I launched a long career in sports and horse betting during my senior year in high school - 1966.
I was a senior in the fall of 1966 at a parochial High School in Massachusetts and worked after school in the kitchen of a restaurant that was a few miles away from where I lived. I did everything in the kitchen from wash dishes to sweep and mop the cocktail lounge floor from the night before (always found a couple of bucks in change dropped under tables by drunks from the previous night) etc..
Anyway along came November 19th 1966 and the original in my lifetime anyway Game of The Century. Undefeated Notre Dame was visiting undefeated Michigan St. in East Lansing, MI.
Michigan State entered the contest 9-0 and ranked #2, while Notre Dame entered the contest 8-0 but ranked #1. Notre Dame had the ball near their own 30 yard line very late with the score tied at ten and Irish Coach Ara Parseghian played it safe by sitting on the ball and not risking a dangerous play that could have cost his side the game - thus, the game ended in a 10-10 tie with both schools recording national championships for 1966. Duffy Daugterty was head coach for the Spartans. Both are in the CFB HOF as coaches today.
Officially Notre Dame which manhandled USC the following week by a score of 51-0 was the co-National Championship with a 9-0-1 record with Michigan St who had been to the Rose Bowl the previous year and The Big Ten back then had a rule no team could represent The Big Ten in The Rose Bowl back to back seasons nor could they play in any other bowl game except The Rose Bowl so their season was done. Notre Dame didn't start attending Bowl Games until 1969 so their season was done after the USC game.
The final AP poll put the Irish and the Spartans at #1 and #2, ranking both teams above the undefeated, and two time defending national champion 11-0-0 (but all white) Alabama. Both schools shared the MacArthur Trophy, while Alabama was denied recognition for its accomplishment.
The official attendance was announced at 80,011 (111% capacity) and was the most attended game in Michigan State football history at the time (the current record is 80,401 on Sept. 22, 1990 vs. Notre Dame).
The Irish were made 4.5 point favorites and I bet one of the bartenders in the joint where I worked $5 on Mich St plus 4.5. The game ending at 10-10 made me a winner of my fist ever real bet with a line on it and I even had to risk $5.50 to win $5.00.
My gambling career was launched with a $5 bet.
The game is still celebrated by the schools involved to this day. On September 23, 2006 Michigan State and Notre Dame commorated the 40th anniversary of the game. Michigan State wore "throwback" jerseys and helmets from the 1960s era. Notre Dame declined to wear throwback jerseys or helmets. 45 members from the original '66 squad returned. In addition, 1965 and 1966 All American Bubba Smith had his number 95 jersey retired at halftime, becoming only the 3rd person (Dan Coleman and George Webster the others) in Michigan State history with such honor. Notre Dame won the game 40-37, after coming back from a 19 point deficit and scoring 22 straight points to win.
wil..
hno:
