Part of the 1989–90 bowl game season, it matched the independent and fourth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the undefeated #1 Colorado Buffaloes of the Big Eight Conference.
[3][4][5][6] The Fighting Irish won their first eleven games but lost 27–10 at new rival Miami in late November,[7][8] which snapped a 23-game winning streak and dropped them from first to fourth in the rankings.
Televised by NBC, the game kicked off minutes after 8 p.m. EST, shortly after the start of the Sugar Bowl on ABC, which matched #2 Miami and #7 Alabama.
[3][4][5] This allowed Sugar Bowl winner Miami to take the national championship, with Notre Dame as runner-up.
[10] The loss by Colorado opened up the national championship for Miami, but several analysts/pollsters felt that Notre Dame was also worthy of the title.