Notre Dang Bowl Game Record

[E.T.]

Irish have dropped to 13-14 all-time in bowl games...

Irish accustomed to bowl underdog role

By Tim Prister, IrishIllustrated.com Senior Editor – Rivals.com

NEW ORLEANS, La.â€â€When Notre Dame returned to the bowl scene in the Jan. 1, 1970 Cotton Bowl against No. 1-ranked Texas, the university justified post-regular season play for the first time in 45 years by citing the desire to take on a higher ranked team so as to help the team's final ranking.

In fact, since Notre Dame's return to the bowls on a regular basis, the Irish have been ranked higher than their bowl opponent just seven out of 26 times. It becomes seven out of 27 times when the No. 11 Irish take on No. 4 LSU in the Jan. 3, 2007 Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

Early on, Notre Dame could easily back up its proclamation that post-season play was a way of furthering its final standing. Of the first nine bowl games the Irish played beginning in 1970, six were against the No. 1-ranked team in the country.

• 1970 Cotton Bowlâ€â€No. 8 (AP)/9 (UPI) Notre Dame lost to No. 1 Texas, 21-17.

• 1971 Cotton Bowlâ€â€No. 5 (AP)/6 (UPI) Notre Dame defeated No. 1 Texas, 24-11.

• 1973 Sugar Bowlâ€â€No. 3 (AP)/4 (UPI) Notre Dame defeated No. 1 Alabama, 24-23

• 1975 Orange Bowlâ€â€No. 9 (AP)/8 (UPI) Notre Dame defeated No. 1 (UPI) Alabama, 13-11.

• 1978 Cotton Bowlâ€â€No. 5 (AP/UPI) Notre Dame defeated No. 1 Texas, 38-10.

• 1981 Sugar Bowlâ€â€No. 7 (AP)/8 (UPI) Notre Dame lost to No. 1 Georgia, 17-10.

Notre Dame is 5-3 all-time in bowl games against the No. 1-ranked squad, including a 21-6 victory over Colorado in the 1990 Orange Bowl and a 10-9 loss to Colorado in the 1991 Orange Bowl.

Notre Dame has been ranked No. 1 itself just once heading into a bowl game. That came in the 1989 Fiesta Bowl when the No. 1-ranked and undefeated Irish won the national championship with a 34-21 victory over West Virginia.

It's been so long since the Irish won a bowl game that some might be surprised to hear that Notre Dame actually was one of the nation's better bowl teams before the current eight-game losing streak began.

When the Irish knocked off Houston, 35-34, in the Joe Montana-led Cotton Bowl/Ice Bowl comeback, Notre Dame was 7-2 all-time in bowl games. A five-game bowl winning streak later raised Notre Dame's post-regular season mark to 13-6.

But the Irish have dropped to 13-14 all-time in bowl games with the current losing streak.

The 2007 Allstate Sugar Bowl will mark the ninth straight bowl game the Irish have been the point spread underdog.

[E.T.]

Looks like LSU is helping The Irish stay on a losing train  ;D