BCS Rankings 2010: 11 Teams Rooting Against Notre Dame the Rest of the Way
We've all heard how a good Notre Dame team is good for college football. Actually, the Irish have been pretty average since about 1994, and college football is as strong as ever.
However, any knowledgeable college fan understands the Notre Dame brand and how it adds quality to the overall product.
If you are anti-Notre Dame, the last thing you want to see is the Irish win out and creep into the BCS rankings and potentially take a spot in a BCS bowl from another program.
Notre Dame will have an automatic berth if it is in the top eight of the final BCS standings. But the Irish would have to win out and finish 9-3 to even have a slim shot at qualifying. To date, Notre Dame has never been selected for any BCS games when they have lost more than two games in a season.
But it's been a weird season so far and it could just happen. So which fanbases are rooting the hardest against the Fighting Irish finishing with nine victories?
11. Ohio State
1 of 11
The Buckeyes control their fate. There's nothing Notre Dame can do right now that would keep the Buckeyes from a BCS bowl game.
But if Jim Tressel's team slips up—say this weekend at Wisconsin—it gets a little more interesting. OSU is a BCS staple.
Ohio State has played in five consecutive BCS bowls, and it has a 5-3 record in BCS games since winning the 1999 Sugar Bowl.
So, Notre Dame could ruin the Buckeyes' holiday plans, but it's pretty unlikely.
10. Oklahoma
2 of 11
The Sooners have nothing to worry about if they win out.
But in a crazy year, Oklahoma could lose in the Big 12 title game and be on the outside looking in.
If the Sooners enter the Big 12 championship undefeated, it may not matter. But even Bob Stoops doesn't like to chance it with Notre Dame.
9. Stanford
3 of 11
Coach Jim Harbaugh's team can still win the Pac-10, but with a loss to Oregon, the Cardinal's best chance is to be the conference's second selection to a BCS bowl.
Stanford would seem to have an easy argument here. The Cardinal traveled to South Bend and manhandled the Irish 37-14 behind the leadership of QB Andrew Luck.
The Cardinal's schedule is favorable. They currently play two ranked teams—No. 17 Arizona and No. 24 Oregon State—at home. The toughest road contest is against long-time rival California, which is currently riding a two-game winning streak in the Big Game.
If Stanford wins out, it might be difficult to keep the Cardinal out of the BCS mix.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
8. Nebraska
4 of 11
That Nebraska defense can shut down anyone in the country. That means the Cornhuskers are a legitimate national title contender.
Coach Bo Pelini's team isn't a lock, though. First is the schedule. This weekend's game with Texas isn't a gimme in spite of the Longhorns' recent troubles.
Nebraska has No. 20 Oklahoma State and No. 21 Missouri in consecutive weeks.
Get by that and avoid a letdown and the only thing standing in the way is an eventual showdown with No. 6 Oklahoma or a rematch with Oklahoma State. If the Cornhuskers lose that game, they probably get a BCS bid. But no one in Lincoln, Neb., wants to chance it.
7. South Carolina
5 of 11
Running back Marcus Lattimore is one of the nation's best running backs and Stephen Garcia is playing much more consistent this season.
The Gamecocks are a legitimate SEC contender, but does anyone really think Steve Spurrier's team could beat Alabama again in a championship game? Didn't think so.
So, let's say South Carolina runs the table, which includes wins over No. 12 Arkansas, No. 22 Florida and rival Clemson, but then falls in the SEC Championship.
Does an 11-2 South Carolina trump a 9-3 Notre Dame? Could be interesting.
6. TCU
6 of 11
Only so many non-automatic qualifying teams can make it. Right now, TCU looks good, but when the money people get to talking there could be some backroom deals made for Notre Dame.
TCU must beat Utah, and the Horned Frogs could really use a Boise State loss to avoid any late-season scares.
There would be an uproar if the Irish got the nod over an undefeated TCU, though.
Who wouldn't rather see TCU quarterback Andy Dalton over anything the Irish have to offer?
5. Michigan State
7 of 11
Since the Spartans get to avoid Ohio State, there's a chance the Big Ten could have two undefeated teams at the end of the season.
That's unlikely, but should an 11-1 Michigan State deserve a BCS spot? Especially over a 9-3 Notre Dame that lost to the Spartans in one of the best overtime finishes ever.
Mark Dantonio's team still has a tough road before it can even begin to worry, but the way the Spartans are playing, it's possible to see MSU knock off No. 15 Iowa, their only remaining major challenge.
4. Oklahoma State
8 of 11
Even though RB Kendall Hunter and QB Josh Weeden have had stellar starts to the 2010 season, it still seems Oklahoma State's 5-0 start has gone under the radar.
It's probably because the Cowboys have played a pretty pedestrian schedule.
The Cowboys' two biggest tests will be No. 5 Nebraska and No. 6 Oklahoma. But lose to Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State's shot at a BCS bowl is pretty much history. Lose to just Nebraska, and the Cowboys should get a second shot at the Cornhuskers in the Big 12 title game.
That's way too much to focus on right now compared to worrying about how Notre Dame does against Western Michigan, Navy and Tulsa.
3. Iowa
9 of 11
The Hawkeyes earned the Big Ten's second BCS bid last year and proved they belonged with a dominating performance against Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl.
Iowa's defense is still one of the nation's most talented and would make for a formidable foe in one of the big bowl games.
Coach Kirk Ferentz's team has already suffered one loss and it will take an amazing run to earn a BCS spot, especially considering the Hawkeyes still have games with Michigan, No. 18 Wisconsin, No. 13 Michigan State and No. 1 Ohio State.
Needless to say, Iowa needs a lot of breaks and how Notre Dame finishes is way down the list.
2. Missouri
10 of 11
The Tigers have one of the nation's best defenses and with Blaine Gabbert leading the offense, Missouri could play its way into the Big 12 title game.
Win the conference championship, and Missouri has nothing to worry about. However, the Tigers are unexpectedly good enough to finish with 10, 11 or 12 victories.
Coach Gary Pinkel has put together another strong team, but they are about to run the Big 12 gauntlet starting this week at Texas A&M, followed by a home game with No. 6 Oklahoma, at No. 5 Nebraska and at Texas Tech.
Just one loss during that run could put the Tigers in position to earn a BCS spot if someone doesn't steal it from them.
1. Utah
11 of 11
Right now, Utah is the one undefeated non-automatic qualifier that isn't a lock to make a BCS bowl game if it goes 12-0. Why? The Utes are currently ranked No. 11 and will have to move up a lot and get some key losses by others.
However, Utah can help its own cause, as well as others through its own play.
Coach Kyle Whittingham's team plays at Notre Dame on Nov. 13 and could be the key reason why the Irish finish 8-4 instead of 9-3. Utah also gets to play No. 4 TCU and No. 23 Air Force.
Win those games and Utah, which upset Alabama 31-17 in the 2009 Sugar Bowl, will be knocking on that BCS door again.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
