(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Leading his team to a defining victory on one foot and four straight games of over 300 yards passing, Jimmy Clausen even received a helmet sticker from Mark May on Saturday.
When opposing fans hear his name, they think of his inconsistency, his mediocrity, and his famous commitment ceremony at the College Football Hall of Fame.
His leadership and stats are lost-in-translation when the average brain processes the name Jimmy Clausen.
Rewind the clock to 2007 when a young Jimmy stood behind a group of five men who enjoyed cheeseburgers and wing night more than blocking for their freshman QB.
That year, Clausen was sacked a team-record 34 times in only nine starts. He played his entire freshman year dealing with elbow issues and "undisclosed" injuries.
In college football, those circumstances barely allowed Clausen a life, let alone success.
Fast forward to a more recent circumstance—the third week of the 2009 season.
The progress of Clausen over the past three years should be given particular attention. The accuracy and arm have always been there.
Now the mind has clicked with the arm.
Clausen has put together the most impressive stats from a signal-caller so far this year. Throwing for 951 yards and nine touchdowns (zero interceptions, by the way) for a completion percentage of 68.1 percent.
He also has a passing efficiency rate of 188.3, good for second in the nation.
Impressed yet?
This is the same Irish QB that threw for a whopping 41 yards and two interceptions last year at the Coliseum.
How quickly the tide has turned as USC would clean their "personal" recruiting bank in order to have had Clausen sign an L.O.I. for them back in February of 2007. That year, Clausen was their main target at QB.
Instead, Pete Carroll signed his third target—Aaron Corp.
Unfortunately for Clausen and the other deserving Heisman candidates (Jahvid Best, anyone?), the Heisman trophy has become an award given to the best player on the best team.
The Tebows and McCoys of the college football world will always have the upper-hand when it's time to travel to the Big Apple.
Will he find himself sitting in New York on a cold night in mid-December? Most likely not.
Let's be real. He will need to throw for seven touchdowns and 500-plus yards on the night of Oct. 17 to get a seat.
However, Clausen is no longer that scrawny, spiked-hair teenager from California that led his team to a 3-9 season two years ago.
On the other hand, he is not the QB of a national championship contender team either.
The "Clausen for Heisman" campaign may be a bit much this early into the season. But it isn't too early for the "Respect for Clausen" campaign to begin.
The Golden Boy has been the best QB in the nation in the past 240 minutes of college football, and it is time for the nation to take notice.
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