The what if game...

[Rudy89]

Let's say we win all of our close games. We stop Robinson or score on the last play. Delay of Game is called on MSU or we stop the fake and we win that one, we kick the field goal and we beat tulsa. That leaves us at 10-2 do we play in the BCS or where do we go? I actually think that we maybe wouldnt play because Stanford murdered us and have a better record so as much as it pains me to say it they even with that scenario they should play before us. However I wanna know what other Irish fans think

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

I would think Champs Sports Bowl.

 

[IrishLax]

With the one loss teams this year we would not play for a BCS. I think we'd be in the Champ Sports Bowl.

 

[KPENN]

I think the Gator Bowl would have been a possibility too?

 

[NewEnglandGuy]

Good Question. Assuming we are 10-2...

4 of the BCS Bowls (Rose, Sugar, Orange, Fiesta) have tie-ins but are able to "select" an at large (ND in this case) if they lose a conference champion to the last BCS game - the national championship. They also select their at large teams in the order above this year.

The tradition tie-ins for the bowls are:
Rose - Big 10 vs Pac 10
Sugar - SEC
Orange - ACC
Fiesta - Big 12

Now as far as bowls losing their conference champion to the BCS:
The Rose bowl
By losing Oregon to the title game, it will have to take TCU. BCS rules state for the games of January 2011 through 2014, the first year the Rose Bowl loses a team to the National Championship game, that non-AQ team will play in the Rose Bowl. So TCU is the pick. Here is link on the game selection for the Big 10 slot as well.
Wisconsin, TCU to face off in this year's Rose Bowl - Pasadena Star-News

The Sugar bowl
Due to Auburn going to the BCS title game, the Sugar bowl can replace within the SEC (top 10 team in Arkansas) and have the first pick of at larges (Ohio St). The Buckeyes have a better record (11-1) than us and a larger fan base than Stanford (all about $$$). They play in this game still as currently projected.

The other BCS bowls:
Orange bowl
With their ACC victory last night, Virginia Tech would be locked in this bowl. After the Sugar bowl, the Orange selects next and basically has two choices: Big East champ or Stanford. This is due to the Cardinal being #4 in the BCS thus allowing a guaranteed BCS bowl. Stanford still gets selected here since in our fantasy season we still lost to them. Article last week discussing this among other bowl senarios:
Mizzou hurt by Stanford's rise to No. 4 in BCS

Fiesta bowl
With their Big 12 victory last night, Oklahoma is locked in this bowl. The Fiesta would not have the opportunity to select us because the Big East is a BCS conference and champion (as crazy as it sounds UConn) has not been selected yet. They would be still going to this bowl as currently predicted.

So bottom line. If we were 10-2 the BCS bowls would not change. The loss to navy may not have mattered either. If we were 11-1, only loss to Stanford, the BCS bowls would probably still take Stanford and Ohio St (lone loss to Wisconsin) over us. Recruiting would be smoother and we would feel a lot better about the season (and be bitching about the BCS process), but our bowl would be the Champs Sport.

 

[Freeman Ara]

I think we had to lose the games we lost to come together the way we have and get tougher going forward. Because while it would have be nice to have a bigger number in the W column, this season was about developing a team identity and getting that toughness back we haven't had seen since Lou. I'll take the possible 8 wins that may come this year and feel like better things are coming in the future over 10 wins and a meaningless bowl game with a team that hasn't developed that toughness.

 

[NDPhilly]

Could we have been substituted for a Big Eat team?

 

[GowerND11]

No. Big East champion MUST play in the BCS as they automatically qualify. We can only replace Big East teams in the other affiliated bowls they have.

 

[Rudy89]

I was curious about that lets say next year we go to Champs Sports, then the BCS the enxt, then the last year after we have used our champs sports year we go 8-4 or 9-3 and miss the BCS are we gonna be forced to play in the Hawaii bowl or even worse only able to play in a game so early we have to decline it because of it being so close to ND's finals?

 

[eNDzone]

I say we shoot for the NC game every year and settle for what bowl comes our way if we don't get there. No matter what bowl we play in we need to keep kicking butt.

 

[NDMontana]

I actually think ND would've snuck in at 10-2 assuming the loss to Stanford had been more competitive.

No offense to Stanford but ND would chosen as an at-large any day of the week over Stanford. Realistically, I don't think the NCAA cared, and certainly the conferences didn't want, ND to be eligible with 10 wins. It was the presidents of the BCS Games and the networks who know the ratings draw + attendance draw is huge with ND.

I only know one Stanford fan and it's because his cousin played running back there in the 1980s. Do any of you know any Cardinal fans?? I can't think of any schools that travel as well as ND. Maybe Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas and Ohio State.

 

[ACamp1900]

Same game, different year... it hurts my head to think "what if" after the past three years of nothing but.

 

[phork]

Notre Dame has to be selected to a BCS bowl if it finishes in the top 8 of the final standings. Man wouldn't that have pissed off Stanford, because Wiscy and OSU would stay and Stanford would be out.

Where we would subsequently get blown out, because we aren't there yet. Also I believe the Gator now has a Big10 affiliation, no longer BigEast.