Happy New Year!  I figured with all of the end-of lists, a review of ND's 25 Greatest Games was in order.  I thought it might make for interesting reading for the page.  Of course, many will argue with my choices, and there clearly is a bent towards the present, but here they are, in chronological order...

1. 1913 - Notre Dame 35, Army 13
Notre Dame introduces the forward pass into to college football.  QB Gus Dorais' favorite target was an end by the name of Knute Rockne.

2. 1925 - Notre Dame 27, Stanford 10 (Rose Bowl)
the Four Horsemen reigned supreme.  Elmer layden had a 78 yard interception return for a TD; QB Harry Stuhldreher played most of the game on a broken ankle.

3. 1928 - Notre Dame 12, Army 6
ND won one for the Gipper.

4. 1935 - Notre Dame 18, Ohio State 13
the original "Game of the Century", won by ND when fullback Bill Shakespeare faked a reverse and threw a TD to Wayne Millner.  ND missed all three extra points.

5. 1943 - Notre Dame 35, Michigan 12
ND's first matchup of #1 vs #2 teams; Irish were led to victory by Heisman winner QB Angelo Bertelli

6. 1943 - Notre Dame 14, Iowa Pre-Flight 13
Another #1 vs #2 matchup, another ND win, en route to Frank Leahy's first national title.   Irish win on Creighton Miller's second half 6 yard TD run.

7. 1946 - Notre Dame 0, Army 0
ND ties Army at Yankee Stadium in New York, breaking a 25 game winning streak by the two-time defending national champion Army.  A Johnny Lujack tackle prevented a TD in the waning moments to preserve the tie and national championship for the Irish.

8. 1953 - Notre Dame 27, Georgia Tech 14
The Rambling Wreck were undefeated, ranked #1, and riding a 31 game winning streak.   The Irish, led by Heisman winning QB Johnny Lattner and an all-star backfield of HB Ralph Gugliemi, HB Joe Heap, and FB Neil Worden, upset Tech while coach Frank Leahy was in the locker room suffering from gastroenteritis.

9. 1957 - Notre Dame 7, Oklahoma 0
The Sooners' record 47 game winning streak comes to end on Dick Lynch's 3 yard TD run.   The Sooners had not lost since 1953 - when they were beaten by ND.

10.  Notre Dame 40, Navy 0
A matchup between two Heisman winners, Navy QB Roger Staubach (1963), and ND QB John Huarte (1964).  The Irish route the Midshipmen en route to a 9-1 year in Ara Parseghian's debut season.  Navy hasn't beaten us since.

11. 1966 - Notre Dame 10, Michigan State 10
Called by many the true "Game of the Century".  Ara opts for the tie and goes conservative late; the #1 Irish are voted national champions.

12. 1971 Cotton Bowl - Notre Dame 24, Texas 11
The prior year was the Irish return to Bowl Games after a 45-year hiatus.  The Irish lost 21-17; the Longhorns won the national title.  No celebrating the following year for the #1 Longhorns - the Irish won easily, its first bowl win in 46 years.  They finished the season ranked #2.

13. 1973 Sugar Bowl - Notre Dame 24, Alabama 23
ND wins its ninth consensus national title with a thriller in New Orleans.  The game was saved by Tom Clements pass on fourth down out of his own end zone to TE Robin Weber.

14. 1975 Orange Bowl - Notre Dame 13, Alabama 11
Ara's final game ended hopes of a national title for Bear Bryant and the Crimson Tide.   Reggie Barnett's late interception saved the game for the Irish.

15. 1977 - Notre Dame 49, USC 19
Coach Dan Devine brings out the Green Jerseys, leading the team to a rout over favored USC.  The ploy has been used many times since, but never with such a result.

16. 1978 Cotton Bowl - Notre Dame 38, Texas 10
Fifth-ranked ND upsets the #1 Longhorns, and wins the national title.  The Irish were led by Jerome Heavens (101 yards rushing) and Vagas Ferguson (100 yards rushing), and QB Joe Montana.

17. 1979 Cotton Bowl - Notre Dame 35, Houston 34
The fabled "Chicken Soup" game.  Joe Montana, fighting off gastroenteritis with a halftime home remedy, leads the Irish to a remarkable 23-point fourth quarter comeback in the frigid Texas winter.

18. 1988 - Notre Dame 19, Michigan 17
Led by walk-on kicker Reggie Ho's four field goals, the Irish escape the battle with the Wolverines when kicker Mike Gillette's last-second field goal attempt sails wide.  It was the beginning of former coach Ara Parseghian's predicted "rise from the ashes".

19. 1988 - Notre Dame 31, Miami 30
Another contender for the "Game of the Century".  The Irish avenged a 58-7 thrashing at the hands of the Hurricanes three years earlier with a thriller to dethrone the defending national champions.  Billed "Catholics vs Convicts", the game literally followed one year of hype.  It ended when CB Pat Terrell batted away 'Cane QB Steve Walsh's two point attempt with seconds to play.

20. 1988 - Notre Dame 27, USC 10
In a matchup of #1 ND and #2 USC, the Irish completed an undefeated season with an easy win on the road against the Trojans.  The Irish were led by QB Tony Rice's 86 yards rushing and 91 yards passing.

21. 1989 Fiesta Bowl - Notre Dame 34, West Virginia 21
The Irish completed the 1988 season with a prefect 12-0 record and consensus 11th national championship.  The Irish were led by speedy freshman TB Raghib "the Rocket" Ismail.

22. 1989 - Notre Dame 24, Michigan 19
In another #1 (ND) vs #2 (Michigan) matchup, Wolverine coach Bo Schembechler decided to test fate - and lost.  After being burned by All-American Raghib Ismail for a 89 kickoff-return for a TD, the Wolves kicked to him again.  That time the "Rocket" returned it 92 yards for a score.  The Irish winning streak reached 14, eventually snapped at 23 by Miami later that season.

23. 1992 Sugar Bowl - Notre Dame 39, Florida 28
Despite the joke of the difference between Cheerios and ND was that Cheerios belonged in a bowl, the Irish shocked third-ranked Florida with a 3-2-6 defense and a command performance by RB Jerome Bettis with 228 yards and 3 TDs.  It was a game in which the Irish wore white jerseys with green numbers - the first time under Lou Holtz the Irish wore green.

24. 1992 - Notre Dame 17, Penn State 16
The Irish sent the Nittany Lions off to the Big 10 with a last-minute thrilling win in the snow in South Bend.  After hitting Jerome Bettis with a TD pass with 30 seconds remaining, QB Rick Mirer found his fourth option - halfback Reggie Brooks - for the 2 point conversion and win.

25. 1993 - Notre Dame 31, Florida State 24
The Irish, led by QB Kevin McDougal,  upset #1 FSU with a resounding win to claim the number one ranking.  The game was saved by a last second interception of Heisman winner Charlie Ward by Shawn Wooden.  The Irish foothold at the top was short-lived, however, as they would lose to Boston College the next week.  Despite the results of the game, Florida State (11-1) was voted national champion over ND (also 11-1), prompting many to call for a playoff.  Perhaps we'll see that in the next century.

John Romanelli, '91