BCS Rankings 2011: Breaking Down the Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The first batch of BCS rankings have finally been released, and the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame find themselves on the outside looking in.

Two losses to start the season derailed any national championship aspirations the team may have had, but after four consecutive victories, a BCS berth is still well within reach.

A victory over hated rival USC on Saturday would most likely vault the Irish into next week's BCS rankings.

What does Notre Dame have to do to get to the BCS?

Follow along for the answer to that question as well as a quick breakdown of the squad through six games.

How They Got Here

Two consecutive losses to begin the season certainly isn't what Brian Kelly or his players had in mind.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened.

The silver lining in the otherwise dreary beginning to the season was the fact that the Irish beat themselves. Ten combined turnovers were the sole reason for those two stunning losses.

The team could have easily given up on the season, but chose to hang tough. The result of that choice was an incredible four-game win streak.

The streak started with a shellacking of then-15th-ranked Michigan State by a score of 31-13.

Following that first victory was a hard-fought game at Pittsburgh which Notre Dame eventually won 15-12 late in the fourth quarter.

After that nail-biter were two impressive wins over Purdue (38-10) and Air Force (59-33).

That epic turnaround brought the team to a 4-2 record with a showdown against USC looming large.

Best Win

Through six games, Notre Dame's best win was, undoubtedly, over the Michigan State Spartans.

The Irish limped into the contest with an 0-2 record after losses to South Florida and Michigan.

Meanwhile, the Spartans were sitting pretty with a national ranking of 15th after convincing victories over Youngstown State and Florida Atlantic.

However, the tables certainly turned.

The Irish defense held a potent Spartan rushing attack to a mere 23 yards on 29 attempts. That forced Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins to throw the ball a career-high 53 times. 

One of those 53 attempts was picked off by Irish cornerback Robert Blanton late in the fourth quarter, effectively sealing the victory for his team.

The win looks even more impressive at the present moment after Michigan State defeated previously undefeated Michigan on Saturday, earning Sparty a national ranking of 13th. 

BCS Ranking

Notre Dame is currently sitting outside of the BCS top 25.

However, a victory over USC on Saturday will likely push the Irish into the BCS top 25.

Remember, Notre Dame needs to finish in the top 14 of the BCS to be considered for an at-large bid.

The other scenario would be the Irish finishing in the top eight, which would lock up an automatic bid.

Remaining Schedule

Notre Dame has six winnable games remaining on the schedule, but each is technically a "playoff" game as it pertains to the Irish receiving a BCS invitation. 

The final six games are listed below:

• Oct. 22 vs. USC
• Oct. 29 vs. Navy
• Nov. 5 at Wake Forest
• Nov. 12 vs. Maryland (FedEx Field)
• Nov. 19 vs. Boston College
• Nov. 26 at No. 7 Stanford

None of those games can be taken lightly, as Notre Dame will get each team's best shot.

The season finale at Stanford may very well be a BCS qualifying game of sorts.

Potential Pitfall: Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons are off to a surprising 4-2 start, including a stunning 35-30 victory over then-23rd-ranked Florida State. The Irish secondary will be put to the test against a potent Wake Forest passing attack that is led by Tanner Price.

Bowl Projection

While being a bold prediction, it's realistic that Brian Kelly and Co. will enter the Stanford game with a 9-2 record and a BCS invitation up for grabs. 

Unfortunately for Notre Dame, Andrew Luck and the Cardinal will prove to be the better football team, dropping the Irish to a final regular season record of 9-3.

A trip to the Champs Sports Bowl against an Atlantic Coast Conference team such as Virginia Tech or Clemson is the likely bowl destination for Notre Dame.