The Great Catholics Vs. Convicts Battle Defines 1988 College Football
As the Catholics vs. Convicts moniker suggests, the two programs had completely contrasting public images, with Notre Dame perceived as the good guys, and Miami as the bad.
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1992 Notre Dame Football: Bettis & Brooks Blast Their Way To The Top 5
Notre Dame has produced some great running backs in its heralded football history over the years, going all the way back to the days of George Gipp and before him The Four Horsemen. The modern history isn’t quite that dramatic, but what the 1992 Notre Dame football team put out in the backfield was awfully good. The tandem of Reggie Brooks and Jerome Bettis led the way on a season that came out of a midseason valley and finished strong.
The Historical Landmark That Was The 1984 Orange Bowl
The 1984 Orange Bowl—following the 1983 college football season–was arguably the most seminal game in college football history, when the heavily favored Nebraska Cornhuskers met the up-and-coming Miami Hurricanes.
1985 Notre Dame Football: Gerry Faust’s Last Shot
Faust’s enthusiasm, his devout Catholicism and his record of winning seemed to make him a dream choice for Notre Dame. But the first four years hadn’t gone well—no major bowl appearances—and 1985 was his last chance to make it work
1993 Notre Dame Football: Champions Uncrowned
The 1993 Notre Dame football team was coming off a Top 5 finish in 1992, where the Irish finished 9-1-1 in the regular season and then blasted Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Under the leadership of head coach Lou Holtz, Notre Dame had been to a major bowl game every year since 1987, won the national title in 1988 and finished #2 in 1989. Even though expectations weren’t high for 1993, that’s all relative and “low expectations” still meant a Top 10 preseason ranking.
1990 Notre Dame Football: Raised Hopes & A Gut-Wrenching Finish
Miami’s trip to Notre Dame in 1990 would be the swan song.
On October 20, underneath a beautiful autumn sky in South Bend, the Irish led 22-20 late when Mirer hit running back Rodney Culver for the touchdown that sealed it. Even though they had one loss, it was already a chaotic year in college football and Notre Dame was back to #1 in the polls.
1977 Notre Dame Football & The Dramatic New Year’s Day Turnabout
This would’ve been the ideal time for a plus-one format after the bowls, because the Irish and Tide had strong resumes, but ones that appealed to different voting philosophies. Alabama had played a consistently tougher schedule and their September loss to Nebraska was infinitely more defensible than Notre Dame’s defeat at Ole Miss.
But the Tide didn’t have wins like the devastations Notre Dame had hung on USC and Texas—beating two highly regarded opponents by a combined 58 points.
The Path To The 2008 Florida-Oklahoma BCS National Championship Battle
The Florida Gators and Oklahoma Sooners each had recent national championships under their belt, in 2006 and 2000 respectively. The 2008 season didn’t always go smoothly for either program, and each hit a bump in the road. But they ended in Miami, playing each other for the BCS National Championship. Here’s a look back on how we arrived at the 2008 Florida-Oklahoma game, and how it unfolded.
The 1992 Miami Hurricanes Run Of Miracle Finishes
Editor’s Note: This post is part of a series of sports history articles commemorating under-the-radar teams and moments in a given year. This article about the 1992 Miami Hurricanes recalls a memorable run of miracle finishes as the team made a drive at a repeat national title that ultimately came up just short.