What were the five best Notre Dame teams in your lifetime?

Jiggafini19Deux said:

I think for a good portion of us within a certain age bracket, this is it. The title, beating Colorado in the Orange Bowl, Mirer beating Michigan in the opener, piss pounding Florida in the Sugar Bowl, beating Penn State in the snow on Senior Day, beating Florida State.

There have been moments since then, sure, but collectively, you are 100% on when it comes to chasing the high of this time frame since it ended.

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Yep. Born in 1978 and this is the era that shaped me. I don't even remember '88 all that much, but by 1990 I was completely hooked. Maybe it was just being a middle-school-aged kid but those teams were giants and Notre Dame football meant something.
Even despite our good seasons under Weis and Kelly, it is only in the last couple of years that it has felt like we've started to really matter again, and have that team that is capable of beating anyone on the right day.

I was born in 88 but didn't become a fan until 2005 so I will only judge from my fanhood onward.
1. 2024: Elite defense, offensive line, and run game. Gritty team full of dogs who really asserted their will over teams. Gave me the biggest wins of my time as a fan. As someone who absolutely loathes UGA, beating them in the Sugar Bowl will only be topped by a win in the NCG in terms of importance to me.

2. 2025: I hesitated to put them on the list at at all, but they were probably the most balanced and talented team in the past 20 years in South Bend and it was a team that was fully capable of winning it all. Yet, they lost their two biggest games and didn't have a postseason, but they the 10 game heater they ended the season on and having a Heisman candidate and top 5 pick on offense (with another first round RB to boot) were too much for me to ignore.

3. 2015: Another team picked more on team talent and theoretical potential, but this was the most explosive offense of my time as a fan. Enough talent to win the NC, handicapped by the worst coordinator I've maybe ever seen at ND other than perhaps Gerard Parker (but he was dealt a sort of shit hand so I'll cut him some slack).

4. 2018: Great defense, average offense. Got badly exposed by a team with much greater talent.

5. 2012: A magical year with a terrible ending. Some iconic moments and iconic players. Gritty and hard working, but overachieving.

Honorable mentions:
2020
2017

2024
2018
2025
2020
2012

1988
1993
1989
1992
2025

1988, 1993, 1989, 2024, 2025

'92, '93, '12, '18, '24

'26 should oust 2012.

‘88 was my first memory watching the Irish.

‘89 I cried and punched a hole in the wall…G’pa took me bowling in the middle of the night (because Expo was the only thing open) just to cool me down.

‘93 Ugg… gpa was from Thomasville, GA (same town as Charlie Ward) and he had no mercy then.

Ward’s Heisman trophy is in Thomasville library. I’ve seen it many times.

GATTACA! said:

I envy your guys experience as young ND fans. Having your formative years be Willingham and Weis was fucking brutal. Especially in enemy territory.

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I thankfully don’t have memories of Willingham as the coach, so I had the less painful experience of my first season I watched be 2005

2005 is a bit disrespected in this thread IMO.

We win that game against MSU if Eddy and Hanratty don't get hurt.

Chino Cherokee said:

My dad taught Physics at Notre Dame in the late 60's. I was a young 'un, but I went to most of the home games.

My fav team was '66:

The 1966 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was an American football team that represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. In their second season under head coach Ara Parseghian, the Irish compiled a 9–0–1 record, shut out six of ten opponents, outscored all opponents by a total of 362 to 38, and were ranked No. 1 in the final AP and UPI Polls. In four games against ranked opponents, they defeated No. 7 Purdue (26–14), No. 10 Oklahoma (38–0), and No. 10 USC (51–0), and tied with No. 2 Michigan State (10–10). The 1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game is considered one of the great "games of the century".


Notre Dame linebacker Jim Lynch won the Maxwell Award as the best all-around player in college football. Lynch, guard Tom Regner, halfback Nick Eddy, and defensive end Alan Page were consensus first-team selections on the 1966 All-America college football team. Defensive tackles Pete Duranko and Kevin Hardy also received first-team All-America honors from multiple sectors. The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Terry Hanratty (1,247 passing yards), Eddy (553 rushing yards, 60 points scored), end Jim Seymour (862 receiving yards), and Lynch (106 tackles).

I had a #5 ND Jersey (Hanratty) that I wore all the freaking time, and a Dallas Cowboys helmet that I spray painted GOLD!

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1966
1970
1973
1977
1988

1988
1973
1977
1993
2024

1988
1989
1993
1973
1977