SOUTH BEND - Notre Dame may be closer to college football's elite than most people thought..
The gap has closed significantly in a year.

Sixth-ranked Southern Cal's 34-27 win over the Irish wasn't the thorough beating Notre Dame took from the Trojans late last season. It was more of a methodical expose of the defensive weaknesses the Irish already knew existed.

And an offensive effort that just ran out of time. It came down to the last second.

Jimmy Clausen's pass from the 4-yard line with one second to play sailed through the end zone and with it went the 4-2 Irish hopes for a significant upset.

Clausen engineered an amazing comeback in which the Irish rallied from a 34-14 deficit and went down to the last-second incomplete pass.

Southern Cal freshman quarterback Matt Barkley played like a freshman. He made mistakes. He threw ill-advised passes. He threw behind receivers. But the problems Notre Dame had in the secondary still allowed him to complete key passes.

Speedy receiver Damian Williams and bruising tight end Anthony McCoy both had more than 100 receiving yards while causing significant damage to the Irish. Williams had touchdown passes of 20 and 41 yards.

The difference this year, though, was that Notre Dame refused to back down.

The Irish, stung 38-0 and 38-3 the last two years, went toe-to-toe with the Trojans in the first half, trailing 13-7 at intermission.