the same?

Same, leaning towards decreased. I still think this team is capable of putting together an 11-1 regular season, which with a loss in a bowl game would make us 11-2, my preseason prediction. However, the loss of Floyd will make it a little tougher to score points, and the defense (especially the secondary) is worse this year than I thought they'd be.

So, we could be as bad as 9-3 after the season, which would be below my expectations. Of course, my preseason expectations were based upon a season with a healthy Tate, Floyd, Clausen and Rudolph. (I think we're better equipped to fill in for a running back injury)

3. The last two years against Purdue a Notre Dame player has had their breakout game. In 2007 it was Golden Tate and in 2008 it was Armando Allen. Who do you think could have their breakout game against the Boilermakers this year?

Ethan Johnson. This kid is supposed to be a freakish athlete, and I think it's time for him to show up as a disruptive force in a big way this week against a team that has done a mediocre job against talent that is nothing like what they'll see on Saturday.

However, if the Boilermakers find a way to keep it close, it will be due to a breakout game by the Big Ten officials, who have shown glimpses of being able to take over games the last two weeks, but have a big challenge if they expect to keep Purdue in the game this week.

4. How would you grade the three new coaches on this year’s staff based on the first three games?

Frank Verducci: A+. This is the kind of offensive line I remember from the Joe Moore years. And, I must admit for the first time since Weis was hired, these guys are straight nasty.

Tony Alford: B+. Armando Allen has developed into a true running back, not just a scat back, which is impressive. I haven't seen much from the depth, however, which is the only thing holding him back from a similar A+ rating.

Randy Hart: C. He's not exactly failing, but I haven't seen the disruptiveness we need along the line to allow this blitz package to work. We're still pretty young, but I expected more.

5. Your thoughts on Golden Tate’s stage dive into the Michigan State band? Was he trying to avoid running into the band? Was the whole thing intentional? Little of column A, little of column B?

Despite that I know Golden Tate is a bit of a showboat, I'm going to go with he was trying to avoid the band. He had one step to make a decision, and there is no way he was thinking about celebrating that quickly after the concentration required to make that catch.

And really, he had no option. He couldn't slow down, and he would have seriously injured himself and/or a band member if he had kept running. The stage dive was the appropriate thing to do, spreading himself out and jumping over the first row to minimize his impact on any individual.

It did look pretty cool, though. In fact, the picture is my desktop background right now at work. And I love the youtube video tribute...

6. How has your opinion of the Notre Dame schedule changed from how you felt about it in the pre-season?

Hmm... Let's look at it game-by game:

Nevada - same. The Wolfpack will be a good team in their conference, but can't hold up against the big boys.

Michigan - better. Although I don't think Michigan is a top 25 team, and their win over the Irish was a perfect storm, the Wolverines are far better than I thought they would be.

Michigan State - same. Central Michigan is no slouch with Dan Lefevour at QB, and they played us tough throughout the game. About as expected.

Purdue - same. I thought they'd be a bad football team, and what do you know? They are.

Washington - better. 2-1 with a win over USC? Certainly got my attention. I think their lack of depth will rear its head as the season progresses (they were 0-12 last year, remember?), but they are clearly better than I thought.

Southern Cal - worse. A preseason top 5 team that has struggled mightily, including a loss to a team that went 0-12 last season. Even more beatable than I thought at the beginning of the season.

Boston College - same. 2-1 with a loss to a good Clemson team. I thought they'd take a step back this year, and it appears they have.

Washington State - better. They did beat SMU, which is more than I thought they'd do.

Navy - same. Played Ohio State tough, and almost forced overtime. Lost a tough game against Pitt. Almost said better, but they are 1-2.

Pitt - same. Should be a tough opponent, and have taken care of business so far at 3-0. We'll know a little more once they get into the conference schedule.

UConn - same. A close loss to a decent North Carolina team. Close wins over Ohio and Baylor? About as expected, maybe slightly worse.

Stanford - worse. Much was being made of how tough Stanford was supposed to be this year, and how it may be a battle for us to qualify for BCS consideration. But, they lost to Wake Forest - who lost to Baylor.

3 better, 2 worse. I'll call it a wash and say the schedule isn't much tougher than when we started.

7. Should Jimmy Clausen be getting more hype for the Heisman?

Absolutely. He's not in one of those crazy, chuck it every play offenses like Hawaii and Texas Tech. He's in a pro-style balanced offense.

And he's absolutely KILLING the other QBs in the country.

Look at the stats for the "leaders" in the Heisman race (for QBs):

Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame 62/91 951 yds, 9 TD, 0 Int. 68.13 comp %, 10.45 yd/att, 15.34 yd/comp, 20.67 att/gm, Passer rating 188.55

Colt McCoy, Texas 75/110 859 yds, 6 TD, 4 Int, 68.18 comp %, 7.81 yd/att, 11.45 yd/comp, 25.00 att/gm, Passer rating 144.51

Tim Tebow, Florida 39/58 540 yds, 5 TD, 1 Int, 67.24 comp %, 9.31 yd/att, 13.85 yd/comp, 13.00 att/gm, Passer rating 170.45

Jacory Harris, 41/59 656 yds, 5 TD, 2 Int, 69.49 comp %, 11.12 yd/att, 16.00 yd/comp, 20.50 att/gm, Passer rating 184.07

Case Keenum, 55/76 725 yds, 7 TD, 1 Int, 72.37 Comp %, 9.54 yd/att, 13.18 yd/comp, 27.50 att/gm, Passer rating 180.26

1st in yards. 1st in TD/INT ratio. 1st in passer rating.

There are other players out there worthy of consideration - Jahvid Best, C.J. Spiller, maybe even Dez Bryant or Golden Tate from the receiver position (Floyd's Heisman hopes ended with his collarone injury) - but Clausen is clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the QBs.