This week I decided to let my dad pick his favorite Notre Dame football rivalry game and he picked the Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Pittsburgh Panthers 1964 match-up. It was his senior year. Notre Dame was playing against the team from his hometown, in his hometown (on their homecoming), on a blindingly sunny November day, and it was a huge win for the Irish (who went undefeated that season ... until they faced USC). But first, lets talk about the history of the Notre Dame vs. Pitt rivalry. The series began in 1909. Notre Dame leads the series 48-21-1.