Frank Leahy and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish would rebound from their 2nd place finish in 1948 (after national titles in 1943, 1946, and 1947) with a perfect 10-0 season in 1949 and their 7th national championship. They would be ranked 2nd in the initial AP poll after the 2nd game of the season and then ranked #1 for the remainder of the season.
Leon Hart would be a consensus All-American for ND in both 1948 and 1949 and win the 1949 Heisman Trophy. Irish QB Bob Williams would finish 5th and FB Emil Sitko would finish 8th in the Heisman voting. Williams and Sitko would, along with Hart, be consensus All-Americans in 1949.
Tackle James Martin would also earn AP 1st team All-American status in 1949.