halftime, 7–0. The victory solidified USC's place at the top of the final rankings. 1968 – Notre Dame 21, USC 21 USC came into the game undefeated and ranked number 1 in the nation behind the running of eventual Heisman Trophy winner O. J. Simpson, while the Irish were 7–2. The game was one of the most widely viewed in college football history with a 22.9 rating, surpassing even the 1966 Notre Dame match-up with Michigan State. Joe Theismann started at quarterback in place of the injured Terry Hanratty, and on the second play of the game, he threw an interception that Sandy Durko returned for a touchdown and a quick 7–0 lead for the Trojans. But Theismann didn't let that bother him and by halftime had staked the Irish to a 21–7 lead, the third touchdown coming on a halfback-to-quarterback option pass by Coley O'Brien. The Trojans scored twice in the second half to tie the score and after two unsuccessful field goal attempts by Notre Dame, the game ended in a tie. Simpson was held to 55 net rushing yards, his lowest output of the season. The Irish finished with a fifth-place ranking with a 7–2–1 record, while the Trojans would lose to the eventual national champion Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. It marked the last season of self-imposed bowl abstinence for Notre Dame. 1969 – USC 14, Notre Dame 14 For the second straight year, the Irish tied the Trojans. Notre Dame came into this game at 3–1, having lost to Purdue and their quarterback, Mike Phipps, while USC was undefeated. After a scoreless first half, the Irish scored first, but the Trojans took a 14–7 lead in the fourth quarter. Notre Dame tied it after blocking a USC punt deep in their own territory. As was the case a year earlier, the Irish missed a field goal late in the game that would have put them ahead. USC would finish 10–0–1 with a Rose Bowl win over Michigan while Notre Dame would make its first bowl appearance in 45 years, losing to eventual national champion Texas in the Cotton Bown in a 21–17 thriller. 1970 – USC 38, Notre Dame 28 Notre Dame was 9–0 and ranked #2 behind Texas, whom they would face in a rematch in the Cotton Bowl Classic, while USC was 5–4–1. In one of the most remarkable performances in college