BCS Rankings: Notre Dame and Teams That Proved Their Mettle with Big Wins
Do you believe in Notre Dame yet? I sure do.
No one can criticize or question the Irish's place in the top 5 of the BCS rankings. Notre Dame deserves to be ranked No. 3 in the nation.
The Irish not only defeated the Sooners in Norman, they scored the final 17 points to win handily. They are 7-0, and they now have the signature win that no one can discredit. The Sooners were ranked No. 8 when the game took place, and they were at home.
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Manti Te'o is the catalyst for what has to be considered one of the elite teams in the nation. Barring an upset, the Irish would be facing the USC Trojans in the season finale as an undefeated team.
That game could determine whether the Irish play for a national championship. There's no way I thought I'd be saying that back in August.
Here are a few other teams that got statement-making wins:
No. 4 Oregon Blasts Colorado 70-14
The Buffaloes are a horrible team at 1-7, so the Ducks' win was expected. As perhaps the most disrespected team in the nation, every win that inches them closer to the top two spots is a huge win.
The Ducks are the highest scoring team in the nation at 53.4 points per game. They've played two ranked teams this season, yet no opponent has come within 17 points of defeating them. The Ducks and their fans have a legitimate gripe with the BCS rankings.
They've seen Florida, Kansas State and Notre Dame leapfrog them in the rankings after big wins. Meanwhile, all the Ducks have done is win.
They face the recently upset USC Trojans on Saturday. If they win that game on the road, it'll be interesting to see if the rankings put them ahead of Kansas State or Notre Dame.
No. 1 Tide Tested, Tide Proven
The Mississippi State Bulldogs were supposed to offer the Alabama Crimson Tide more resistance than their previous seven opponents. They came into the game 7-0, just like Bama.
It didn't work out that way.
Bama blasted the Bulldogs 38-7. The score was 24-0 at the half, and the game was never in any doubt. Alabama's schedule could have been criticized, as they had only played one ranked team coming in.
So much for that theory. Bama passed this test with flying colors.
Still, this is just the beginning of a three-game stretch that will see the Tide take on three straight ranked SEC teams. LSU is next, and this one's on the road.
We'll see if Bama can continue to prove their supremacy. Here are the complete BCS standings for Week 10.
| 1. Alabama |
| 2. Kansas State |
| 3. Notre Dame |
| 4. Oregon |
| 5. LSU |
| 6. Georgia |
| 7. Florida |
| 8. South Carolina |
| 9. Florida State |
| 10. Louisville |
| 11. Oregon State |
| 12. Oklahoma |
| 13. Clemson |
| 14. Stanford |
| 15. Mississippi State |
| 16. Texas A&M |
| 17. USC |
| 18. Texas Tech |
| 19. Boise State |
| 20. Nebraska |
| 21. West Virginia |
| 22. Arizona |
| 23. Texas |
| 24. Oklahoma State |
25. Louisiana Tech |
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