A look back at the 1966 Game of the Century

The Michigan State-Notre Dame tilt Saturday isn’t exactly the game of the century.

But it certainly was 60 years ago.

Michigan State and Notre Dame both brought perfect records into the game at Spartan Stadium that November day in 1966. Michigan State was the defending national champion, carrying a 9-0 record and a No. 2 ranking into the game. Notre Dame strolled in at 8-0 with the No. 1 ranking.

Michigan State held a 10-7 lead at halftime but Notre Dame scored the only points of the second half – a Joe Azzaro field goal – to forge a 10-10 tie. It was the season finale for the Spartans but the Fighting Irish still had one game to play – and smoked Southern Cal 51-0 the following weekend to claim the national championship.

The game was indeed a battle of college heavyweights and the NFL draft bore that out. Michigan State had four of the first eight players selected in the 1967 draft: defensive tackle Bubba Smith at 1, halfback Clint Jones at 2, linebacker George Webster at 5 and wide receiver Gene Washington at 8. The Spartans remain the only team in NFL history to have four of the first eight players selected in a draft.

Notre Dame had three first-round picks in 1967: offensive tackle Paul Seiler at 12, defensive tackle Alan Page at 15 and guard Tom Regner at 23.

In all, there were 10 players from those two schools selected with first-round picks over the next three drafts, which closed out the eligibility of those in the game. The other three were from Notre Dame — offensive tackle George Kunz went second overall in 1969, defensive tackle Kevin Hardy seventh overall in 1968 and wide receiver Jim Seymour 10^th overall in 1969.

There were 43 players who suited up that day drafted by the NFL, 29 from Notre Dame and 14 from Michigan State. Ten were selected in the first round, five more in the second round and three each in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth rounds. Eight of the draft picks went on to become Pro Bowlers: Smith, Kunz, Webster, Washington, Page, Notre Dame linebacker Jim Lynch, Notre Dame center George Goeddeke and Notre Dame offensive tackle Bob Kuechenberg.

Page and Webster became all-decade selections and Page now has a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Page also is one of only two defensive players in history to win NFL MVP honors. Smith, Jones, Webster and Washington have been enshrined in the College Hall of Fame from Michigan State as have Lynch, Page and quarterback Terry Hanratty from Notre Dame.

Saturday’s game pits two unbeaten teams – both Michigan State and Notre Dame sit 2-0. It will be the first meeting between the two Midwestern rivals since 2017 — but a national championship does not hang in the balance nor are the rosters as loaded as they were in 1966.