1988 McMNC: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

AP Top 10: Final Record -- Key Bowl Results

1. Notre Dame: 12-0-0 -- W, Fiesta, 34-21
2. Miami-FL: 11-1-0 -- W, Orange, 23-3
3. Florida State: 11-1-0 -- W, Sugar, 13-7
4. Michigan: 9-2-1 -- W, Rose, 22-14
5. West Virginia: 11-1-0 -- L, Fiesta, 21-34
6. UCLA: 10-2-0 -- W, Cotton, 17-3
7. USC: 10-2-0 -- L, Rose, 14-22
8. Auburn: 10-2-0 -- L, Sugar, 7-13
9. Clemson: 10-2-0 -- W, Citrus, 13-6
10. Nebraska: 11-2-0 -- L, Orange, 3-23

Side note: Michigan finished #4, ahead of nine teams with better records. Maybe it's because they were four points away from their own perfect season. Michigan lost to Notre Dame by two points in South Bend, and they lost to Miami by one point in Ann Arbor. The tie was against 6-4-3 Iowa on the road. Yes, the Hawkeyes had THREE ties in 1988, all in Big Ten play, too. Also, note UCLA's finish above USC in the rankings, despite USC's head-to-head win over the Bruins. Bowl wins mean momentum, eh?

Two of the most boring consecutive years in McMNC history, no doubt.

Notre Dame is the obvious choice here: they beat #2 Miami by a point at home, they beat #4 Michigan by two points at home, they beat #7 USC by 17 points on the road in a November "#1 vs. #2" matchup of undefeated teams, and they beat #5 West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl in another matchup of undefeated teams. I mean, seriously: four wins over teams in the Top 7?! And still, their SOS rating was only 54% in 1988, because they played dogs like 3-6-2 Stanford, 3-8 Navy, and 0-11 Rice.

Who else do we even look at? Florida State has a 63% SOS rating, which is outstanding. But they lost by 31 points on the road to Miami to open the season. You can't take a thumping like that and expect to win the McMNC. If they'd lost to Miami by a point (like they did in 1987, for example), maybe the door would be open. But 31 points? Get out of here, Bobby Bowden!

Nothing else to say, except ... Go Irish!

McMNC Revisions
1. Notre Dame
2. Miami
3. Florida State
4. West Virginia
5. USC

RUNNING SCORECARD:
USC: -1962, =1967, +1969, =1972, +1978, +1979
Pittsburgh: +1936, -1937, =1976, +1980
Tennessee: +1938, +1942, +1950, -1951
Penn State: +1977, +1981, =1982, =1986
UCLA: +1965
Arkansas: +1964
Mississippi: +1962
Washington: +1960
Iowa: +1956
Georgia Tech: +1952
Illinois: +1951
Michigan: +1947, =1948
Purdue: +1943
Stanford: +1940
California: +1937
Nebraska: =1970, =1971
BYU: =1984
Syracuse: =1959
LSU: =1958
Texas A&M: =1939
Auburn: -1957, +1983
Georgia: +1946, -1980
Michigan State: -1952, +1953
Ohio State: -1942, +1944, =1954, =1968
Oklahoma: +1949, -1950, =1955, -1956, +1957, =1975, =1986
TCU: -1938
Maryland: -1953
Clemson: -1981
Miami-FL: -1983, =1987
Texas: =1963, -1969
Army: -1944, -1945
Minnesota: -1936, -1940, =1941, -1960
Alabama: +1945, =1961, -1964, -1965, -1978, -1979
Notre Dame: -1943, -1946, -1947, -1949, =1966, =1973, -1977, =1988