3 Observations
Unfortunately, in Notre Dame’s 10-2 regular season, the 2 seems to stand out more than the 10.
Twenty-five years ago, an unranked and 6-4-1 Notre Dame team was invited to play No. 4-ranked and 10-1 Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl. As anticipated, the Irish were dispatched of fairly easily, 41-24 (41-10 at one point) in the mismatch.
It was an undeserved bid for head coach Lou Holtz’s team, but they were living off the equity of a 64-9-1 mark from the previous six years, highlighted by an extraordinary 5-1 record in the major bowls against opponents that combined for a mind-boggling 64-3-1 record entering those contests.
A quarter-century later, a quality 10-2 Notre Dame team might be on the outside looking in at the major bowl scene, with a Dec. 28 date in the Camping World Bowl in Orlando versus a third-place Big 12 team the most likely destination and popular projection, unless some unforeseen 11th-hour, behind-the-scenes agreement is achieved.
