Could Michigan State play in the BCS National Championship game? That's what Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio is asking from the 10th position in the BCS, unofficially the lowest ranking for a coach to campaign for championship game consideration.

Should Michigan State (11-1) defeat Ohio State (12-0) on Saturday, they'll tie the winner of Auburn-Missouri record-wise and they'll have beaten a team that hasn't lost in two years. By that measure, only Auburn has a more impressive win this year (besting an undefeated, #1 ranked team that's won three of the last four national championships). If Auburn loses, maybe Michigan State does have a chance. Still, the Spartans will have to somehow leapfrog the other six teams ahead of them, including Missouri, Alabama, and the team everyone has forgotten, Oklahoma State (10-1).

"Why not us, if certain scenarios take place, which obviously last weekend you saw a lot of scenarios take place," Dantonio told ESPN. "There are no givens in college football. Anybody can rise up to beat someone else. That ball bounces a lot of different ways. The fact of the matter is we're 11-1 right now, we're playing in a championship environment. And we'll move from there. Don't limit yourself. Dream big. That's what I tell my football team."

Of course, that would mean if Dantonio's Spartans lose to Ohio State this Saturday, Ohio State should automatically make the championship game.

"I do believe, should Ohio State win, that they should represent in the national championship game," Dantonio said. "I think that when you have an undefeated football team, that's the right thing to do. ... That's my tip of the hat to Ohio State."

The Spartan's only loss came in week four to Notre Dame (8-4), when they came into South Bend unranked and lost a close one, 17-13. The Irish (8-4) have had an up and down year, but have beaten the current #10 and #11 teams in the Spartans and Arizona State. Other than their slip in South Bend, Michigan State has won all their games by at least ten points. Some of their wins, however, lack the high powered luster the computers seem to covet, a counter example being their most recent 14-3 victory at home against Minnesota that read 7-3 at the half.

If the Spartans hope to make it, they'll have to literally crush Ohio State this weekend somewhere in the neighborhood of 50-10.