Notre Dame 13, Alabama 11 (1975): Once Again, the Irish Rise Above the Crimson Tide

As part of our coverage of the BCS National Championship Game between Alabama and Notre Dame, we're going through the archives and re-running our posts from previous bowl match-ups between the two teams. Our last portion of this series covered the 1973 Sugar Bowl. This edition covers the 1975 Orange Bowl.*

If Bear Bryant is ever going to have another undefeated season, he might have to do it without facing Ara Parseghian. Because for the second year in a row, Alabama's hopes at finishing off the year without a loss went down in flames against Parseghian's Notre Dame.

With Oklahoma ineligible for the postseason and not playing, the Tide's loss might very well have cost them a chance at a consensus national title -- and will at the very least take away the chance for a split national title when the coaches' poll is released.

The Tide actually outgained the Irish by 81 yards, but Notre Dame shut down Alabama's ground game (62 yards on 33 carries) and intercepted Richard Todd twice -- including a crucial pick near the end of the game to kill a late, potentially game-winning drive by the Tide.

And that ended the latest attempt by the Bear to defeat one of college football's most storied programs and clinch yet another national title -- this one after the bowl game was played. Bryant isn't going anywhere, and he will have more opportunities for undefeated seasons and national championships to cap off what might be the greatest career in college football history.

But at least for now, Parseghian has his number. And, for the second year in a row, a win that capsized what could have been a special season for Alabama.

*In case you can't figure this out on your own, we don't really have archives dating back to 1975, or any part of the 1970s. We're having fun with a game-by-game look at the history of the Alabama-Notre Dame series in bowl games. We would have done each game if college football records online were more complete.