What Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen Should Learn From Sam Bradford

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

He had delayed NFL millions—made the most improbable decision in college football history—and this was Sam Bradford's reward.

Before the writhing Heisman-winner could even pull himself off the turf at the new Cowboys Stadium, college football's collective conscience had already been hit with the realization.

"It will never happen again."

Yet, here we are, half-a-season later, and a significant contingent of Irish faithful believe that Jimmy Clausen has half-a-mind to make the same call.

Regardless of whether or not you think Notre Dame's Heisman candidate will or should return for his senior season, it's worth reviewing what he can glean from Bradford's decision.

Because there are both clear parallels and situational differences, the lessons learned may not be as one-directional as you might expect.

Career Accomplishments

Heisman Trophy, Davey O'Brien Award, Big 12 Player of the Year, All-American honors...there was only room for one more bullet point on Bradford's resume: national champion.

And when he announced intentions to return to Norman, he had just led the Sooners on a second straight BCS journey, only to fall one win short of that capstone.

By comparison, Clausen's accolades are sparse. Just this season, he's come into his own, although he appears destined for many of the same national honors typically bestowed on college football's best quarterback. Clausen may even walk away with the stiff-armed trophy.

The Sooner legend holds 15 school records and has already been dubbed Oklahoma's best ever, despite never winning the ultimate prize. Statistically, Clausen would easily eclipse every Notre Dame predecessor if he plays out his eligibility, but he's not there yet. He also still lacks a signature win, much less a title.

Conclusion: Clausen still has far more to prove at the college level than Bradford did when he chose to come back, and therefore is more inclined to play another season at Notre Dame.

Impact: Little-to-none.

Championship Potential

Ultimately, none of those accolades mattered to Bradford, and it's naive to think any of them matter to Clausen, either.

No one returns to school to glut themselves on college honors—currency is far more fun to accumulate.

However, the lure of a national championship tugged on Bradford's crimson No. 14 jersey, and very well may have the same effect on Clausen.

As the defending runner-up, Bradford surveyed his surrounding talent and competition and liked his chances. We'll soon discuss a couple costly oversights, but it was hardly unreasonable for Bradford to expect a return trip to the BCS Championship from his Sooners.

For Notre Dame, championship prospects are much less likely, but not unrealistic.

Through two seasons, Clausen has been unable to lead the Irish to more than a Hawaii Bowl victory. However, a convincing BCS appearance in 2009 and a compliant schedule in 2010 would set the stage for a national championship run, especially when considering the pieces around Clausen.

In fact, the question marks fall mostly on the defensive side of the football, a factor he cannot control.

Conclusion: Clausen and the Irish have much longer national championship odds than Bradford and the Sooners did, and therefore Clausen's more likely to go pro.

Impact: Crucial

Offensive Line

OU fans feared their offensive line wouldn't be able to live up to Bradford's expectations in 2009, but that unit's shortcomings didn't hit home until Coleby Clawson's hit landed Sam in a sling.

The Sooners sent four starting offensive lineman to the last NFL Combine, and three have found homes in professional football.

In hindsight, perhaps that was a factor the Bradford camp undervalued.

So what will the Notre Dame offensive line look like in 2010, should Clausen return?

Depending who you ask, the Irish will either be returning two or three starting pieces.

Senior left guard Chris Stewart has eligibility remaining, as does right guard Trevor Robinson. Irish center Dan Wenger, who is not in the starting lineup this season despite 18 career starts, could also return for a fifth season.

For the purposes of this discussion, we'll not look any further down the depth chart, because the only sure predictor of quality offensive line play is experience.

Conclusion : In both quantity and quality, Clausen won't lose as much up front as Bradford did. Yet, he stands to lose just as much financially should an injury occur. Therefore, this category is a wash despite it's importance in the decision-making process.

Impact : Mitigated

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