1975 Orange Bowl , part of the 1974 bowl game season , took place on January 1 , 1975 , at the Orange Bowl in Miami , Florida . It matched the Alabama Crimson Tide of the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) and independent Notre Dame Fighting Irish , a rematch of the previous season 's Sugar Bowl . In a game dominated by both defenses , underdog Notre Dame Alabama finished the regular season with an 11 – 0 record and were conference champions . Following their victory over Mississippi State , Orange Bowl officials announced Alabama accepted an invitation to play against Notre Dame in a rematch of the previous year 's Sugar Bowl . The appearance marked the seventh for Alabama in the Orange Bowl , and their 28th overall bowl game appearance
independent
NCAA Division I FBS independent schools
1975 Orange Bowl