The BCS standings show that Notre Dame is on top, waiting for the winner of the SEC Title game to find out its opponent in the National Championship game.
Released Monday, the BCS standings have the 11-0 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at No. 1, with No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Georgia each at 10-1. With Alabama and Georgia set to play in the SEC Title game, the winner will advance to play the surprise of the season in Notre Dame.
Coming into this season, Notre Dame was unranked and an afterthought for the National Title, but the team’s stingy defense propelled it to wins over a number of Top 25 teams and to the top of the BCS rankings going into the final week. A win over USC on Saturday solidified the Fighting Irish’s place at No. 1.
As ESPN noted , the top of the BCS rankings comes with little controversy this year. All of the top nine teams remained unchanged from last week’s rankings, and the only difficulty would come after the SEC Title game.
The No. 4 Florida Gators could still sneak into the Allstate Sugar Bowl if they pass the loser of the Alabama-Georgia game next week. Only the top three teams are guaranteed BCS bowl bids, and no more than two from any conference are allowed in.
“If you think about what the game means, this that and the other, it doesn’t really help you win the game,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “The only thing that helps you win the game is preparation and getting your mind ready to go to battle. That’s what you’ve got to do.”
Either way, an SEC team will have a chance to win the conference’s second consecutive national championship after Alabama won last season, The Associated Press noted .
The final BCS standings before the National Championship come out next week.
