Brady Quinn and Jimmy Clausen Could Make 2009 a Special Year For Irish

(Photo by: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

For Irish fans, the last two years have been hard to stomach. It has been well below Notre Dame standards by far. Not only has it been tough in South Bend, but it has in Cleveland too. Most Irish fans became instantly interested in the Cleveland Browns the day they drafted Brady Quinn.

Brady Quinn left quite a mark at Notre Dame. He broke practically all passing records in school history. That is quite an accomplishment considering all the great QBs Notre Dame has had. Irish fans will never forget the back to back BCS Bowls he took them to.

When Quinn left for the Cleveland Browns, his replacement was Jimmy Clausen. Two years later both of these guys are at a crossroads with their future in football.

Clausen's first two years have been a bit of a struggle. He has had ups and downs. To be fair, so did Quinn his first two years at Notre Dame. Clausen needs to cut back on interceptions and learn to manage the game better. He needs to be the leader Quinn was. If he can, he'll be the kid we recruited two years ago.

As for Brady Quinn, he really hasn't had much of a chance to play in Cleveland. He sat out his rookie year and half of his second year. That could be a good thing though. Many QBs have have better success after they sit awhile than they do if  they play right away.

He started three games before breaking his finger. He had some success in his first two games but was too injured to be effective in his third. Now with a new coach he has to prove himself all over again. Does this sound familiar for him? It will be an open competition with he and Derek Anderson, but Quinn does appear to be the early favorite.

With the season still a few months away, Irish fans are expecting big things from both their current and their former QB. Most expect Clausen to step up and be the guy this year. With an improved Offensive Line and loads of artillery (Golden Tate, Michael Floyd, Armando Allen, Robert Hughes, Kyle Rudolph, etc.) on offense, there is no reason why he can't. Also the defense is much better.  

In Cleveland, Charlie Weis's old freind Brian Daboll will be running the same offense Notre Dame runs. That should help Quinn. Head Coach Eric Mangini has really made an effort to improve the line and that culminated when he drafted a new center (Alex Mack) with the first pick. Two second round receivers could compliment Braylon Edwards. That will also be beneficial to Quinn. 

The bottom line is that for Quinn and Clausen the learning curve is done. It is time for both of them to go out and produce. Can you imagine if Notre Dame goes to a BCS bowl and Brady Quinn leads the Browns to the playoffs? What if he makes the Pro Bowl?

This could seriously happen. Both teams don't have very tough schedules. One thing is for sure. Whether or not 2009 is a special year for Notre Dame will totally depend on the play of Quinn and Clausen.

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