Touchdown Jesus, Rudy, The Four Horsemen, Knute Rockne and the slogan “;Play Like a Champion.”;

Hawaii got everything it could have possibly wanted when Notre Dame, arguably the most storied college football program in America, accepted a bid to compete in today's Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.

A bowl game that at one time thought the choices were Buffalo, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan now features a program that has the most national titles (11) since the first Associated Press poll in 1936, the most Heisman winners (seven) of any school and its own television contract with a major network.

Ticket sales surged once the Fighting Irish were deemed Hawaii's opponent, proving their worth as a marquee sales attraction.

On the outside, it's the premier program, the hot ticket, the catchy name needed to sell a bowl game in tough economic times.

But on the inside, it's been anything but a smooth ride over the last decade for the blue and gold.

Not since the 1994 Cotton Bowl against Texas A&M have the Fighting Irish finished the season with a bowl win. The nine straight bowl losses are an NCAA record.

“;For those guys that are walking out the door that have no eligibility left, I think they would like to walk out the door and say they were part of that team that put that bowl losing streak behind them,”; Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said.

This year marks the 20th season since the Fighting Irish's last national title, won under coach Lou Holtz, who finished 100-30-2 in 11 seasons before resigning after the '96 season.

The Irish are on their third coach since then, have lost at least three games every year and are just a season removed from a 3-9 campaign, their worst in 48 years.

By comparison, Notre Dame never lost more than three games during a 15-year span in the '60s and '70s.

From 1988 to 1993, Notre Dame went 64-9-1 with wins in the Orange, Sugar and Cotton bowls.

In today's college football landscape, long periods of dominance are hard to come by, unless you're Southern California. Even then, Notre Dame hasn't come close to meeting those marks.

For this year's senior class, the Hawaii Bowl marks a chance to end years of frustration. From 2004 and 2006, Notre Dame lost by at least two touchdowns in all three bowl appearances.

“;It's getting pretty annoying,”; safety Kyle McCarthy said after Sunday's practice. “;That's definitely part of our motivation. To get that monkey off our back would be great.”;

More than just ending a streak, the Hawaii Bowl marks a chance to gain momentum heading into next season.

McCarthy has a year of eligibility remaining, but other seniors, like cornerback Terrail Lambert, are intent on setting up the youngsters on the team for future success.

“;Any game, regardless of who you are playing, the last thing you remember is winning,”; Lambert said. “;If you do that, that's all the catalyst you need.”;

McCarthy, the team's leading tackler with 103 this season, will be counted on as one of the team's leaders next season. He expects a win today will jump- start the Irish's offseason programs as they hope to continue their slow ascent back toward national prominence.

“;Without a doubt, just the taste in your mouth of winning, it's so much easier to come in and work out (in the offseason) when you have that taste in your mouth,”; McCarthy said. “;It's a long way until the first game next year, but you don't really forget about your last game until the next one.”;