The O’Heisman

Matt Leinart was watching from the sideline the night people say Carson Palmer wrapped up the Heisman Trophy.

“It was awesome -- Notre Dame playing at the Coliseum with Carson right in the thick of his Heisman campaign, and he has a great game,” Leinart said. “It just really kind of solidified his position to win that trophy.

“It’s cool that this year it’s kind of the same kind of situation -- national television, a big game.”

The game is the thing, Leinart and USC Coach Pete Carroll insist.

With a chance to play for the national championship still in the balance, No. 1 USC has a lot more on the line against Notre Dame on Saturday at the Coliseum than adding another stiff-arming bronze to its collection.

Still, people like to say that the Heisman goes through Notre Dame, and this will be as good a test as any of that theory.

The Irish have won seven Heismans themselves, more than any other school.

They probably have anointed more winners for other schools as well.

Think Palmer in 2002, when he passed for 425 yards -- most ever against Notre Dame -- against an Irish defense that ranked among the nation’s top five.

Think Desmond Howard in 1991, when Michigan went for the end zone on fourth and inches from the 25 and Howard stretched out to catch a ball hardly anyone thought he could reach.

Think USC’s Charles White in 1979, when he ran for 261 yards, or Pittsburgh’s Tony Dorsett in 1976.

A year after Dorsett had set a record that still stands by rushing for 303 yards against the Irish, he ran for 61 on the opening play against them and finished with 181.

There was Roger Staubach in 1963, when he led Navy to its last victory over Notre Dame. And in 1952, it was Oklahoma’s Billy Vessels, averaging more than 11 yards a carry in a 195-yard performance.

For years, Notre Dame has been the great barometer -- partly because the Irish were always good, and partly because they were always on TV.

Not that a spectacular performance against Notre Dame is a prerequisite for winning the Heisman.

If you’re looking for a Heisman winner who had a bad game against Notre Dame, look no farther than Heritage Hall.

“Keep it quiet,” said Athletic Director Mike Garrett, who was held to 43 yards, his lowest output of the year, at Notre Dame in 1965.

“It’s OK -- it wasn’t at the end. I was doing well the whole year,” Garrett said. “If the balloting was after that game, it might have had some impact, but I was rushing for 100-plus yards a game the whole season.”

The point is, for ages, Notre Dame has been the standard-setter in Heisman races.

But should the Irish still be?

Palmer riddled a defense that ranked second in the nation in pass-efficiency defense and was part of a 10-1 team that still had a chance to play in a bowl championship series game.

Leinart will face a 6-4 team that that ranks 72nd in pass-efficiency defense, dragged down by a weak secondary that has the Irish ranking 107th among 117 teams in pass yardage defense, giving up more than 261 a game.

People practically wanted to give Purdue’s Kyle Orton the Heisman after he’d passed for 385 yards and four touchdowns against Notre Dame in October, and he isn’t even a factor anymore.

Against the Irish, Boston College’s Paul Peterson passed for 383 yards, and Pittsburgh’s Tyler Palko threw for 334 yards and five touchdowns.

“Notre Dame seems to put the stamp of approval on everybody these days,” said Dick Weiss of the New York Daily News, one of 923 Heisman voters and president of the Football Writers Assn. of America. This isn’t the last game for Leinart. He’ll follow up his performance against Notre Dame with a game against UCLA -- 57th in pass defense.

The question is whether playing Notre Dame means as much to Heisman hopefuls as it used to.

“No,” said ESPN analyst Beano Cook, a longtime Heisman voter. “Now, everyone’s on TV. If it weren’t for cable, Barry Sanders doesn’t win for Oklahoma State, Andre Ware doesn’t win for Houston. Because of cable, you can show the highlights.”

But logical or not, when it comes to the Heisman race, Notre Dame still matters.

“It’s still a great stage,” said Malcolm Moran of USA Today, another voter.

“It’s not the same rivalry if they’re 6-4, but it’s still national TV ... and the voters will be watching, because at that point, there’s not that much on.”

In a murky year for the Heisman, that might matter, as voters ponder whether to give another trophy to Oklahoma’s Jason White, honor Leinart for his performance in leading the No. 1 team, pluck Utah’s Alex Smith from near-obscurity or give it to Oklahoma freshman Adrian Peterson or eye-catching USC sophomore Reggie Bush.

“A big night in that kind of spotlight, even though they’re a little down, in terms of perception, that moment could be the tiebreaker,” Moran said.

And it is about moments, as much as it’s about numbers.

Moments such as Howard’s catch against Notre Dame for Michigan, or Palmer’s reckless dash for the end zone against UCLA in 2002.

He didn’t score, but he probably picked up Heisman points.

“I thought when he made the play at the UCLA game where he did the cartwheel flip down by the goal line, that’s the kind of play that’s a memorable play, a statement play about how hard you play to win,” Carroll said.

The Heisman doesn’t have to go through the Irish -- 10 of the 16 winners since Notre Dame’s Tim Brown in 1987 didn’t even play them in the regular season -- but it helps.

“Carson had such a nice game against Notre Dame, it kind of perpetuated the idea, but I don’t think it’s necessarily true,” said USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow, who was coaching an outsider when Brigham Young’s Ty Detmer won in 1990.

Chow, Carroll and Leinart said USC wasn’t going to change its approach to the Notre Dame game, no matter the Heisman talk.

“I’m sure Carson was never thinking about it,” Leinart said. “He was just going out to play the game, and he played very well.

“We’re going to play the same way we always play -- throw the ball and run the ball. I’m just going to do whatever they tell me to do. I know they’re aware of it, so we’ll see what happens.”

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Irish Sweepstakes

A look at how USC’s five Heisman Trophy winners did against Notre Dame during their Heisman-winning season:

CARSON PALMER

* Heisman year: 2002.

* Score: USC 44,

Notre Dame 13.

* Comp./Att.: 32/46.

* Pass. yards: 425.

**

MARCUS ALLEN

* Heisman year: 1981.

* Score: USC 14,

Notre Dame 7.

* Rush. attempts: 33.

* Rush. yards: 147.

**

CHARLES WHITE

* Heisman year: 1979.

* Score: USC 42,

Notre Dame 23.

* Rush. attempts: 44.

* Rush. yards: 261.

**

O.J. SIMPSON

* Heisman year: 1968.

* Score: USC 21,

Notre Dame 21.

* Rush. attempts: 21.

* Rush. yards: 55.

**

MIKE GARRETT

* Heisman year: 1965.

* Score: Notre Dame 28, USC 7.

* Rush. attempts: 16.

* Rush. yards: 43.