BCS rivals retain Aloha spirit

George Schroeder, USA TODAY Sports | USATODAY

Notre Dame was in the air last Saturday night, flying home after another victory. On the video screens, Oregon was struggling – at least for a while – with California. Instead of pulling for the upset, Manti Te'o kept cheering for the Ducks.

Well, check that.

"I was cheering for Marcus," said Te'o, meaning Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. "He was doing really well."

And it didn't matter to the Notre Dame linebacker that if Mariota was doing really well, it meant the Ducks were doing really well – and in the bigger, BCS picture, that's not good news for Notre Dame.

"I don't really look at it that way, man," Te'o told USA TODAY Sports. "Whatever happens (with the BCS) happens. It's simple: Another Hawaii boy doing well."

When the flight landed, Te'o grabbed his phone and tweeted:

"Proud to see Marcus Mariota doing his thing at Oregon and representing the 808 state the way he is! #localboyz" – @MTeo_5

Despite their roots in what Mariota describes as a "close-knit community" on the island of Oahu, the players have never met. Mariota knows Te'o by reputation and from watching him from the sidelines when Te'o and rival Punahou played Mariota's Saint Louis High team in 2008.

"He was a big name," Mariota said.

Te'o, a senior All-America, has been a star since before he set foot on the Notre Dame campus. Mariota, two years younger, has emerged this season, first as Oregon's starting quarterback and more recently as a catalyst for the Ducks' unbeaten run.

Mariota doesn't do Twitter. But his mom sent him a picture of the Te'o tweet.

"To get something like that from someone of his stature, especially (someone) out of Hawaii, it was an honor," Mariota said. "It was unbelievable, really."

In a three-way race of undefeated teams, the Ducks (No. 1 in the polls, No. 2 in the BCS standings) hold the inside track to a berth in the BCS championship. It's unlikely Notre Dame (No. 3 in the polls and the BCS) could pass the Ducks if both teams remain unbeaten.

No matter. Te'o wishes Mariota success. Mariota is pulling for Te'o, too. The reason is simple:

"It really comes down to it's Hawaii against the world," Mariota said.