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Irish close in on Miami in BCS

Notre Dame moved a lot closer to national title territory.

The Fighting Irish narrowed the gap behind second-place Miami in the Bowl Championship Series standings released Monday, with Oklahoma holding on to the top spot.

The difference between second and third is so tiny that if Notre Dame beats Boston College, it might be enough to move the Irish ahead of Miami. The Hurricanes, No. 1 in the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today coaches' Top 25, visit weakling Rutgers.

But it is the final BCS standings Dec. 8 that will determine which teams play at the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Ariz., on Jan. 3. For now, the possibilities are intriguing: the top six in the BCS are unbeaten, and five can finish with perfect records.

"If five teams finish undefeated, the BCS poll still determines who plays in the national championship game," BCS coordinator Michael Tranghese said. "And, yes, there will be controversy. But this is the system."

Notre Dame, 8-0 after a 34-24 win over Florida State, moved up thanks largely to its rise from No. 6 to No. 4 in the AP poll.

The remaining games for Miami and Notre Dame appear to give the Hurricanes an edge in strength of schedule. After this weekend, Notre Dame plays Navy (1-7) and Rutgers (1-7) before its finale against USC (6-2). Miami plays Tennessee (4-3), Pittsburgh (6-2), Syracuse (2-6) and Virginia Tech (8-0).

BIG TEN CONSIDERS REPLAY: Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said Sunday the league will consult coaches about the use of TV instant replays to confirm and correct calls made on the field. Delany said the Big Ten talked about instant replay with league coaches last year, but got meager support.

That might not be the case now after a month in which several coaches, including Penn State's Joe Paterno, have been critical of league officials. Officials are graded each week, and Delany said between 15 and 25 mistakes are made each weekend. The Big Ten would need approval from the NCAA.

FIU-JU RESCHEDULED: Florida International's home game against Jacksonville was rescheduled for Thursday to accommodate a live statewide TV broadcast. The game, originally set for Saturday in Miami, has an 8:07 p.m. kickoff and will be carried by Sunshine.

DIVISION III COACH TO RETIRE: Gene Epley, Marietta (Ohio) coach the past 12 years, said he will retire at the end of this season. The 59-year-old has a 43-71-2 record with the Pioneers.

BYU: Quarterback Ben Olson will take the next two years off to serve a Mormon mission. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound freshman, who has not played this season, is expected to leave in January. He will have four years of eligibility remaining when he returns.

GEORGIA: Receiver/punt returner Damien Gary will be sidelined indefinitely after emergency surgery on a bleeding muscle tear in his left leg. He had surgery on his lower left leg Sunday after experiencing pain, swelling, weakness and numbness after the No. 5 Bulldogs' victory Saturday over Kentucky.

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