Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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3, in the Cotton Bowl, but Alabama earned the national title with a 34-13 whipping of Miami. Still, we would have picked the Irish to win any game by the end of this season. Even with a four-team playoff, Notre most NFL-talented team with seven first- round picks in the starting lineup, includ- ing QB Rick Mirer and fullback Jerome Bettis, plus tailback Reggie Brooks ("only" a second-round pick), who finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy vote. RESULT: Notre Dame routed the Aggies, 28- sus No. 4 Texas A&M (12-0) and No. 2 Alabama (12-0) versus No. 3 Florida State (10-1). THE CAVEAT: This probably was Holtz's the regular season No. 5 with seven straight wins — the last three against No. 9 Boston College (54-7), No. 22 Penn State (17-16) and at No. 19 USC (31-23). It was matched up against No. 4 Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. FOUR-TEAM PLAYOFF: No. 1 Miami (11-0) ver- SITUATION: Notre Dame (10-1-1) finished AT THE FOUR-TEAM INN 1992: NO ROOM Dame might not have been selected, which goes to show how there can al- ways be debates and arguments. sus No. 1 Florida State, the 10-0 and new No. 1 Irish lost the regular-season finale to Boston College, 41-39. FOUR-TEAM PLAYOFF: No. 1 Florida State (11-1) 1993: HEAD-TO-HEAD OVERLOOKED SITUATION: Coming off a 31-24 victory ver- versus No. 4 Notre Dame (10-1) and No. 2 Nebraska (11-0) versus No. 3 West Virginia (11-0). Running back/defensive back Jeff Burris scored in Notre Dame's 31-24 defeat of No. 1 Florida State in 1993. The two teams likely would have met again in the semifinals of a four-team playoff. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ARCHIVE other playoff rematch from the regular sea- son. THE CAVEAT: This would have been yet an- strong 10-1 Texas A&M team in the Cotton Bowl (24-21), it finished No. 2 to Florida State, which beat Nebraska with a late field goal in the Orange Bowl. This time, unlike in 1989, the head-to- RESULT: Although Notre Dame defeated a head regular-season result did not weigh in Notre Dame's favor. nally will come to fruition. However, based on past history, it doesn't mean it will be void of its own controversies. ✦ AUGUST 2012 67 The clamor by the public for a playoff fi-