“Exactly” 56 Years Since Notre Dame “Tied One” For “The Gipper”

I will get to the headline and the sad fact Notre Dame was rewarded, not penalized, for playing to tie, late in the tilt.

It is the amazing, inexorable passage of time that I both marvel at and regret, that has accumulated 56 years since another Saturday November 19th, that in ’66. Along that “route” I recall and opine.

Then, I actually rooted for Notre Dame and though on my show in December 1991, the late, great college football expert, Beano Cook thought Alabama, denied both years by Notre Dame in a vote, (to Notre Dame’s credit, they denied ‘Bama on the field to “claim” in ’73 and as a spoiler in ’74), had a bigger claim in ’66 than ’77–I think ’77 was worse, maybe because by then, I rooted vs Notre Dame.

Alas there were so many great players on the field that day 56 years ago in East Lansing, Alan Page of Notre Dame and Charles “Bubba” Smith of “Mich” State, to name just one, from each excellent squad.

The game ended (10-10), no overtime then and it was Dan Jenkins, the only one Beano said who knew more regarding college “pig” than he, who wrote that Notre Dame “tied one for The Gipper.”

After a rout of U.S.C. (John McKay never forgot it and USC did very well vs Notre Dame after that for a good amount of time) and despite Ken Stabler and Alabama routing Nebraska in “The Sugar,” A.P. voted Notre Dame #1.

Alas, “the old man”/Beano would have kicked a certain “b.M.’s” toosh, with Notre Dame over “reg” season wins bets, since his death during the ’12 season.

Despite losses to Marshall and Stanford, Notre Dame, which will be a nice “dog” at USC, and barring an upset loss vs Boston College today (B.C. did it to them, spoiling their title hopes in ’93, the last time I “stood up” and yielding incredible Beano happy “screams,” I so wish I can find and play) can attain another “over” (’twas 8 and a half), if it upsets USC, at the L.A. Coliseum, next Saturday, likely at night.

Surely I have been hard on Notre Dame and maybe worse, inattentive to Michigan State.

Thus I cite; even the hype and certainly the atmosphere, players and even the result of that famed tilt (# of years “Abrahams,” Lincoln and Freigenberg lived) ago, will continue to resonate with me and many others, as time continues its inexorable march on.

 

I will always marvel at the bravery and performance of Notre Dame reserve quarterback, Coley O’Brien, who came into the famed tie/tilt and helped Notre Dame get a comeback tie and deserved or not, a “Mythical” (all back then and to a degree still were “mythical”) title.