Entering the 1980s, despite being one of the sport’s century-long blue bloods, Alabama had been tormented by some of its notable counterparts in the midwest and southwest; especially two notable two teams — the Texas Longhorns and Notre Dame. We will cover Texas eventually, but let’s take a look at the Tide’s record of futility against its primary competitor for the sport’s all-time king of the roost: the Fighting Irish.
The two dynasties met four times in the 1970s, and no matter the environment (two neutral sites, one home, one away), no matter the stakes (national titles on the line), and no matter how hard fought, the Crimson Tide found itself on the losing end all four times — and all by a touchdown or less.