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✦ top storylines: notre dame vs. michigan By Lou Somogyi Setting The Tone Nothing better defines the outcome of a Notre Dame football season than the result from the Michigan contest. In the 29 meetings between the two teams since 1978 — with two-year hiatuses in 1983-84, 1995-96 and 2000-01 — the series is dead even at 14-14-1. Because Notre Dame-Michigan is considered one of the initial defining contests of each college football season, the result usually sets the stage of what trajectory the Fighting Irish football season will take. The facts speak for themselves: In the 15 years Notre Dame did not lose to Michigan, its overall record is 137-42-3 (.761 winning percentage). In the 14 years the Fighting Irish lost to the Wolverines, the final Notre Dame record was 92-77-1 (.544). Furthermore, in those 15 years Notre Dame did not lose to Michigan, it won at least nine games 10 times, finished in the Associated Press top 10 seven times and never had a worse record than 6-6 (2004). Conversely, in the 14 years Notre Dame lost to Michigan since 1978, it finished in the AP top 10 only once (way back in 1978), had at least five losses 11 times and never finished with fewer than three defeats. The long and short of it in 2013 is: beat Michigan and a second straight appearance in a BCS bowl would appear promising. Lose to the Wolverines and a 9-3 or worse finish with a second-tier bowl is the probable outcome. 'It Doesn't Have To Be Close' Typically, the Notre Dame-Michigan game comes down to the final possession or final seconds. That has happened Michigan celebrated after a 35-31 comeback victory against Notre Dame in 2011 in the first night game in the history of The Big House. The win was the third straight in the series for the Wolverines, with all three of them coming by four points in heartbreaking fashion for the Irish. photo by lon horwedel ✦ Page 7 20 of the 29 times (14-14-1) the two teams have met since 1978, including the last four. • Michigan scored a touchdown with 11 seconds remaining in the game in 2009 for a 38-34 triumph. • The Wolverines tallied the gamewinning touchdown with 27 seconds left in 2010 for a 28-24 conquest. • In 2011, Michigan trailed 31-28 and was backed up at its 20 with only 30 seconds remaining before scoring with two seconds left in a remarkable 35-31 win. • Last year, Notre Dame finally broke the drought with a 13-6 victory in which the Irish were able to run out the last 3:27 while converting third-and-four and third-and-eight situations. The pattern in this series usually has been two, three or even four straight contests that come down to the closing seconds — followed by a romp. One of the more famous such moments occurred in 1987, Lou Holtz's second season as Notre Dame's head coach. The previous three meetings between the Irish and Wolverines all had come down to the final series, including the year before when Notre Dame record-setting and future Pro Bowl kicker John Carney's 45-yard field goal hooked left with 13 seconds left in a 24‑23 defeat. The 1987 game in Ann Arbor was expected to be another nip-and-tuck affair, but Holtz delivered one message to his team prior to the game: "It doesn't have to be close." Notre Dame won 26-7, which is to this day its largest margin of victory against the Wolverines since the series renewed in 1978. During that time, the Irish hold an 11-8-1 edge over Michigan in games decided by one score, but Michigan has a 6-3 advantage in double-digit victories,