A wish list of coaches for Notre Dame fans

If Notre Dame makes the move that seems inevitable now—the one so many Fighting Irish fans want and commentators endorse—and fires Charlie Weis, who will replace him?

Elsewhere, the Pac-10 makes a case for being the country’s best conference and Nebraska returns to the top of the Big 12 North.

The Big Story

Who will be the next Notre Dame coach? It’s a question that has been pondered plenty over the last couple of years by disgruntled Fighting Irish fans.

Here’s a look at the field of possible candidates, names that have come up in speculation and guys who often appear on Notre Dame fans’ wish lists (in alphabetical order).

NORTH CAROLINA BUTCH DAVIS

— Why he might be a candidate: Davis built some of the best teams in recent memory at Miami and has the Tar Heels on the rise in the ACC.

— Why he might take the job: Basketball comes first at Chapel Hill.

— Why he wouldn’t: North Carolina has the resources to win big in the ACC.

NORTHWESTERN COACH PAT FITZGERALD

— Why he might be a candidate: Young, fiery and winning at a school that— like Notre Dame—can’t get just anybody through admissions.

— Why he might take the job: He already deals with high academic standards, so why not do it at a school that could win a national title?

— Why he wouldn’t: Loyalty. He played at Northwestern and the school entrusted him with the task of taking over after coach Randy Walker died.

STANFORD COACH JIM HARBAUGH

— Why he might be a candidate: Stanford was a dead program when he took over. Three seasons later, he had the Cardinal in Rose Bowl contention.

— Why he might take the job: The same reason as Fitzgerald.

— Why he wouldn’t: Maybe the Michigan alum wants to be the next Wolverines coach?

CINCINNATI COACH BRIAN KELLY

— Why he might be a candidate: He’s the new Urban Meyer, an offensive whiz who turned a so-so program into a national power.

— Why he might take the job: It can’t get any better for him at Cincinnati. Plus, he’s a confident guy who does not shy away from the spotlight.

— Why he wouldn’t: Hmmm, can’t think of a reason.

FLORIDA COACH URBAN MEYER

— Why he might be a candidate: He was an assistant at Notre Dame under Lou Holtz and had a stipulation in his Utah contract that would have let him leave for South Bend without a buyout.

— Why he might take the job: The challenge of returning Notre Dame to glory is alluring.

— Why he wouldn’t: It’s easier to win national championships at Florida and it’s doubtful the Irish can pay him much more than the $4 million per year he already makes.

BOISE STATE COACH CHRIS PETERSEN

— Why he might be a candidate: His winning percentage in four seasons in Boise is .920.

— Why he might take the job: All those wins and Boise State has never even sniffed the Bowl Championship Series title game.

— Why he wouldn’t: The last two coaches to leave Boise for supposedly better jobs—Dirk Koetter and Dan Hawkins—found that life outside the WAC can be harsh.

OKLAHOMA COACH BOB STOOPS

— Why he might be a candidate: He rescued Oklahoma from mediocrity and returned the Sooners to elite status—and that’s pretty much the job description at Notre Dame.

— Why he might take the job: Maybe after 11 seasons in Norman, he’s ready for a change.

— Why he wouldn’t: The same reason as Meyer.

Leader of the Pac

The Sagarin computer ratings have the Pac-10 slightly ahead of the Southeastern Conference. That sounds about right, but choosing between the two is a matter of taste.

The Pac-10 always suffers from lack of exposure and a perception that the league is soft and doesn’t play defense.

While it’s still a league where offenses rule, there’s plenty of power to go with all that speed, as anyone who has watched Stanford’s Toby Gerhart or Oregon’s Jeremiah Masoli mow over defenders can attest.

The Pac-10 can’t match the SEC’s super heavyweights—Florida and Alabama— but the top six teams in the league are all capable of playing at a very high level.

Big Red return

Nebraska has reclaimed the Big 12 North, not exactly a tough hill to conquer, but it was an important step for second-year coach Bo Pelini toward getting the Cornhuskers relevant on the national scene.

Nebraska is the only school in the division built to sustain high-level success, as proved by Missouri and Kansas sliding back to mediocrity after a few heady seasons. If Pelini can recruit at all, Nebraska should own the North and consistently play in the Big 12 title game.

The next step is being able to go toe-to-toe with Oklahoma and Texas, but first things first for the Huskers.

The hurry-up

— Nevada lost its first three games, but quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the Wolf Pack will take an eight-game winning streak into Boise State on Friday night to decide the WAC title.

— Temple could be without freshman running back Bernard Pierce, 11th in the country in rushing, when it plays Ohio for the MAC East title. He has a shoulder injury.

— Virginia Tech linebacker Cody Grimm, son of former Redskins offensive lineman Russ Grimm, is being touted by defensive coordinator Bud Foster for ACC defensive player of the year.

Looking ahead

The top three in the BCS conclude their regular seasons with rivalry games. No. 3 Texas visits Texas A&M on Thanksgiving night; No. 2 Alabama plays at Auburn on Friday; and top-ranked Florida hosts Florida State on Saturday.

Most likely to lose? Texas.

Ralph D. Russo covers college football for The Associated Press. Write to him at rrusso(at)ap.org.