Unbeatable: Notre Dame’s 1988 Championship and the Last Great College Football Season

Barca begins his vibrant look into Notre Dame’s 1988 season with Lou Holtz, who took over after the Fighting Irish after suffering four inglorious years under Gerry Faust. Everyone was hungering for a return to glory, including Holtz, a winner who preached repetition and toughness: “I’m here to win football games for the University of Notre Dame,” Holtz told his players at one point. “Not some of our games and not most of our games; I’m here to win all of our games.” In season three, everything came together—a process that veteran sports journalist Barca (a 1999 Notre Dame graduate) covers with gusto. In talking to the key figures of that championship team—including Holtz, defensive coordinator Barry Alvarez, and many players—Barca reveals the players’ emotional mind-set and the lure of Notre Dame (the latter sometimes gets lost in the football program’s powerhouse trappings). In short, Barca celebrates the fun of college, while stripping Notre Dame football of its rah-rah mysticism. 16-page color photograph insert. Agent: Scott Gould, RLR Literary. (Aug.)