updated 2:45 p.m. ET Aug. 12, 2009

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Jimmy Clausen was flat on his back doing a hamstring stretch with his backup, Dayne Crist, pushing on Clausen’s leg when coach Charlie Weis walked up.

“I want a quick answer. Which way is the wind blowing?” Weis said.

They glanced quickly at each other and pointed north. Weis, who had talked to the two about the crosswind a day earlier, pointed to the streamers atop the goal post blowing east.

“Wrong! Look at that. That’s the first thing you should look at when you come out to practice is which way is the wind blowing,” Weis said.

Fickle winds are swirling around South Bend these days after back-to-back seasons of 3-9 and 7-6. The Fighting Irish are 21 years removed from their last national championship, the longest stretch in school history, and have not been ranked for two full seasons, the longest stretch since the 1962-63 seasons, just before Ara Parseghian arrived. Fans are beyond impatient.

Some see reason for hope this season, though. The Irish have a veteran team, including nine starters on offense, and a schedule that does seem manageable.

To take a big step forward, Notre Dame needs Clausen to make the kind of improvement his junior year that Brady Quinn did four years ago. As a junior and in his first season playing for Weis, Quinn went from a middle-of-the-pack passer with a 125.9 pass-efficiency rating to the leader of a team that went to consecutive Bowl Championship Series games.

Clausen had a 132.49 rating for a 7-6 team last season.

To help Clausen get there, Weis has him focusing on details like the wind. Clausen has been watching film of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Joe Montana and Joe Theismann.

“Just to try to get little things that will help me with my game,” Clausen said.

Clausen is hoping to eliminate the inconsistency problems that plagued him last season. In the seven games Notre Dame won last year, Clausen completed 65.5 percent of his passes and threw 17 touchdowns with seven interceptions. In the six losses, he completed 55.7 percent of his passes and threw eight touchdown passes with 10 interceptions.

The touchdown-to-interception ratio is of particular concern to Weis.

“I tried to take some chances last year when the running game wasn’t going well,” Clausen said.

The running game is still in question, but Clausen has the receivers to succeed. Speedy Golden Tate averaged 83 yards a game receiving last season as a sophomore, Michael Floyd averaged 65 as a freshman and tight end Kyle Rudolph averaged 26 yards a game as a freshman.

Clausen has been focusing on being more of a leader. He started by inviting Tate, Floyd and Rudolph to his California home for a week in late spring so they could work together, including working out with Clausen’s personal trainer.

They worked out about eight hours a day, then spent time at the pool and beach. The trip was more than just buddying around. They were able to talk football.

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“They know what I’m thinking during certain plays and different routes, and I know what they’re thinking as well. We watched a lot of tape together and I think it was really good for us,” he said.

Clausen also is working on keeping his composure.

“When things were going bad the past few years I got a little down. But coach Weis says it best, ’When things are good you need to stay levelheaded, when things are bad you have to stay levelheaded,”’ he said.

Clausen, usually guarded with the media, seemed more at ease sitting up front at a table answering questions from reporters on media day while his teammates sat scattered around the room. He conceded he was surprised by how much the life of the starting quarterback is under the microscope.

Quarterbacks coach Ron Powlus, who lived under that microscope at Notre Dame, has helped Clausen adjust to the scrutiny.

“It’s not easy,” Powlus said. “It is a matter of changing the word pressure into attention and living your life as the QB of ND and always being on and understanding that the decisions you make on and off the field are almost as important as each other.”

Clausen said he’s cherishing that attention now. He’s also cherishing the idea of trying to lead the Irish back to a BCS bowl.

“I don’t want to be good at anything; I want to be great at everything,” Clausen said. “That’s not only for me, but the entire team. We’re not trying to be good this year. We’re trying to be great.”

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