The game featured second-ranked Clemson of the Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) against third-ranked Notre Dame , an FBS independent . This was the first time that the two programs met in a bowl game ; their more recent regular season meeting had been in 2015 , won by Clemson . The only prior Cotton Bowl to feature two undefeated teams had been the 1948 edition , which ended in a 13 – 13 tie between Penn State and SMU
FBS independent
NCAA Division I FBS independent schools
2018 Cotton Bowl Classic