More photos » Michael Conroy - AP

4 months ago: Notre Dame safety Kyle McCarthy (28) and Harrison Smith, back, break up a pass intended for Washington wide receiver D'Andre Goodwin on the final play of the overtime period during an NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind., Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009. Notre Dame defeated Washington 37-30 in overtime. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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After the San Diego State game last year, I wrote that the team played like crap and won, which is different from 2007 when they would play like crap and lose.  In 2008, the Irish would play well, but make some mistakes to let the other team back in the game (UNC, Pitt, Syracuse), and lose.  So far in 2009, the Irish have won most of those games, too.  Saying Notre Dame could be 5-0 - or 1-4! - isn't really accomplishing a lot, especially when you consider the fact that LSU, the undefeated #4 team in the country, could easily be 2-3.  Or that Georgia, who has scrapped its way to 3-2 with one of the tougher opening schedules you'll see, could really be 0-5, or at least 1-4.  Iowa - sweet, precious, undefeated Iowa - owner of a win in Happy Valley and home victories against Iowa State and Arizona, could be 3-2 with losses to Northern Iowa and Arkansas State. 

You can keep on going down the list of teams at the top or teams in the middle, and the general trend is that college football is insane and while some teams are capable of consistent blowouts, sometimes it's great to just win.   Would I prefer that Notre Dame execute in the red zone, tackle better so two yard runs don't turn into twenty yard bursts and put teams away in the third quarter when they dominate time of possession and yardage?  Of course I would, but I'd also prefer they win instead of lose, so I'll take what I can get.  

"But if Notre Dame can barely beat these middle-of-the-road teams, doesn't that mean they'll get crushed by any good team they play?"

Quite possibly, or perhaps their experience in these knockdown, drag-‘em-out, down-to-the-wire slugfests means that while it's possible for them to lose to a lot of teams, it also means they can beat nearly everyone out there.  The 2002 and 2003 Ohio State teams won a whole lot of games and a mythical national championship by pulling out game after game with a great defense (and the occasional dose of Craig Krenzel).  This Notre Dame team is sort of doing the same thing, only they're putting all the end-of-game pressure on their Heisman candidate quarterback, which isn't the worst strategy in the world.

Beyond the dozens of obvious reasons, the Southern Cal game is so important because it will be the light in which we look at these first five games.  Was this a bad Notre Dame team getting lucky, or a very good Notre Dame surviving some youthful mistakes and finding their way in the world?  Beat the Trojans and this whole season becomes a great story you tell your grandkids about that time Notre Dame and Jimmy Clausen stumbled their way to a great BCS bowl.   If they lose?  Then hold on, folks, because it's going to be a bumpy ride of calling for Weis' head and spilt tears and booze for the next month and a half.

This team has been both frustrating and a joy to watch, but not even the biggest Irish (or Weis) hater can say that they ever quit.  Not down eleven points in the fourth quarter on the road when every call and bounce had gone against them.  Not after their best player was lost with a snapped collarbone.  Not on fourth and goal with time dwindling in the lights of Ross-Ade.  Not on first and goal inside the one after you'd just stonewalled the man-beast of Jake Locker seven times already that game.  Maybe all of these efforts are just a comical warm-up to another skull-crushing by the Trojans, but maybe they're just a young defense learning how to complement a great offense in victory.  In eleven days, we'll find out.

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I'm sort of uncomfortable having a field goal kicker as consistent as Nick Tausch to rely on.  I love going for it on fourth down, and it was always easier to argue that position when I knew the Irish had a very slim chance of convert the three points.  Now?  Tausch has made the decision to line up and take the three points so much simpler, for which I both thank and condone him for.  The fact he's a freshman with his whole career ahead of him only makes his current success more enjoyable. 

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The ever-valuable Blue Gray Sky has put together a nice little chart of tackles per game by player and unit.  Some noticeable trends?  Manti notching ten tackles in the Washington game, almost double his season total up until that point (six).  KLM contributed to the goal line stands with seven against Washington, after having ten total tackles in the game leading up into that game.  Kerry Neal also blew up against the Huskies, getting seven tackles after only collecting two up until that point.

And Kyle McCarthy remains the man, setting a new season high total with twelve.  By the way, there seems to be this meme floating around the internet that McCarthy led with his helmet on the final play of overtime, which is just patently false.  You can even see him adjusting his helmet back to avoid any illegal contact.  It was a huge, devastating hit, but a clean one.  It's going to be a joy to see two of the best safeties in the game square off next Saturday when Taylor Mays comes into Mr. McCarthy's house.

(Not taunting you, Taylor!  Not at all!  Just saying it would be fun!  Please don't kill any of our receivers?  Okay, thanks.)

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Golden Tate had 275 yards of offense and a touchdown on ten touches and one complete flip.  Weis is doing a great job of moving Number 23 around like a shell game, leaving the defense to guess where he's going to end up every play.  This offense got absolutely waxed by the Trojans in Los Angeles last year, and if they want to improve upon that, Tate is going to have to turn in another fantastic game.

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Is there a reason Coach Sarkisian just didn't spread the Irish out at the goal line and have Locker pick his spot on a QB draw?  Maybe the Irish can blow that play up in the backfield - maybe - but I don't really see how anyone could stop that guy if he had a full head of steam.  Even if Locker comes back for his senior season, I'll be thanking the good Lord - and Kevin White - that the Irish don't have to face him in 2010.

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I think the Heisman trophy is just one of the many poorly run things in college football (Are you a clean-cut, white quarterback from a winning team and traditional power?  Come on down!*), but obviously if Jimmy Clausen stays in the mix as a contender, I'll completely abandon that position, support him in the race and follow the coverage here for your perusal.  Much like the entire framing of this season for the team relies on the game against the Trojans, Clausen cannot win the Heisman without a top-notch effort in a much-hyped game against the best team he'll see all year.

*A white quarterback has won seven of the last nine years, and it will take the miracle of Tebow or McCoy not winning it this year to not extend that's streak.

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Hey, don't look now, but Notre Dame's schedule - which was universally declared awful and a joke in the offseason by really smart people - isn't all that bad.  Her Loyal Sons  would like to remind you that it's the 36^th most difficult in the nation, a whole lot better than a lot of your top ten.  If Irish fans aren't aware now, they really should start preparing for two absolute wars at Pittsburgh and Stanford in November, and both Boston College and Connecticut have put together solid seasons so far.  Washington State is still horrible, but that might be the only opportunity for the Irish to really catch their breath after the bye week is over.

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My friend Alex tweeted this last night:

"I would ritualistically break my own collarbone if it meant getting Michael Floyd back for the USC game."

I don't really have anything to add except a nod of agreement.

(But seriously, we can put a man on the moon but we can't heal a broken collar bone in a month?  What about bacta tanks?  Something?!  Anything?  At least the networks need to promise not to show St. Michael on the sideline, because it is way too heart-breaking.)