If ND wins out but misses the title game, they're going to the Sugar Bowl. SB committee LOVES them some ND. If we win out, Florida drops another, and Bama gives UGA a butt-hurting, we'll see them there. I'd like to see that game. Not relevant to OP, but wutev.
If ND wins out, they would most likely play KSU in the Fiesta bowl. 3 vs. 4 makes sense. I understand the Sugar bowl would love ND, but they don't get to choose first. http://espn.go.com/college-football/bowls/projections?season=2012
If ND wins out, they will play in the Fiesta (they do pick first). If they loose to USC, they could end up in the Sugar or the Rose, which ever picks after the Fiesta (assuming the Fiesta would go w/ 3 & 4).
If Notre Dame loses to USC, I hope they fall to the Holiday Bowl. Louisville and/or Louisiana Tech are much more deserving of a BCS bid than ND.
It's pretty much set that ND will play in a BCS game, even with a loss to USC. With 1 loss, they would still be in the top 14 of the BCS, and will be elligible to be invited. Even with the 2 decades of "irrelevance", ND still brings money to the bowls like no one else. Not saying it's right, just the way it is. Playoffs will help some, but the bowls will still look to sell tickets rather than have the best teams play each other.
I would bet 100 bucks that there are 3 teams in the state of Louisiana who could beat Notre Dame in their house: Louisiana-Monroe Louisiana Tech Louisiana State
