October 17, 2009

Tom Dienhart
Rivals.com College Football Senior Writer

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Will Charlie Weis ever get Notre Dame over the hump?

It hasn't happened in four-plus seasons, and it likely never will. The Weis era has set school standards for one thing: unfulfilled expectations.

The Irish were throwing into the end zone in the waning seconds Saturday, trying to tie the score after rallying from a 20-point third-quarter deficit.

But Notre Dame fell short again, bowing to rival USC for the eighth consecutive season, 34-27. Hopes of a BCS berth disappeared as did Weis' quest for a "signature win."

Don't be fooled by the late charge. The Irish sputtered most of the day. ND had just seven points and 121 yards at halftime, and quarterback Jimmy Clausen completed just 7 of 14 passes for 47 yards at the break. Perhaps the most telling stat: USC averaged 8.1 yards per play, Notre Dame 4.9.

"Well, anyone who doesn't realize the fight that's in the Fighting Irish is missing the boat," Weis said. "If you haven't watched the last five games, I mean, it's every week the same thing."

Weis should be past having to pass out praise for effort at this stage of his tenure. Want-to, fight and hard work should be givens in Year Five.

It's time to start delivering big wins over big foes. Notre Dame isn't Michigan State, Purdue or Washington, teams the Irish have beaten this season. Notre Dame has far more built-in advantages than those schools. Still, Weis yammers on about "fight."

"Go all the way back to Michigan " Weis said. "Every week, this team is a bunch of fighters. I'm proud of the fight. I'm disappointed with the losses. It's never OK to lose."

But the losing continues.

Since the start of the 2007 season, Notre Dame is 14-17. Weis is 1-15 against teams that finished the season with a winning record. And he's 1-9 against teams that finished ranked. If Notre Dame were in the Big Ten, it would be ... Minnesota?

Weis was seven games (with a 5-2 record) into his first season when the ND brass ripped up his original six-year contract and gave him a 10-year deal worth a reported $40 million. The move will go down as a major blunder.

With a roster stocked with players from the previous regime, Weis went to BCS bowls in each of his first two seasons. With rosters filled with his players, the Irish have been an average team at best.

Most felt this was Notre Dame's best chance to topple USC since it last beat the Trojans in 2001. USC was playing a freshman quarterback (Matt Barkley) and an overhauled defense. But it appears as if it could be a while before the Irish beat the Trojans again.

Clausen's Heisman hopes remain a long shot. He was outplayed by Barkley (19 of 29 passing for 380 yards and two touchdowns). The 19-year-old guided a 501-yard onslaught against an Irish defense that is downright bad.

"He's just remarkable," USC coach Pete Carroll said of Barkley. "There's no way to describe it because there's nobody else to compare him to in our history. He's just so poised and so comfortable in the arena that it doesn't really matter where we're playing; it doesn't affect him."

How good would this USC team be if Mark Sanchez had opted to return for his senior season? The Trojans almost assuredly would be unbeaten and the No. 1 team in the nation.

As it is, the Trojans still could end up in the BCS title game. USC's next two games: at home against Oregon State next week and a trip to Oregon on Halloween. Win those, and the Trojans should cruise to an 11-1 finish.

As for ND and Weis? Well, they'll keep on fighting. They still can finish 10-2. The remaining opponents are Boston College, Washington State, Navy, Pitt, Connecticut and Stanford. None of those teams was ranked last week.

Don't be impressed if ND wins them all.

But these fighters appear headed for the Gator Bowl.

Tom Dienhart is the national senior writer for Rivals.com. He can be reached at dienhart@yahoo-inc.com.