Sports

USC’s Lee could be the one player who can keep ND out of title game

Scott Altenberg could be a rich man. If he had sold tickets to the Marqise Lee Circus Show — say $10 a pop — he could be kicking back today in one of the gorgeous homes in Dana Point, enjoying that delicious sight of the sun sliding into the Pacific.

But Altenberg knows he’s a man twice-blessed.

At Junipero Serra High School, Altenberg coached Robert Woods, who many thought was as good a wide receiver as any to ever come out of Southern California before he became a standout at USC. Then along came Lee and his practices became a side show. Fans, scouts — maybe even a ringmaster or two — would flock to Serra just to watch Lee practice.

“We would have our quarterback throw balls as far out of the back of the end zone as possible and watch Marqise go up and get it,’’ Altenberg told The Post. “He would go up, grab passes with one hand, come down in bounds. Back of the end zone, corner of the end zone, fades, back shoulder — he did things I’ve never seen anyone else do on a football field.’’

About a month ago, the Marqise of USC moved into the top spot on our Heisman Trophy ballot. And that was before the sophomore averaged — averaged! — 205.25 yards on 11.75 catches over the last four games.

We saw what Altenberg saw — he does things on a football field we’ve haven’t seen a player do since former Nebraska great Johnny Rodgers did. He is a man — an NFL man — among boys.

And he is the one player who could bring down the skyrocketing price of BCS National Championship tickets. He can prevent Notre Dame, which claims 13 national titles, and Alabama, which claims 13 championships, from a showdown for the ages.

Those who have seen Lee agree — Lee can come up with another unforgettable performance and upset undefeated Notre Dame tomorrow in the Coliseum.

“Do you remember that kid at Boston College a few years,’’ said Altenberg.

You mean Doug Flutie?

“He made plays and people kept asking, ‘How did he do that?’ ” Altenberg said. “That’s Marqise. He doesn’t change a game; he decides a game.’’

That’s where the similarities between Flutie and Lee end. Flutie was a 5-foot-9 fighter who believed in himself more than any other player or coach on a field. He used every inch of talent the Lord gave him.

Lee was first on line when God said, “This line for prototype NFL wide receiver body and skill set.”

Lee is a 6-1, 195-pound coil of fast-twitch muscle. He’s long jumped 25 feet, 51⁄2 inches. He’s a high jumper, a sprinter and a former prep basketball star.

He began his career at Serra as a wide receiver/free safety. In his first game, the Marqise Lee SuperFreak SideShow made it’s debut.

“The team we’re playing runs a toss sweep,’’ said Altenberg. “Marqise comes up but he doesn’t come up the way we coach. He’s upright. I’m thinking, ‘What is he doing?’ And he just took the ball out of the kid’s hands and ran it 80 yards for a touchdown. I looked at one of my assistants and shrugged.’’

When USC starting QB Matt Barkley was knocked out of last week’s game against UCLA and then ruled out for the Notre Dame showdown, Vegas shrugged and made the Irish a 51⁄2 -point road favorite.

Lee, and redshirt freshman quarterback Matt Wittek, who will make his first start, didn’t get that memo. In a radio interview this week, Wittek went deep.

“I’m going to play within myself, within the system, and we’re going to win this ballgame,’’ he said.

Lee is on board.

“We just want to make it easy on him,” Lee told the Chicago Tribune. “Any opportunity we have to make that one move and go, that’s what we’re going to do.”

That’s what Lee has always done. He turns more hitches and quick slants into big gains than any player in college football. He leads the nation in catches (107), receiving yards (1,605) and is 10th in kickoff returns. He’s also playing some defense.

On Wednesday he joined his teammates in serving meals at a homeless shelter in Los Angeles He may not walk on water, but tomorrow he could walk on the Irish.

“As a USC fan, I wouldn’t be real excited if the ball wasn’t going to Marqise Lee very much,” USC coach Lane Kiffin told reporters in L.A. “It wouldn’t say much for our staff. Obviously, we do force a lot of balls to him for a reason — because of what he’s done.”

It’s what he can do against Notre Dame on any given play that should have Irish fans lighting candles.

During the Pac 12 coaches teleconference on Tuesday, the rave reviews kept coming.

Stanford coach David Shaw ordained Lee the best receiver he’s scouted since Randy Moss.

Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez said you hold your breath every time he catches the ball.

“You could easily argue he’s the most dynamic player in college football right now,” said USC coach Lane Kiffin.

We are. One of the beauties — and frustrations — about the balloting for the Heisman Trophy is that it is open to interpretation. Some voters want pure stats. Some want a team MVP. Some want a player whose team is undefeated and/or highly ranked. USC is 7-4.

Our criteria is simple: Who is the best skill player in college football? The answer is similar to the one provided by Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart when asked to define pornography.

“I know it when I see it,’’ he said.

So do I. Lee is the best player in college football. And Irish fans might get more than they can bare to watch tomorrow if the Marqise gets loose.

lenn.robbins@nypost.com