Willingham: Irish must focus

? Tyrone Willingham wants the focus on Rutgers, not Notre Dame’s next opponent.

The No. 8 Irish should be focused on Rutgers (1-9), not thinking about next week’s game at No. 7 Southern California (8-2), Willingham said.

A win against the Trojans could guarantee Notre Dame a berth in the Bowl Championship Series. A loss against Rutgers, though, could knock the Irish out of the BCS running.

It’s important for the Irish to realize what is at stake, Willingham said.

“They have to understand what’s important,” he said. “It’s amazing that around the country, no matter how many times or how many years coaches have said it, you see teams get distracted. Because it’s human nature.”

The Irish have succumbed to human nature this season. They have played well as underdogs, but not as favorites.

As 10-point favorites against Boston College, the Irish lost 14-7. Notre Dame was a 28-point favorite against Navy, but needed a fourth-quarter comeback to pull out a 30-23 victory ” averting possibly the biggest upset in Notre Dame history.

This week, the Irish are 281â2-point favorites against Rutgers, and Willingham is worried.

Notre Dame coach Tyrone Willingham talks with his players during Tuesday's practice in South Bend, Ind.

“That has always been the difficult side of coaching. Can you get your young men to focus and concentrate on what’s important now?” he said. “We will use any trick, any tool we can to get them focused on what we’re doing this week and not the next week.”

Willingham said he will focus on his team’s competitive spirit.

“A competitor has to understand you have to prepare the right way every time,” Willingham said. “If you don’t, you’re preparing to fail. That’s the first thing we have to understand.”

Willingham said he will warn his team that Rutgers played both Tennessee and Miami tough. The Scarlet Knights led Tennessee 14-7 at halftime, but lost 35-14. Against No. 1 Miami, Rutgers took a 17-14 lead into the fourth quarter before losing 42-17.

But the Irish coaches shouldn’t have to point that out to get the Irish motivated, Willingham said.

“Because we know if you’ve played the game long enough that any team can beat you,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who you are. Any team can get beat if you don’t play well.”