Jimmy Clausen proved last week that he has the nads to play with the big boys, bringing the Irish to the brink of a tie with USC on the last play of the game.

He would have cemented the lead for the Heisman if that ill-conceived last play had somehow connected for a touchdown. Maybe the right play was called and he threw to the wrong guy, because Kyle Rudolph, split wide left, was open in the back of the end zone.

The same play worked to beat Purdue, but on that day, Rudolph was the slot receiver who caught the TD. This time, it was Duval Kumara, but he slipped on the route and the rest is history.

ESPN's Skip Bayless, who definitely underestimated the Irish as did everyone else, was right about one thing. It would have been different if ND had Michael Floyd. USC could not gave doubled Golden Tate.

So chalk it up as getting one step closer to the elite and one step closer to the Heisman. Notre Dame played the first half the same way it did the past two years aaginst USC, conservative and scared. But something happened on defense that changed the complexion of the game in the second quarter. Freshman linebacker Manti Te'o blasted Matt Barkley (cleanly I might add) as the quarterback scrambled to the sidelines after a broken down passing attempt.

The ND freshman sent a wakeup call to USC -- and his own Irish teammates -- this is how the big boys play. This is how you join the elite. You run just as fast and you hit just as hard. (Except in this case, it was a clean hit, thank you very much Trojans for keeping numerous drives alive with late hits and dirty shots, including the last one against Robby Parris. You are the second best team in the country after Alabama, but this is why people don't like you. That and your offensive lienmen have AARP cards.)

Now, schemewise, the Irish are still light years away. USC rushed only four and ran Clausen ragged back in the always disappearing pocket. Clausen, who perfected a new move, the pirouetting right turn and run for your life to gain time as you find a receiver downfield 12-step, started to make the throws that separate him from the rest of the Heisman hopefuls (curiously, Clausen has mysteriously moved up to No. 2 on Todd McShay's pro QB potenntial list while the ESPN Heisman indicator, or whatever that meaningless drivel of a mathematical equation is, still has Tim Tebow at 1, Colt McCoy at 3 and Cincinnati's Tony Pike at 4.

This is why this bogus predictor has to go. Last week was a Heisman primary. Colt McCoy vs. Oklahoma, Clausen (and don't forget Matt Barkley, mind you) vs. USC.

McCoy failed miserably and should disappear immediately from any consideration. He also demolished his pro stock portfolio. Oklahoma took away Jordan Shipley and McCoy was forced to run the Texas version of the wildcat for any meaningful yardage. He also had a critical fumble near the goal line. Texas beat Oklahoma after Sam Bradford went down, but just barely and not because of McCoy.

McCoy was only the second best McCoy on the field that day. Oklahoma's defensive tackle Gerald McCoy was in the Texas backfield as much as Colt. If you include the ND-USC game, Colt McCoy was only the third-best McCoy last week. The real Big McCoy was USC tight end Anthony McCoy, who made some amazing catches, averages over 20 yards a catch, and should be a first-round draft pick and may be the most underrated player in the country.

So while the ESPN fraud indicator has Colt McCoy third on its list, I have him third on my Big McCoy list.

2009 Big McCoy Award

1. Anthony McCoy, USC.

2. Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma.

3. Colt McCoy, Texas.

Now, back to the Heisman.

1. Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame, QB.

2. Mark Herzlich, Boston College LB

3. Mark Ingram, Alabama, RB

Yes, you read that right. Mark Herzlich of Boston College, the ACC's defensive player of the year as a junior last year, was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer, Ewing's sarcoma in his left leg, and has made remarkable strides and says he is 99 percent recovered. (He is still undergoing chemotherapy.) He has appeared on national TV, especially ESPN's Game Day a few weeks ago and has been an inspiration to all. He has, perhaps. the highest profile in college football once you forget about Tim Tebow's concussion (rest him, please, Urban) and Sam Bradford's shoulder (gone for the year, hope he has a policy with Lloyds of London because his pro stock -- location of the injury, his throwing shoulder -- has knocked him out of the No.1 overall pick and is now a crap shoot for the NFL).

Herzlich, a Conestoga High graduate. would have been an elite player and definite all American this season. His courage and strength exemplify all that is great about college football (the Heisman Trophy being emblematic of that) and he has united the entire country with numerous football programs participating in charity work and emotional support, including Charlie Weis, who should be commended for his actions in keeping Herzlich's spirits high. The coach lit a candle at the Grotto at Nore Dame in Herzlich's honor when he heard about the BC linebacker's situation and has kept in touch with him ever since.

I believe Jimmy Clausen deserves the Heisman and will prove it by season's end.

But should he falter, heck, even if he doesn't, start thinking about voting for Mark Herzlich for the Heisman. It even sounds right.

This is your life, Jimmy Clausen.

This is your job, Charlie Weis.

Clausen has been harassed and demeaned by USC the past two years. Crushed both in South Bend and Los Angeles. Matt Barkley is his California wannabe, but you would have hardly noticed Clausen coming into this season. The hype, which tried to destroy Clausen in his first two seasons, has anointed Barkley, who is a sure-fire NFL quarterback some day but has accomplished just one fourth-quarter comeback at Ohio State to show for his exalted status.

 For some reason, Clausen, the California boy, has picked up a lunch-pail persona. Switch places and Clausen would be  looking for his space at the USC Hall of Superheroes for his Heisman (just don't put it next to O.J.'s spot -- Oh, I forgot, just check e-bay).

This week, USC coach Pete Carroll had his early-week press conference and he faintly praised Notre Dame's offensive talent (he wishes he had Golden Tate and Kyle Rudolph). But it rang hollow. Almost like, yeah, they won't be pushovers this year, we'll actually have to play defense. 

To make it worse, he held a team meeting Thursday where he sprang a surprise and brought out Stafon Johnson, the running back who suffered an incredible potentially life threatening injury a few weeks back when the free weights he was bench pressing crushed his throat and larynx. Only some miraculous quick thinking and medical attention saved him. So, on Thursday, back in LA, Carroll brought Johnson out from behind a door and the team wildly cheered. Johnson came to the front of the room styling all the way. Now this may be the modern day version of "Win one for the Gipper" but Johnson may have been minutes away from death and no doubt the injury lawyers will be calling one day when he realizes that his NFL career may be done. But worker's comp can wait (yes, athletes are compensated with free tuition and should be treated with the same worker's comp protection. Show me someone who works at the library and see if their part time job is worth  $40-to-$50 grand a year.)

Anyway, Carroll shows no respect for Notre Dame. While Charlie Weis has said some scary things this week, like: We actually think we can win this week, I feel it, everyone feels it. You are SUPPOSED to feel that way every week. You are Notre Dame. You have the best players. Thankfully, Sam Ryan and Rudolph have actually articulated it. You don't win if you don't think you will win.

Clausen has the highest passing efficiency rating in the country. He has tons of yards and touchdowns. So why is he sharing the spotlight with Barkley? I know they had the same quarterbacks guru coach, Steve Clarkson, who has mentored a slew of top signal callers, including Matt Leinart, Terrelle Pryor, plus Snoop Dogg's, Joe Montana's and Wayne Gretzky's kids. But Clausen is the leading candidate to win the Heisman. Only Colt McCoy is in the way now. Imagine if he lost Jordan Shipley. Well that's what has happened to Clausen when  Michael Floyd went down at Michigan.

Skip Bayless disrespected Notre Dame today on ESPN First Take (formerly known as Cold Pizza). He said 30-10 USC. The Vegas oddsmakers have USC, the visiting team, a 10-point favorite. The pollsters, who couldn't find Notre Dame in the rankings with a search warrant, moved the Irish up to 25 AFTER A BYE WEEK, so that it will look better when they play USC.

Oh, and did I mention that they have a common opponent, Washington. USC lost to the Huskies and their NFL first round pick QB Jake Locker (he's a Clarkson guy, too). The Irish beat Washington. So much for common opponents as a guideline for respect.

If Notre Dame loses, the Charlie Must Go talk starts up again. Already the Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly and MNF analyst Jon Gruden have been speculated as replacements for the New Jersey guy who will have to renegotiate his buyout. I say this. Charlie, show them why New Jersey guys are tough and don't take crap, even though you are a little too arrogant. This should have been your dream job. Don't let the sheep-eaten grin of Pete Carroll and his condescending Trojan Nation take it away from you.

Kick their butts in the trenches and run your pro offense up and down the field. You have a few Super Bowl rings hidden away somewhere that you earned as an offensive coordinator for the best team in football. Send Carroll a text message to see where his Super Bowl rings are. 

Just don't wear the green jerseys.

.

    Jimmy Clausen did it again. Drive downfield, throw the go-ahead touchdown pass in the final minute. Kyle Rudolph, in the end zone, looking like a man against boys.

    This week, it was against Washington, the conquerors of USC. Last week, Purdue. The only loss was to Michigan, and Clausen brought them back in the final quarter only to be beaten by the mercurial freshman wiz Tate Fourcier. (An aside, please. Fourcier is so clever, it is mind-boggling, Against Michigan State Saturday, he was exhausted as the clock ticked down. Fourcier was tackled near the 10-yard line and the game would have ended because Michigan had no timeouts left, but he somehow creatively fumbled the ball out of bounds, shades of Matt Leinart. If he didn't mean to fumble, then he sure is lucky.)

    So the nation was mesmerized once again by Fourcier. But it was just an appetizer. Cue Clausen and the QB collision with Washington's Jake Locker (second aside, Brent Musberger fawned all over Locker Saturday night while doing the Miami-Oklahoma game.  He couldn't have been looking live at the South Bend game because no matter how good Locker was, it was Clausen's magic that won the game for Notre Dame.

    The NFL scouts have to be drooling. The ESPN Heisman calculator must be chomping on its slide rule to come up with a way of keeping Clausen down. Amazingly, using previous Heisman predictors, Clausen was No. 5 last week. (Jevan, we heardly knew ye). But using previous Heisman variables? What, like Eric Crouch of Nebraska? Show me those numbers in an equation. Charlie Ward? I forgot, Notre Dame 31, National Champions 24. 

    You have to go back to John Huarte in 1964 to get an ND QB with a Heisman. Yes, Huarte to Snow. Jack Snow, J.T.'s father. Brady Quinn didn't deserve it, neither did Rick Mirer, Ron Powlus or even Joe Montana. Joe Theismann was in the running and deservedly so. Terry Hanratty never got a whiff.

    But Clausen does. If he were quarterbacking Boston College, he would have been the main topic on ESPN's Sports Reporters Sunday morning. But alas, those BC alums would probably bring up Glenn Foley and I'd remember Bercich dropping the interception and it would all be counterproductive (or is it counterintuitive, Jeffrey Lurie?).

    Clausen doesn't have Michael Floyd, he of the end-zone jump balls and 80-yard bombs. But Golden Tate has emerged as a superstar. (BTW, NBC-HD in Philadelphia missed the first play of overtime. First came a minute of tiny peacock logos -- for a second I thought Comcast had officially bought the company. Fade to black became, voila,  Access Hollywood. And I thought Heidi was still in Ann Arbor. 7:22 p.m. Luckily, it returned just as the replay of Tate's whirly-bird catch and run had ended.)  

    Robert Hughes and the Hughes Corporation that dragged him into the end zone on the two-point conversion was another major factor. So was the goal line stand. And the goal line stand. AND THE GOAL LINE STAND.

    (OK, here is where I summoned my old man and every spirit in heaven and purgatory when the Pac-10 referee called ROUGHING THE SNAPPER ...

    Roughing the snapper. This was the phantom end-zone holding penalty against USC in 1964 plus the Phantom Clip during Rocket's game-winning punt return against Colorado on the game's final play that cost them a national championship.

   Roughing the snapper. (Dear Athletic Administration. Hire neutral conference refs.Not Big Ten for Big Ten opponents and Pac 10 for Pac 10 opponents. Wake up -- and I don't mean echoes. How many touchdowns have to be called back? Keep tempting fate, please. 4-1 could have been 2-3 in a New York Subway Alumni minute.)

   Charlie Weis has been granted a reprieve. I haven't heard the words "buyout clause" or "Urban Meyer" in at least two weeks. 

    Clausen had over 400 yards passing and his quarterback efficiency rating will go through the roof again. Heck, half of his incompletions have been thrown out of bounds on purpose.

    Clausen has learned how to manage the pocket, evade the rush and create space as he roams toward the sideline or threatens the line of scrimmage. The receivers know to create separation and Clausen knows exactly where everyone is. That sounds like a first-round pick to me, if not top 3 if not top1.

    Of course, this magical mystery ride to the Heisman will depend on the USC game.  Matt Barkley should be healthy and the USC defense will be the toughest Clausen will face all year. Plus it has two weeks to prepare. But so does Charlie Weis and Clausen's turf toe no doubt could use the rest.

    So, it's back to Square One, same as it ever was. O.J. Simpson, Mike Garrett and Anthony Davis week.

   USC vs. ND.

    Jimmy Clausen vs. the ND golden boy Heisman jinx. Only this time, it will be different. Even some ESPN pundits, including Kordell Stewart, believe that another miraculous performance puts him at the head of the list.

    See you at the Downtown Athletic Club.

He always had the stats and the hype.
He came to Notre Dame with the Southern Cal hair and the Tom Cruise swagger, delivered onto campus on Day One in a limousine that had the Golden Domers seething.
Even when he put up staggering numbers the last game last year in Hawaii and the first three games this year, he got no cred outside South Bend. Big numbers in shootout games. So what.
Forget that each ball was a laser beam and and half his incompletions were drops.
That ended in West Lafayette, Indiana last Saturday, courtesy of Purdue.
He turned into Joe Montana, circa Houston in the Cotton Bowl.
He became John Elway.
Even Tate Fourcier.
Down by four, he drove the Irish 72 yards with three minutes left without his starting halfback and all-World wideout.
He hit his Pro Bowl tight end, Kyle Rudolph, with 24 seconds left to win the game, 24-21.
He did it with an injured turf toe that had him miss large portions of the game allowing sophomore QB  Dayne Crist to do his best Coley O'Brien imitation. And Golden Tate did his best 2008 Golden Tate imitation and didn't drop any balls.
Clausen is the fourth-ranked QB in the nation in passing efficiency, ahead of all the big names.
He earned his stripes and now must wait for Matt Barkley to come to South Bend to get his due.
He may have also saved Charlie Weis' job.
I'll give Weis credit for this much. He hinted before the Hawaii game that the QB job would be open this year.
Then Clausen turned Hawaii into lava but Weis may have kept Crist from transferring, and that paid off big time.
And Robbie Paris turned into Robin Weber (google Tom Clements, Alabama, and Sugar Bowl). ...(better yet YouTube it) ...

Notre Dame is 3-1, and deserves to be in the top 25. Penn State is 3-1 and will be lucky to face the Irish in a bowl game. And Daryll Clark's Heisman is sitting next to Jevan Snead's. The only big horse standing is Colt McCoy at Texas. (As an aside, if Urban Meyer gets to watch HBO's Real Sports' segment on concussions, Tim Tebow won't be back until the Alabama game).

This week, Weis gets to coach against Washington, a bunch of players recruited by Ty Willingham, instead of coaching a bunch of players recruited by Ty Willingham. Weis gets to coach against Steve Sarkisian, who has shredded the Irish the past three years as offensive coordinator at USC.

Buckle your seat belts, and buy your ticket to the Downtown Athletic Club in December.

Jimmy Clausen put Rick Mirer in the rearview mirror. The drive was stuff of legends.

Now it's time for the rest of the country to get on board.

He is sixth in the nation in passing yards.

He is going to dominate against Michigan State this week, Purdue next week and Washington on Oct. 3.

He has yet to throw an interception.

Matt Barkley may not even be around on Oct. 17 and Charlie Weis has two weeks to prepare for the Trojans.

ESPN's Mark May says Clausen has no chance because he lost to Michigan. Well Notre Dame-Michigan has been the best game of the season and may wind up being one of the five best for the whole year.

Michigan should have been ranked and would have been ranked if anyone had paid attention to Week One and not used their pre-season biases. Notre Dame demolished a Nevada team that May said would be Week One's upset special. So we know he's biased, partly because he plays Lou Holtz's foil on ESPN. May correctly predicted Notre Dame's demise two years ago, and it wasn't because of bias. He paid attention to the detail and he knew Notre Dame was incredibly overrated and vulnerable. But not this year. Stop the hating. If he watched Notre Dame have a luau at the expense of Hawaii in the bowl game last December he would have realized this is a different team. And he knows that Clausen has come of age and the team was not the rag doll from years before.

Notre Dame is a top 25 team right now. A top 15 team, maybe even a top 10 team. It will have to beat USC in front of a national audience to get anyone to pay attention.

Clausen by then will be on his way.

Take Two: Terrelle Pryor can't run a two-minute drill, no less win the Heisman. But I take back any remarks about Penn State's Daryll Clark. Even though his team is incredibly overrated, he has put the program on his back.

Take Three: Charlie Weis was absolutely right about the refereeing at Michigan. Penalizing Armando Allen for unsportsmanlike conduct after scoring the go-ahead touchdown was not just ludicrous but crucial. The 15-yard penalty assessed on the kickoff created a field position advantage for Michigan that eventually played itself out at the end of the game. (And no referee saw linebacker Jonas Mouton throw a punch at Eric Olsen. Weis did send videotape to Big Ten officials.) Notre Dame should insist on neutral referees from now on.

 BTW, how come nobody saw Tate Forcier coming. This kid was unbelievable, especially on his TD scamper on fourth down when he said he just reacted to Cover 0 coverage and knew no one had the quarterback in that defense.  

NCAA Quarterback Rating

I was sitting in the front passenger seat of a beat up Toyota Highlander, which was parked in front of a Teamsters Hall in East Norriton, Pa.

Inside the hall, during a “Beef and Beer” fundraiser, the once-happy family and friends were watching the Phillies blow yet another ninth-inning loss, this one, 10-9 to the lowly New York Mets. David Wright’s homer rocketed into the left field seats. I, on the other hand, was listening to Armando Allen do his own Rocket-like imitation, scoring the go-ahead touchdown at Michigan late in the fourth quarter as Notre Dame took a 32-31 lead in perhaps the best game of the college football season.

As Charlie Weis was contemplating his Boise State-like, Statue of Liberty two-point conversion, ISP play-by-play announcer Don Criqui was returning from commercial. But not on ESPN-Radio 950-AM in Philadelphia. Instead,  I heard the following … “We now take you to the Lehigh-Villanova football game …”

The Lehigh-Villanova football got that had not yet started …

I sprinted the 18 yards to the entrance and headed toward the bar. I asked the bartender ( a Penn State grad) to check his i-Phone every 60 seconds …

34-31 .. four minutes to go … three minutes to go … two minutes to go … one minute to go …

He poured some Michelob Ultra to a Teamster, then looked back at the iPhone …38-34 … 10 seconds to go …

38-34 final … 38-34!

For a station manager, it is always dangerous to schedule a 7 p.m. start after a 3:30 start. But usually, the 3:30 game goes to conclusion and the 7 p.m. starts picks up already in progress. But ESPN-950 had a contractual agreement to start the Villanova game at 7 and station manager Matt Nahagian said he had no choice but to pull the switch. I am sure the last thing a radio station that is trying to cut into sports talk radio leader WIP’s former grip on the city wants to do is alienate Notre Dame fans, especially since this team and this quarterback are incredibly exciting.

The station got e-mails and calls to its hotline and Nahagian certainly knows he made a mistake when the schedule came out.

The good news this week is that there will be no conflict with the Penn-Villanova 7 p.m. start. ESPN-950 will not be broadcasting the Michigan State-Notre Dame 3:30 start. The bad news? The game will not be heard anywhere in Philly.

Jimmy Clausen will win the Heisman.

Not Mr. Perfect Tim Tebow. The Florida senior will win his third national championship trophy.

Not Sam Bradford. The Oklahoma senior won it last year, so people will instinctively vote for someone else. If Roger Staubach didn’t win back to back, Bradford won’t either.

Not Colt McCoy. The Texas QB will feel the pressure and also split votes with Bradford and Tebow in the South and Southwest.

Not Daryll Clark. He is the most overrated quarterback on the most overrated team in the country, plus he has no offensive line and no receivers. He throws lollipops, not darts.

Not Terrelle Pryor. He can’t pass either and will have to play wide receiver in the pros. He’ll get some votes because the Big Ten is so soft. A big game – and a big win -- against USC could change that. But I’ll draft Matt Barkley before Pryor right now.

Jimmy Clausen will win the Heisman.

He is not Rick Mirer, with the Golden Boy cover headline on the cover of Sports Illustrated. That Golden Boy was deer in the headlights. Clausen made some big mistakes when he was too cocky as a freshman, but he has been groomed for this since he audibled coming out of the womb. The kid has every throw in the book, especially in the red zone. He handled two years of hell. Now is his time.

Jimmy Clausen will win the Heisman.

By the time USC comes to town with Barkley on Oct. 17, Notre Dame Clausen will be averaging 350 yards and four touchdowns a game.

By the time the Irish finish the regular season 10-2, he will better Brady Quinn’s junior year stats and get an invite to New York.

Jimmy Clausen’s position coach is Ron Powlus. Beano Cook said Powlus would win two Heismans before he graduated. (At least he has a t-shirt that reads: Notre Dame 31, National Champions 24) … Well, Powlus can get to hold this trophy, and if Clausen doesn’t come out early, Powlus may have a chance at watching his apprentice win two.

Clausen has two explosive wide receivers. Golden Tate is only a step slower than Rocket Ismail. Michael Floyd will be playing on Sundays, too, and catches everything near the goal line.

Charlie Weis’ offensive schemes helped the Patriots win Super Bowls and put Quinn in an elite group. There were doubts about Quinn’s skills. They don’t apply to Clausen.

Of course, to win, something must go wrong for the Big Three, Tebow, Bradford and McCoy, and Clausen has to run the table the way Matt Ryan almost did a few years ago.

ESPN had a poll of “experts” and Clausen did not get one top five vote. There were 13 names on the list.

Go ahead, haters, tweet away. I’ll make reservations for New York in December.