Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/638727
UNDER THE DOME JUST LIKE IN 1943 … SORT OF Since the advent of the Associated Press poll in 1936, the 2015 football season marked only the second year ever Notre Dame played the teams that finished No. 2 (Clemson), No. 3 (Stanford) and No. 4 (Ohio State) in the final AP poll. It was Clemson's highest finish since winning the 1981 national title, and it was Stanford's top placement since No. 2 in 1940. The other such season at Notre Dame occurred in 1943, when head coach Frank Leahy's third campaign with the Fighting Irish saw the national champs defeat No. 2 Iowa Pre‑Flight (14‑13 versus the semi‑pro World War II team replete with college and future pro stars), No. 3 Michigan (35‑12) and No. 4 Navy (33‑6). That season the Irish also vanquished the teams that fin‑ ished No. 9 (Northwestern), No. 11 (Army) and No. 13 (Georgia Tech). Notre Dame had come close several times since then playing three teams that placed in the final top four: • The 1952 Irish that finished No. 3 lost to No. 1 Michigan State, but defeated No. 4 Oklahoma and No. 5 USC (plus No. 10 Texas). • In 1957, head coach Terry Brennan's No. 10 Irish lost to No. 3 Michigan State, but upset No. 4 Oklahoma (ending the Sooners' record 47‑game winning streak). It also lost to No. 5 Navy and No. 6 Iowa. • In 1988, Lou Holtz's third season at Notre Dame, the national champion Irish toppled No. 2 Miami (31‑30), No. 4 Michigan (19‑17), No. 5 West Virginia (34‑21) and No. 7 USC (27‑10). It joined the 1943 Irish as one of four teams in college football annals to defeat four teams that finished in the AP top 10. This year, No. 18 Navy ended up being Notre Dame's top victory (41‑24), from a rankings standpoint. In Kelly's six seasons, the Midshipmen also became the eighth team the Irish vanquished that finished in the AP top 25. Here is the list: • 2011: Michigan State (No. 11) • 2012: Stanford (No. 7), Oklahoma (No. 15) and Michigan (No. 24) • 2013: Michigan State (No. 3), USC (No. 19) and Arizona State (No. 21) • 2014: None • 2015: Navy (No. 18) Defeating only one top‑25 finisher the past two years is something Notre Dame needs to improve in 2016 to be classified at a higher level. — Lou Somogyi This past season marked only the second time ever Notre Dame played the teams that finished No. 2 (Clemson), No. 3 (Stanford) and No. 4 (Ohio State) in the final Associated Press poll. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA