Daily Domer: Crist Alrighty?

The first words out of the mouth of Charlie Weis at his Sunday evening presser concerned the injury status of sophomore quarterback Dayne Crist. "Well, Dayne is going to get an MRI tomorrow," Weis said of the second-string QB who was 2-of-6 versus Washington State, but who did toss a 64-yard TD pass, his first, to classmate John Goodman. "We're cautiously optimistic that it's not as bad as we originally thought it was. But, you know, we're keeping our fingers crossed on that one."

Although his surname is pronounced with a short "i" (as in Ruth's Chris Steakhouse ... because that was the simplest example, right), the combination of that spelling and the Catholic identity of the school that he attends has scribes and editors alike anxiously awaiting Crist's return. So to speak. One witty wag on the beat texted me Sunday as to whether the presser should begin with the query, "Body of Crist?"

It's a big day for MRIs at Notre Damey. It's not just Crist. Michael Floyd is also disappearing into the machine some time today. No doubt the results of their tests will be the opening question in tomorrow's presser.

Will Crist's results be "gospel" (literally, "good news") or not?

Meanwhile, Crist-ians take note that Saturday evening was a second coming of sorts for the California native, as well as for the apostolically named wideout Goodman. The last time each played in the Alamodome, nearly 22 months ago in the 2008 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, was the last time Crist threw a touchdown pass and the last time Goodman caught one in a game. And both feats aired nationally on NBC.

Crist, by the way, hooked up with future Irish teammate Floyd that day. Goodman's TD pass was tossed by future Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor.
Irish In Lane One

The college football season may be a marathon, but the best way to compare the schedule of the Irish to most ranked teams is to think of a 400-meter sprint. Just as that race has staggered starts, so too do the schedule strengths of teams vying for a BCS bowl.

Most national contenders play their weakest competition in September, before their conference schedule begins.

No. 1 Florida hosted FCS school Charleston Southern on Sept. 5 and No. 2 Texas host Louisiana-Monroe that same day, for example. The Gators and Longhorns are lining up in Lanes 7 and 8. They appear to be far ahead of Notre Dame coming out of the first turn.

Then you hit the backstretch: October. This time of year, the final turn, the Irish are heading in the midst of the softest part of their schedule while schools such as USC and Oklahoma State are in the midst of their toughest run. So as we come into the final straightaway, the Irish, Trojans and Cowboys are all 6-2. Which is not to say that the Irish deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as anyone in the Top 10. They do belong in that second 10, though, or will if they keep on winning.

Last week they were No. 23 in the BCS rankings and this week are 22nd. They need to be among the top 14 schools to be selected to a BCS bowl game and whether we believe they deserve it (cough, cough, 2007 Sugar Bowl), they will be chosen because no school is a better television draw.

"If you keep on winning and teams ahead of you keep on losing, you're going to keep on moving up," Weis said Sunday. "That's just a fact. I guess we probably moved up four spots in one [poll], and six in another, and all we did was play one game. So I think every week it's going to be like that because you get down to the crunch time and there's always going to be teams ahead of you that play other teams that they're going to end up losing to."

It doesn't matter in which lane you start in the 400, after all. It's where you happen to be when the winner breaks the tape.

The Freshman 14

Someone needs to tell Irish kicker Nick Tausch that the adjustment to college life is difficult. Returning home to his native Texas on Saturday, the true freshman booted his 13th and 14th field goals of the season. That makes 14 in a row (following a miss in his first collegiate attempt at Michigan), which broke the school record for consecutive field goals converted.

Tausch is on pace to tie the school record for most field goals in a season, in fact. In 1986, John Carney, who amazingly enough is still employed in the NFL, made 21 field goals (albeit in 11 games). With two-thirds of the Irish schedule complete, Tausch is two-thirds of the way to 21 with his 14, although he now heads into the most difficult weather conditions of the season for three of Notre Dame's final four games.

Also, Tausch, who is 14-of-15 (93.3 percent) is on pace to break Carney's season accuracy record of 89.5 percent, set in 1984 when he converted 17-of-19. Worth noting: Carney, who lived across the hall from the Daily Domer, was not offered a scholarship until after that record-setting '84 season.

Hail Mary, Full of Tate

Domers of a certain age no doubt noticed that the two most miraculous touchdown grabs of the weekend (with apologies to Florida's Riley Cooper) were caught by Golden Tate and Tim Brown (the latter of Rutgers). Tate's 50-yarder was as unique and ridiculous as you'll ever see, as he out-leaped and out-muscled three different Wazzu DBs for the ball. My favorite part of the footage, besides the catch itself, comes at the 1:09 mark. Leprechaun Dan Collins signals touchdown long before the referee does.

Movin' On Up... In Pass Defense

The Irish were admittedly putrid in pass defense after seven games, ranking 117th in the nation and allowing true frosh Matt Barkley (USC) and Dave Shinskie (BC; yes, I know he's 25) to put up 380- and 279-yard games on them, respectively.

The Irish should crack the top 100 (hold your applause, please) by the time they arrive in Pittsburgh November 14. Washington State's Jeff Tuel, also a freshman, completed just 12-of-23 for 104 yards on Saturday. And this week the Irish take on Navy. In their last two games, The Middies have averaged one completion.

Clarifying

Last week, I wrote a pair of twin columns as to why, if I had to hazard a guess, I believed that Jimmy Clausen would leave school after his junior season and Golden Tate would remain. Let me be perfectly Obama, I am not at all endorsing the idea of Clausen going. Or the idea of him staying, for that matter (See, I'm overly diplomatic as well as clear).

That's his choice, and it all depends on what his values are. Which is not to say that his values are flawed if he chooses the NFL ... or to remain in school. To some of us there's a certain priceless aspect to being a senior quarterback at a school that, if you remain, will be ranked No. 5 or better in the preseason (and where you can attend mass without even leaving your dorm!).
"My plan is for [Clausen] to graduate next year after another heck of a season for us. But we'll see how that goes."
-- Charlie Weis
To others there's a priceless aspect about owning a Mercedes 350 convertible (GPS included) before your 24th birthday and having Merrill Hoge discuss your upside.

The point is, it's up to you. It's not up to some middle-aged sportswriter. Few things irritate me more than when a sports radio jock whose most compelling choice is sausage links or bacon proclaims, "He has to go (pro)."
No, he doesn't.

Sam Bradford did not make a mistake by returning to Norman. He may have cost himself money, but he didn't make a mistake. The mistake would have been doing the opposite of what he felt that he should do.

As for Captain Comeback, on Sunday Weis gently launched his "One more year!" campaign when asked if Clausen would be academically able to graduate by the end of his junior season (Clausen, you recall, began school in spring semester of 2007). "My plan is for him to graduate next year after another heck of a season for us," Weis said. "But we'll see how that goes."

The Lost Symbol?

If you find yourself ensconced in Dan Brown's latest thriller, "The Lost Symbol", and if you've ever made a visit (or a couple hundred) to the Hesburgh Memorial Library, then you may want to take another look at First Down Moses. The manner in which the patriarchal Old Testament's right hand is pointing skyward is a key plot component of the novel. Then again, Moses may just be declaring where Brown's work currently rates on the New York Times best-seller list.