<p>Jimmy Claussen's ego far outstrips his talent. He had numerous opportunities to put this Senior Day game away, but threw way too many bad passes when it counts. He does not connect when it matters. When the game is on the line, he chokes. Certainly the pressure when playing at ND is enormous, but this kid is nearly 21 years old and made a massive deal of it when he came in as highly touted as he did (much of that touting done by himself about himself.) </p>
<p>Weis doesn't have much alternative to Claussen this year. No reason to use the eligibility of a red-shirt freshman QB to salvage a mediocre season. </p>
<p>Brady Quinn made Weis look good because Brady Quinn was a winner. Jimmy Claussen makes Weis look bad because he continues to make excuses for this kid. </p>
<p>I cannot even fathom what a bloodbath the USC game is going to be...</p>
<p>I’ve said it before-I miss Brady Quinn! And, I know it does not help the situation at hand, but he was just a good, all-around QB. There were also other players with that class that seemed to just click to make it a winning team as well. I’m glad our student had at least 1 good football year (when Brady was a senior)! But, I’m trying to remain positive…</p>
<p>Well, the silver lining (for me and other potential applicants at least) is that if the football team does crappy for the next 2-3 years, less people may apply. With colleges and colleges getting more and more applications, a good football team may drive that up even more. Not now!</p>
<p>JC’s not the problem…sure he’s no brady quinn but he’s posted pretty impressive stats this season (although he’s been kind of hit or miss lately). sure the kid’s got a pretty big ego, but so would you if you were the quarterback for Notre Dame. he’s definitely got skill and potential. imo our real problem is walker (the kicker). true it shouldn’t have come down to that final 50+ yarder at the end of the game, but he has had missed opportunity after missed opportunity. it really changes the game when you can’t count on your kicker to make anything.</p>
<p>on a more positive note, golden tate is absolutely unstoppable as is michael floyd (although he didn’t play today). both will be even better next year.</p>
<p>Michael Floyd is injured and is missing the rest of the season (save the bowl game, which we will probably be going to the Sun Bowl). Compare JC’s and BQ’s sophomore seasons and you will see that Jimmy Clausen has comparable numbers to Brady Quinn. And, many would argue, BQ had a much more talented receiving corps and offensive line. As Ty Willingham surely believed we didn’t need to recruit offensive linemen, the hangover could be affecting us still, but at what point do recruiting good linemen and coaching good linemen get blurred together, I don’t know. I just wouldn’t scratch him off completely simply because of him as a Sophomore.</p>
<p>Also, I don’t understand the flack that Brandon Walker is getting. The Syracuse game had near nothing to do with him. The 25 yard or so field goal that he missed was the holder’s fault (he put it down SIDEWAYS and Walker had to stop and then try to kick it), and a college kicker cannot be fully expected to make anything more than 40 yards save the few who are the best in the country. Having a shot at a 52 yarder to end the game in the freezing cold is a shot that is possible, but I would not be counting on it to save the game (and Weis’ career).</p>
<p>why are you trying to defend walker? the fact of the matter is that he’s just not very good compared to most other kickers in college football (even syracuse’s kicker was better). why does nd go for it on 4th down more than any other team? because they can’t count on walker to make anything. it really screws up your offense when you can’t count on your kicker.</p>
<p>JC’s stats speak a mouthful, he’s not the problem. Charlie Weis is the problem. Looks at Saturday and SDSU early in the year and prime examples … it’s up to the coaching staff to get the players ready (motivated) for a game and to manage the game as it unfolds. Has Charlie done that? No way! ND can’t win a close game because Weis can not manage a close game - play calling, etc.</p>
<p>And sure it would help if Walker could hit a FG, but that on Charlie too, he’s been in the top spot four years … why no better recruiting at this spot?</p>
<p>Hmmmm, USC won it all in 2003 with a kicker who couldn’t kick outside of 30 yards, and Florida won two years ago with the same situation. Having to blame the kicker is passing off the blame of the rest on the team to a position that is not really deep in college football. You said “most other college kickers,” and that is simply not true.</p>
<p>Everyone trys to pinpoint the problem, saying it’s Weis, or Jimmy, or Walker. The plain and simple fact is that all the way around we are not a good football team</p>
<p>I don’t think that you can blame ND’s woes on one thing. Every piece of the game has its strengths and weaknesses. I won’t blame the team’s struggles on Jimmy but I also won’t put him in the same league as Brady. The football team’s schedule has been weaker the last 2 season’s so I am not biting on the stats comparison b/w JC and BQ. But I can tell you the biggest difference b/w the two is game intelligence. JC is not BQ. BQ was smarter – hands down. The Irish need a new O-line coach, a new QB coach and to give CW one more year with all of “his” guys. Dayne Crist also needs to be given the opportunity to compete for the starting job. If CW can’t get things done in 2009, he will be done.</p>
<p>As for Urban Meyer – he has indicated his dream job is coaching at ND. He wanted ND when it was offered, but his family wanted UF. Now that his children are older, there are rumors that ND will go after him.</p>
<p>Did you see Brady Quinn in '04? If you did, then maybe you can compare Jimmy to Brady Quinn. Not saying that Jimmy will live up to BQ, just saying you’re not exactly comparing apples to apples right now.</p>
<p>Nice game for Jimmy in Honolulu. Not to mention the rest of the offense, the defense, and special teams - that was the total package!</p>
<p>And a nice game plan from the coaching staff. </p>
<p>In any event, season ends on a high point for the first time in a long time. Lot’s of talented underclassman could make a big difference next year.</p>
<p>I am encouraged by the bowl win but you must also remember who we were playing…yes, they were basically home, but this is Hawaii, 7-7 and in the WAC conference. If we are content beating mid-level WAC team (5-3 in the WAC) then we are no longer Notre Dame.</p>