With No. 4 Notre Dame’s (10-1) matchup versus No. 1 Alabama (11-0) in the College Football Playoff this Jan. 1 at the Rose Bowl — to be held in Arlington, Texas — the Fighting Irish are in a rare position as a potential “two-timer.”
Head coach Brian Kelly’s group already defeated a No. 1-ranked team earlier this season when it toppled Clemson 47-40 in double-overtime on Nov. 7. The Tigers avenged that defeat last Saturday with a 34-10 victory in the ACC Championship to move up to No. 2 in the CFP rankings and will play No. 3 Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, the other semifinal on New Year’s Day.
Has any school defeated a No. 1-ranked team twice in the same college football season?
It occurred quite recently. On Nov. 11, 2017, Auburn toppled No. 1-ranked Georgia, 40-17. Two weeks later the Tigers defeated No. 1 Alabama 26-14 to put themselves in position to make the College Football Playoff despite having two defeats.
However, in the SEC Championship following that upset of Alabama, Auburn ran out of gas in the rematch with Georgia in a 28-7 defeat, and eventually finished with a 10-4 ledger (Alabama went on to defeat Georgia in overtime for the national title).
There is a caveat: When Auburn defeated Georgia in the first meeting that year, the Bulldogs were No. 2 in the Associated Press poll, whereas it was No. 1 in the CFP (the only poll that matters).
The closest Notre Dame came to defeating two No. 1 teams in the same year was when it won its most recent national title in 1988.
On Oct. 15 of that year, the Irish vanquished No. 1 and reigning national champ Miami, 31-30, snapping the Hurricanes’ 36-game winning streak in the regular season (the same 36-game regular season streak Clemson had this year before falling to Notre Dame).
Then in the regular-season finale on Nov. 26, head coach Lou Holtz’s top-ranked troops won at 10-0 and No. 2 USC (27-10). Finally, the championship campaign was capped with a 34-21 conquest of 11-0 and No. 3 West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl.
That unit became only the second Notre Dame team ever to defeat four teams that finished in the AP top 10: No. 2 Miami, No. 4 Michigan, No. 5 West Virginia and No. 7 USC.
The other was the 1943 national champs under Frank Leahy, which conquered the foes that finished No. 2 (Iowa Pre-Flight, a World War II semi-pro outfit), No. 3 (Michigan) and No. 4 (Navy). Furthermore, it defeated No. 9 (Northwestern), No. 11 (Army) and No. 13 (Georgia Tech) during a 10-game schedule.
Following that 1988 national championship season, the Irish continued to face quite the gauntlet:
• In 1989, Michigan was the preseason No. 1 pick in the AP, but by the time it faced Notre Dame on Sept. 16 it was No. 2 (behind the Irish). Notre Dame won that game — and later defeated 11-0 and No. 1 Colorado in the Orange Bowl (21-6) to finish No. 2.
• In 1990, Notre Dame was victorious over No. 4 Michigan in the opener, No. 2 Miami the next month and lost to No. 1 Colorado this time in the Orange Bowl (10-9).
In addition to the aforementioned amazing 1943 schedule, here are a few other occasions where Notre Dame almost played No. 1 twice in one season:
• On Nov. 6 1982 under Gerry Faust, Notre Dame upset No. 1 Pitt (31-16), who had Dan Marino at quarterback. The following week it hosted No. 5 Penn State — who would go on win the national title that season.
• In 1969 under Ara Parseghian, the Irish tied No. 3 USC (14-14) and lost to No. 1 Texas in the closing minute of the Cotton Bowl (21-17). The Longhorns and Trojans finished 1-2.
• The previous year, Notre Dame hosted and lost to AP No. 1 Purdue (37-22), but finished the regular season by tying No. 2 USC (21-21).
• In November 1952, Notre Dame closed the year with a win over No. 4 Oklahoma (27-21), a loss the next week to No. 1 Michigan State (21-3) and a defeat of No. 2 USC two weeks later (9-0).
Leahy’s Irish finished No. 3 that year while the Spartans ended No. 1, the Sooners No. 4 and the Trojans No. 5.
• In back-to-back weeks in 1945, Notre Dame tied No. 3 Navy (6-6) and lost to No. 1 Army (48-0). The Cadets and Midshipmen finished 1 and 3.
• While ranked No. 1 throughout 1943, Notre Dame defeated opponents that were 2, 3, 3, 8 and 2 in the AP poll at the time of the game.
This will be the first time since Jan. 1, 1991 that Notre Dame will play a No. 1 ranked team in a bowl game. In an amazing 22-season stretch from 1969-1990, the Irish faced an unbeaten and No. 1-ranked team in the Associated Press poll seven times (eight if you include the UPI Coaches poll in 1974).
More on that later in the week.
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