On defense, ND has a burgeoning star in defensive coordinator Corwin Brown. Period. End of sentence. Tenuta was a tremendous addition, but chances are he will want to become a coordinator again sooner than later. If he does leave, Weis will have to replace him with someone similar, a veteran coach and one of the top defensive minds in the game with a small enough ego he doesn’t mind being assistant head coach -- like North Carolina’s John Blake, for example.

The defensive line is at such a critical juncture. Jappy Oliver is a veteran guy, but is he the right veteran guy? Five of the seven most talented returning defensive linemen on the roster are freshmen. The other two are sophomores. Is Oliver a guy elite recruits want to play for?

On special teams, the Irish have clinched their first statistical national title (kickoff return defense) in a special teams category since the 1988 national title run. But the chronic lack of production in the return game is disturbing, and kicking field goals had been a four-year misadventure.

Weis has tried an alignment of two special teams coaches, then one of nine special teams coaches, and this year put himself and Brian Polian in charge. The only real stroke of genius has come from the decision to utilize walk-on Mike Anello to the hilt, award him a scholarship and invite him back for a fifth year.

The dilemma here is that Polian has been a dynamic recruiter and continues to ascend there. So perhaps ND’s tight ends coach hire can have special teams expertise as well.

The strength and conditioning program may not need an overhaul, but it does warrant some diagnostics. There’s no arguing skill position players tend to come back each fall with amazing bumps in speed and strength. But linemen on both sides of the ball -- save junior Sam Young -- don’t seem to parallel anything like that.

The biggest puzzle, though, is Clausen. Heading into Saturday’s final handful of regular-season games, the sophomore ranked 64th in the nation in passing efficiency -- 28 spots lower than where he was at midseason.

More tutoring from Weis could help change the momentum. So could a new quarterback coach. But what seems to be lacking above all that is competition.

Freshman cornerback Robert Blanton made Terrail Lambert, Raeshon McNeil and Gary Gray better. Freshman Michael Floyd did the same at wide receiver. Ditto Kyle Rudolph at tight end before his competition eventually disappeared.

But Weis set the gap so wide between Clausen and Plans B and C, it almost appeared there was one set of rules for him and one set for everyone else on the team.

Furthermore, you don’t hear the stories yet about legendarily long sessions of film study, about anal-retentive eating habits, about those watershed moments when Clausen put his leadership stamp on this team -- not from teammates and former players, you don’t. And perhaps it’s because Clausen doesn’t hear footsteps, at least not any from his own team.

Maybe a dip in the waters where Weis now resides would be the best thing for Clausen, to push him from prodigy to proficient, to put up Big 12 QB numbers, to put his name and the H-word in the same paragraph.

Clausen is only a sophomore, but a 21-year-old sophomore -- one month younger than reigning Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow of Florida.

He needs to be challenged, to be humbled, to be less programmed and more instinctual. He certainly isn’t lacking in ability or mettle. Come the spring, freshman Dayne Crist needs to be anointed quarterback IA.

And Clausen becomes the guy with something to prove.

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