Notre Dame Football: 5 Teams Rooting For the Irish the Rest Of 2010

Notre Dame has been a very interesting squad this season, with three of their six contests this season being decided by six points or less.

But the Irish do have a favorable schedule to get back to the BCS, as there is only one tough game on their schedule left against Utah.

The concern though for some teams is that in early BCS projections, teams' positions are very skewed based on the records of their opponents, especially Ohio State.

That's why most of these big teams need some help from teams they have beaten to start winning some games.

With that said, and since we are halfway through the season, here are five teams that will be pulling for the Irish the rest of the way.

Michigan State

Michigan State's fake FG in OT finished off a stunning win against Notre Dame in Week 3.

At the start of the season, no one might have guessed that the only other team in the Big Ten that is undefeated heading into Week 7 besides Ohio State is Sparty.

Even with Mark Dantonio's health concerns, the Spartans have been a major surprise all season long, headlined by a gutsy fake field goal call to beat Notre Dame in East Lansing 34-31.

Ranked 11th in the Coaches' Poll, Michigan State will need strong computer points to go along with some divine intervention to keep their special season going. And going through the Big Ten undefeated is never easy.

But if the Irish keep winning, even if MSU doesn't go undefeated, they will still have an outside shot at an at-large bid.

Michigan

Leon Halip/Getty Images

ANN ARBOR, MI - OCTOBER 09: Denard Robinson #16 of the Michigan Wolverines warms up prior to the start of the game against the Michigan State Spartans on October 9, 2010 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Michigan State Spartans defeated the

After being crushed by the aforementioned Spartans a week ago at home, Michigan and Heisman hopeful Denard Robinson welcome the fearsome Iowa Hawkeyes to the Big House.

The catalyst for a 5-0 start began when Robinson led a big game-winning drive at Notre Dame to defeat the Irish 28-24 in Week 2 of the season.

Rich Rodriguez needs one more win to get the Wolverines to a bowl game, and they could also use style points just in case they reel off a surprising run in the Big Ten.

But they certainly have the offense capable of doing so, and they might need Notre Dame to keep looking strong to enhance their image going into November.

Stanford

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

PALO ALTO, CA - OCTOBER 09: Stepfan Taylor #33 of the Stanford Cardinal runs with the ball against the USC Trojans at Stanford Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Although Stanford does need help to get back to the top of the Pac-10 after falling in Eugene to the Oregon Ducks, the Cardinal still have a solid opportunity to play in the BCS for the first time in school history.

Like with Michigan State and Michigan, if they want an at-large opportunity, they need all the computer points they can to get to the big bowls in January.

Enter Notre Dame, the team that the Cardinal blew out in South Bend 37-14 in shocking fashion.

Hopefully for Jim Harbaugh's team the Irish can muster a season-ending stretch that makes the blowout win look much more impressive.

And a softer second-half schedule means that a Cardinal bid at the BCS may come down to how well the teams they beat played.

Boise State

Otto Kitsinger III/Getty Images

BOISE, ID - SEPTEMBER 25: Quarterback Kellen Moore #11 and the Boise State Broncos celebrates a touchdown against the Oregon Stage Beavers at Bronco Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Otto Kitsinger III/Getty Images)

Unlike the prior teams on this list, the Broncos did not and will not play Notre Dame this season, but they may need the Irish to gain the upper hand on fellow BCS party-crasher TCU.

The Horned Frogs will have played Utah before the Utes travel to South Bend, and two losses by Utah would help Boise State by diluting the quality of a potential TCU win over Utah.

For a team like Boise State that can do little to improve its BCS stock more than it has, they need help any way they can get it.

So the Irish being able to take computer points away from TCU should both teams beat Utah can help the Broncos, especially if the Horned Frogs run the table.

Utah

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

FORT WORTH, TX - NOVEMBER 14: Quarterback Jordan Wynn #3 of the Utah Utes looks to pass the ball in the second quarter of the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium on November 14, 2009 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martine

If history has taught us anything, it's that we can't overlook the original BCS buster: Utah.

The Utes were not only the first mid-major to play in and win a BCS bowl game, they won a second against SEC power Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl.

And Kyle Whittingham's club would like nothing more than to play in the BCS a third time, but they may need help from the Irish.

First and foremost, they must defeat TCU on the road, and then they have to go to South Bend to face an Irish team coming off a bye week.

A two-win stretch for the Utes would be spectacular, and would put them on the fast track back to the BCS party.

But if Notre Dame doesn't have an imposing record heading into the matchup, it might not mean much even if the Utes defeat TCU, which isn't likely in itself. Stranger things have happened though.

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