is rivalry week. One of the best is Notre Dame and USC, maybe the best in intercollegiate athletics.
Given Notre Dame is unbeaten and in the thick of the CFP positioning The Irish might want to review the 1964 game. Ara Parseghian’s team was 9-0, ranked number one in the polls, and would stay there if it could beat the Trojans. ( Bowl Games were not taken into consideration, there were just 8, and Notre Dame never played in one until 1969)
USC belonged to the Athletic Association of Western Universities( which became the Pac8 five years later). With league play finished the Trojans and Oregon State were tied for first and the league had to vote for a team to represent it in the Rose Bowl. The Trojans lobbied to postpone the vote until after it played Notre Dame. A victory would give them a 7-3 record against the Beavers’ 8-2 mark but everyone agreed that USC had played tougher teams(now known as SOS).
Notre Dame was the clear favorite. So much so that John McCay, the Trojan witty but wily coach remarked a week before the game that he saw “ no way” his team could win. By mid-week he amended that statement to
I've decided that if we play our very best and make no mistakes whatsoever we will definitely make a first down,"
Notre Dame did dominate and led 17-0 by halftime. But in the second the Trojans started to control the game and the Irish turned the ball over several times and it was 17-14. With under 2 minutes left halfback Rod Sherman caught a 15 yard pass for a TD and USC prevailed 20-14.
The Irish were devastated but the Trojans’s victory celebration was silenced after the AAWU voted to send Oregon State to the Rose Bowl where they lost to Michigan.
For both schools it was a bittersweet season. Notre Dame had dramatically rebounded from a two win season in 1963 to within 30 minutes of a National Championship. To underscore the dramatic turnaround QB John Huarte won the ‘64 Heisman Trophy after failing to even win a Letter in ‘63.
For USC the tremendous upset of Notre Dame failed to get it to the Rose Bowl(which to many in those days was better than a NC) all because of a vote.
USC Athletic Director Jess Hill summed up the Trojans’ feelings
So far as I am concerned, this is one of the rankest injustices ever perpetrated in the field of intercollegiate athletics."
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Undefeated Alabama was named the 1964 AP champion but the Tide couldn’t go to the Sugar Bowl because of the non-repeat provision so they went to the Orange Bowl and lost to Texas.
Michigan won a trip to the Rose Bowl after shutting out OSU 10-0.
The Wolverines creamed Oregon State 34-7 in The Rose Bowl.
Also in 1964 the list of Independent schools was a massive one. The days of conference rivalries were a long way off and the Bowl Games were, for the most part, regional pairings, the Rose Bowl not withstanding.
The 1964 Independents
Notre Dame
Florida State
Colgate
Georgia Tech
Syracuse
Villanova
Boston College
Rutgers
Southern Miss
New Mexico State
Penn State
VPI
Memphis State
Utah State
Holy Cross
Buffalo
Colorado State
Air Force
Miami (FL)
Xavier
Army
Idaho
West Texas State
San Jose State
Pittsburgh
Navy
Dayton
Detroit
Boston University
Houston
Pacific (CA)
Texas Western