For the record, Eagles are ready for the Irish

Six games, six wins, a No. 4 national ranking, and growing accolades and attention.

So, what is different this week as Boston College prepares for a team that has been nearly its opposite, with five losses in six games?

It is Notre Dame week, of course, and that alone makes it different.

"It's a big rivalry, not just among the players, but the two big Catholic schools who have been ongoing rivals for a lot years," said BC safety Jamie Silva. "It will be a lot of fun. They have great athletes, good coaching. They are dangerous. We can't go into the game unprepared. We know they are better than their record shows. We're prepared like they are ranked higher than us."

It is Notre Dame, and for BC that still means more than just another game.

"They're America's team," said BC sophomore linebacker Mark Herzlich. "When I look at the schedule, I look to see when the Notre Dame game is. They are 1-5 not because of their talent, but because of their schedule. They are the best 1-5 team in the country.

"There is a little more intensity in practice this week, a little more focus."

But this season, at least, more attention is being focused on the Eagles.

A pep rally on campus Tuesday night attracted a couple thousand students, and fans drew praise from the players who in the past often have gone about their business in relative anonymity.

"It was great," said Herzlich. "I guess that is one of the benefits of being ranked that high."

Herzlich knows the fickle nature of fame. "I don't think we take too much pleasure being ranked No. 4, No. 2, or No. 1 yet," he said, "because we know with one loss we're back at No. 26. We came into this season out of the Top 25. We wanted to prove ourselves. Now more so than ever before. We want to stay there. We want to be the best we can be to show we belong there."

Notre Dame has been there and wants to prove its fall is over after losing its first five games, before beating UCLA last Saturday.

Coach Charlie Weis has said one of the encouraging aspects of the season has been the attitude of his players, that the Fighting Irish do not act like a 1-5 team.

"Their name speaks for itself," said BC linebacker Jolonn Dunbar. "They are usually in the top five in recruiting, they have great athletes. Whatever their record is, it doesn't matter. They're good, we're good."

BC may be very good. The next two games - at Notre Dame and at Virginia Tech - should validate the Eagles' credentials or vaporize them.

Neither Notre Dame nor Virginia Tech is considered a superpower this year, but both games will be on national televison, which will provide not only a showcase for BC quarterback Matt Ryan, who is a Heisman Trophy contender, but for a program that many still think is more fluff than fabric because of the quality of opponents thus far.

Notre Dame has played six teams, all from Bowl Championship Series conferences, with a combined record of 24-12. BC's six opponents have a combined record of 17-16, including Massachusetts (4-1), a playoff-division team.

Of course, none of this will mean a thing on Saturday, and BC is poised to face the next phase of its schedule, which figures to be considerably tougher than the previous.

"I don't know if it is for them, but it is a rivalry game for us," said BC coach Jeff Jagodzinski.

Jagodzinski, who grew up in the Midwest, was asked if he was quietly rooting for Notre Dame to win its first game of the season last week, instead of looking to break through against BC.

"I didn't root for them," said Jagodzinski. "I don't think I ever will."

Mark Blaudschun can be reached at blaudschun@globe.com.