COUNTDOWN TO SHOWDOWNIn the 25 days leading up to college football’s championship game between No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 2 Alabama at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, the Chattanooga Times Free Press is counting down the traditions and memorable moments involving the Irish and the Crimson Tide. Today is No. 2.
Bowl Championship Series 2013In 1988, Lou Holtz won a national championship in his third season as Notre Dame head coach.
Tradition dictates that he was supposed to.
Knute Rockne (1920), Frank Leahy (1943), Ara Parseghian (1966) and Dan Devine (1977) all led the Irish to national titles during their third seasons in South Bend, though Rockne won one in his second season as well. Holtz had the biggest turnaround of that bunch, as Notre Dame went 5-6 in his first season and 8-4 in his second.
“We had as much talent in ’86 as we had in ’88, but we had recruited for our system,” Holtz said. “We had Tony Rice, who was a very mobile quarterback compared to [Steve] Beuerlein my first year. We were able to take a Pat Terrell and move him from wide receiver to safety, and you know the importance that he made.