January 2, 1988.
I was still a month from turning two so I have no real-life memory of the day, the Fiesta Bowl or celebrating a national championship. What I do know are a few things:
One:
My first takeaway has always been when learning about the 1988 team that as ridiculous as it sounds, the Fiesta Bowl win over West Virginia that clinched the title feels like it was at most the third biggest game of the ’88 season, perhaps even the fourth. Miami in the Catholics vs. Convicts battle immediately comes to mind, then for me my head goes to the No. 1 vs No. 2 regular season finale at USC. And finally, Reggie Ho’s heroics against Michigan in September I think of before the Fiesta Bowl comes to mind.
Two:
Who could have ever guessed that would be the one and only title Lou Holtz would win in South Bend? The program was on the rise and entering an incredible run from 88-93 that saw them go a combined 64-9-1, suffering just one loss in each of ’89, ’92 and ’93.
Yet each year the failed to win the national championship, even as ridiculous it remains to me Florida State was given the nod in ’93 but the program’s greatest heights in the modern-era, or at least since color-TV became the norm saw one championship and a bunch of close calls.
NBC has more exclusive television deals for their football team since that January night than they do national championships. Which leads me to…
Three:
I really hope it doesn’t take 31 more years for Notre Dame to win another national title. Like I said earlier I was far too young to have any memory of the 1988 team besides what I’ve read online or watched on YouTube.
I’ll be 64 years old in 31 years if I make it that long. Please don’t have me still waiting by then, Brian Kelly and company.
In the meantime enjoy some highlights from that memorable night, at least for those that are old enough to remember it.