Oklahoma vs. Notre Dame 'great for college football'

NORMAN, Okla. – It's a name game. Start there. Notre Dame at Oklahoma would be big just because, well, it's Notre Dame and Oklahoma, two of college football's perennial titans that haven't played very often. They're certainly treating it that way here, where the buildup has been enormous.

"It's great for college football, it's great for the community, the fans," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said, "and they ought to enjoy it."

But for the Irish and the Sooners – you know, the players and coaches who actually will participate – the immediate stakes are plenty high, never mind tradition and history. With a victory, Notre Dame, ranked No. 5 in the BCS standings, would validate its perfect start and force its way further into the BCS race. For No. 8 Oklahoma, meanwhile, which is still stinging from a loss to Kansas State, a victory means staying in the conversation, ready to move up if a few of the unbeatens falter down the stretch.

It's hard to fathom, but this is only the 17th matchup of Top 10 teams at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium – though the statistic is skewed because the Sooners' annual game with Texas is played in Dallas. The last 'biggest' game? In 2008, Oklahoma faced Texas Tech, winning 65-21 en route to playing in the BCS championship game. The winner of this name game retains hopes of playing for the same prize.