Last August, the mere thought of Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship Game was ludicrous at best.
The Fighting Irish were unranked and their schedule included five teams that were ranked in the preseason Top 25 -- including three in the top 10 -- and another opponent that won 10 games the previous season. Plus, they were starting a quarterback in Everett Golson who had yet to play a down.
Notre Dame's surprise run would end with a thud as the Irish were hammered by Alabama, denying their bid to become the first team since BYU in 1984 to go from outside the preseason Top 25 to national champs. But the stunning nature of the Irish's season can't be denied and it poses the question: Will we see another out-of-nowhere contender in 2013?
Here's a look at five teams who failed to make the preseason Associated Press Top 25 that could make an Irish-like rise of their own.
2012 RECORD: 8-5 (5-4 in Pac-12)
The Sun Devils ended coach Todd Graham's first year in impressive fashion with a three-game winning streak that included a 34-point romp of Navy in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. They return 15 starters from that squad, led by QB Taylor Kelly (3,039 yards and 29 touchdowns), tailback Marion Grice (315 yards and five TDs in final two games) and six of last year's front seven on defense. The pieces would seem to be in place, but September will tell us how much of threat Arizona State really is, with a four-week stretch of No. 23 Wisconsin, at No. 4 Stanford, No. 24 USC and No. 14 Notre Dame in Arlington, Texas. Get through that run and the Sun Devils can set themselves up for a big finish with November dates vs. No. 25 Oregon State, No. 21 UCLA and rival Arizona.
2012 RECORD: 7-5 (5-3 in ACC)
After two years of self-imposed bowl bans, the Hurricanes could be back in a big way if they avoid any further sanctions from the NCAA after the Nevin Shapiro scandal. Al Golden brings back a loaded offense behind QB Stephen Morris, who threw for 3,345 yards and 21 TDs as a junior and RB Duke Johnson (947 yards and 10 scores), a budding Heisman Trophy candidate and a line with all five players back and 93 career starts among them. The big question is whether a defense that allowed 486.4 yards per game (116th in FBS) and returns eight starters can show enough improvement? If so, Miami has a schedule that could give them an early boost in the polls -- it faces No. 10 Florida on Sept. 7 -- and outside of a Nov. 2 trip to No. 11 Florida State, is manageable for the rest of the regular season.
2012 RECORD: 7-6 (3-5 in Big Ten)
The Spartans needed a bowl win over TCU to end the season above .500, but look a little deeper and they had losses of one point (Ohio State), two points (Michigan) three points (Northwestern and Iowa in double overtime) and four points (Nebraska). Mark Dantonio brings back eight starters from the nation's fourth-ranked defense, including the top three tackles in linebacker Max Bullough (111 tackles), safety Isaiah Lewis (80) and LB Denicos Allen (79). The offense has question marks at QB -- Dantonio has said he'll use two early on from a group of senior Andrew Maxwell, redshirt sophomore Connor Cook and redshirt freshman Tyler O'Connor -- and at RB -- they lost 92 percent of the rushing yards from '12 with Le'Veon Bell's departure -- but with 97 starts on the line (ninth-most in FBS), there is a solid base. It also doesn't hurt the Spartans' case that they avoid No. 2 Ohio State, No. 23 Wisconsin and Penn State out of the Leaders Division.
2012 RECORD: 7-6 (3-5 in SEC)
Hugh Freeze's first season was a major surprise that could have reached double-digit-wins proportions as the Rebels led Texas A&M and LSU in the fourth quarter of losses and fell to Vanderbilt by one point. Ole Miss returns an underrated QB in Bo Wallace (2,994 yards and 22 TDs) a dynamic WR in Donte Moncrief (979 yards and 10 scores), its top two rushers from a year ago and 10 starters back on defense, including the six leading tacklers. It only gets better considering Freeze hauled in the nation's No. 10 recruiting class headlined by the top-ranked recruit in defensive end Robert Nkemdiche. The Rebels would be an even bigger threat to deliver an Irish-like turnaround if they didn't have to go through the SEC West and travel to Texas.
2012 RECORD: 7-6 (4-4 in ACC)
For the first time since 2003, Frank Beamer failed to reach at least 10 wins as his Hokies were fourth in the Coastal Division. But there are reasons to believe they can bounce back. QB Logan Thomas returns after a down junior year as do nine starters from the ACC's second-ranked D. But after seeing Thomas lead the team in both passing (2,976 yards) and rushing (524) yards last season can a viable option emerge at running back? We're going to find out the answer to that question and Virginia Tech's hopes of a quick rebound as they open up against No. 1 Alabama in Atlanta. Win there and the Hokies don't face another currently ranked team the rest of the regular season.
