Clausen-Jones battle should provide Dame good drama

Dodd: Irish preview

As momentous occasions go, it's not exactly the season finale of 24. In fact, you might just want to go ahead and TiVo it.

The significance of Wednesday's announcement at Notre Dame won't be felt until the fall at the earliest, and maybe not even then. But this being ND, half the world will be salivating while the other half will be hating. So Charlie Weis might as well make an event out of it.

Jimmy Clausen's shot at starting grew less likely after a shaky spring game. (US Presswire)

The Irish coach is not naming his starting quarterback in May. Nothing like that. Having taken a reasonable time to analyze the situation (39 days since the end of spring practice), he will merely cut the list of candidates from four to two.

We're here to spare you the suspense.

Freshman Jimmy Clausen and sophomore Demetrius Jones will compete for the job come August. You may now go back to your iPods and barbecue pits.

Now onward with the juicy particulars.

Clausen didn't grace Notre Dame with his prep All-America talent and enroll a semester early just to be a backup. But Jones didn't sit around for a year -- he didn't see the field as a freshman -- just to back up a prep All-American.

Let the hostilities begin. Sorry, junior Evan Sharpley and sophomore Zach Frazer. Here's some lovely parting gifts. No, really. A transfer might be in order for one of you. You might want to stick around for a while, though, if only to have club seats to the drama. This Clausen-Jones thing could get good.

Good, as in cat fight good.

Good, as in a full-blown quarterback controversy.

Clausen has a stage-father dad who proclaimed in March that his son had been throwing with a sore arm since his senior year in high school. That might put Clausen behind Jones, a Chicago kid, who at least has the feet to help Notre Dame survive a brutal early schedule.

Or does it matter, because at the bottom of this boiling pot of Irish stew is mediocrity. Start with the premise, Domers, that your team will not compete for the national championship. Double-digit wins would be a slightly smaller upset.