2012 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

2012 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
BCS National Championship Game,
L 14–42 vs. Alabama (vacated)
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
CoachesNo. 3
APNo. 4
Record0–0 (12 wins, 1 loss vacated)[1][2]
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorChuck Martin (1st season)
Offensive schemeSpread
Defensive coordinatorBob Diaco (3rd season)
Co-defensive coordinatorKerry Cooks (3rd season)
Base defense3–4
CaptainTyler Eifert
Kapron Lewis-Moore
Zack Martin
Manti Te'o
Home stadiumNotre Dame Stadium
Seasons
← 2011
2013 →
2012 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
BYU           8 5  
Navy           8 5  
Army           2 10  
No. 4 Notre Dame  %         0* 0  
  • % – BCS at-large representative
  • *All wins and national championship appearance for Notre Dame (12–1) in the 2012 season were vacated
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2012 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Brian Kelly and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. They competed as an independent.

Despite starting the season unranked, the Fighting Irish ended the regular season with a 12–0 record.[1] Led by Heisman Trophy finalist and Butkus Award winner Manti Te'o, the Irish finished with the number one defense in the country, giving up just 10.3 points per game. They played in the BCS National Championship Game with a chance to win their first national title since 1988 but were defeated by the Alabama Crimson Tide.

All wins in the 2012 and 2013 seasons and its loss in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game were later vacated for use of ineligible players.[1]

  1. ^ a b c "NCAA appeals committee upholds vacation of Notre Dame wins | NCAA.org - The Official Site of the NCAA". www.ncaa.org. Archived from the original on February 14, 2018.
  2. ^ "NCAA® Career Statistics".