Notre Dame lost at home this year to a Michigan State team that finished 5-6. The Irish have lost the last seven bowl games they have been invited to and haven't played in a major one since the 2000 season, when they were crushed, 41-9, in the Fiesta Bowl by Oregon State.
NCAA College Football Betting Odds from BODOG SportsBook
Notre Dame -16
at Stanford +16
Two-loss Fresno State almost defeated No. 1 USC on the road Saturday and earned a No. 16 ranking in all three major polls for it. Two-loss Notre Dame almost defeated No. 1 USC at home on Oct. 15 and is ranked No. 5 in the Harris poll and No. 6 in the Associated Press and USA Today coaches' polls.
Notre Dame's visit to 5-5 Stanford on Saturday, a lousy-looking matchup anyway you look at it, has bowl officials in a tizzy. John Junker of the Fiesta Bowl is flying up to make sure Notre Dame doesn't suffer a cataclysmic third defeat to a team that lost to UC Davis. If Notre Dame beats Stanford to finish 9-2, the Irish are going to cash a $16-million BCS check - and this is the last year they get to keep all the money.
Hearts in South Florida skipped a few beats this week when rumors floated Notre Dame might be more interested in the Orange Bowl now that it wouldn't have to play Miami - too much bad blood there dating to Catholics versus Convicts - after the Hurricanes probably coughed up a chance at the Atlantic Coast Conference title by losing to Georgia Tech.
If USC and Texas play in the Rose Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl gets the first and the third pick in the BCS selection process. After sounding out bowl officials, it seems likely the Fiesta Bowl will take 9-2 Notre Dame. The Orange Bowl, picking second, could then nab Big Ten champion Penn State, and the Fiesta would have a choice between 10-1 Oregon or 9-2 Ohio State. Oregon's best chance is to have Notre Dame lose to Stanford. Then, the Fiesta could have Penn State-Oregon in a rematch of that decade-ago Rose Bowl.
Notre Dame will affect the bowl pecking order of the Pac-10, the Big Ten, the Gator Bowl, which affects the Big East selection process, and the Fiesta and Orange bowls. The power of Notre Dame is an elixir.
Having the Irish in your game, even with two losses, even when Oregon has a better record, is a bowl chairman's muscle relaxant. More than 30 million people watched all or part of USC's 34-31 victory against Notre Dame in South Bend. This year the Irish's return to prominence led to NBC's highest game ratings since 1995. The Irish sell like soap - and that's why bowls belly up to their bar.
If Notre Dame wins Saturday, look for Ringling Brothers to end up in Tempe, Oregon asking what went wrong, and UCLA to wonder why it bothered taking up the sport.
Prediction: USC will cement their status as one of the top college football team in the land. The Irishmen will pummel the hapless Stanford by more than fifteen points.
College football odds, picks, spreads, NCAA football lines and all types of online football wagering and betting is available at BODOG Casino, Poker and Sportsbook. College football betting has never been easier, whether you want to bet a parlay, teaser, or straight bet. Wager on college NCAA football futures and proposition bets, too. Wager on college football with a point spread or bet on college football with a money line, it's up to you! Online football betting lines is one of the many sports wagering options at BODOG Casino and Sportsbook.
NCAA College Football Betting Odds from BODOG SportsBook
Notre Dame -16
at Stanford +16
Two-loss Fresno State almost defeated No. 1 USC on the road Saturday and earned a No. 16 ranking in all three major polls for it. Two-loss Notre Dame almost defeated No. 1 USC at home on Oct. 15 and is ranked No. 5 in the Harris poll and No. 6 in the Associated Press and USA Today coaches' polls.
Notre Dame's visit to 5-5 Stanford on Saturday, a lousy-looking matchup anyway you look at it, has bowl officials in a tizzy. John Junker of the Fiesta Bowl is flying up to make sure Notre Dame doesn't suffer a cataclysmic third defeat to a team that lost to UC Davis. If Notre Dame beats Stanford to finish 9-2, the Irish are going to cash a $16-million BCS check - and this is the last year they get to keep all the money.
Hearts in South Florida skipped a few beats this week when rumors floated Notre Dame might be more interested in the Orange Bowl now that it wouldn't have to play Miami - too much bad blood there dating to Catholics versus Convicts - after the Hurricanes probably coughed up a chance at the Atlantic Coast Conference title by losing to Georgia Tech.
If USC and Texas play in the Rose Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl gets the first and the third pick in the BCS selection process. After sounding out bowl officials, it seems likely the Fiesta Bowl will take 9-2 Notre Dame. The Orange Bowl, picking second, could then nab Big Ten champion Penn State, and the Fiesta would have a choice between 10-1 Oregon or 9-2 Ohio State. Oregon's best chance is to have Notre Dame lose to Stanford. Then, the Fiesta could have Penn State-Oregon in a rematch of that decade-ago Rose Bowl.
Notre Dame will affect the bowl pecking order of the Pac-10, the Big Ten, the Gator Bowl, which affects the Big East selection process, and the Fiesta and Orange bowls. The power of Notre Dame is an elixir.
Having the Irish in your game, even with two losses, even when Oregon has a better record, is a bowl chairman's muscle relaxant. More than 30 million people watched all or part of USC's 34-31 victory against Notre Dame in South Bend. This year the Irish's return to prominence led to NBC's highest game ratings since 1995. The Irish sell like soap - and that's why bowls belly up to their bar.
If Notre Dame wins Saturday, look for Ringling Brothers to end up in Tempe, Oregon asking what went wrong, and UCLA to wonder why it bothered taking up the sport.
Prediction: USC will cement their status as one of the top college football team in the land. The Irishmen will pummel the hapless Stanford by more than fifteen points.
College football odds, picks, spreads, NCAA football lines and all types of online football wagering and betting is available at BODOG Casino, Poker and Sportsbook. College football betting has never been easier, whether you want to bet a parlay, teaser, or straight bet. Wager on college NCAA football futures and proposition bets, too. Wager on college football with a point spread or bet on college football with a money line, it's up to you! Online football betting lines is one of the many sports wagering options at BODOG Casino and Sportsbook.
