The 1970 Cotton Bowl Classic was a postseason college football bowl game in the 1969 season, held at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday, January 1, 1970. The game matched the top-ranked Texas Longhorns (10–0) and the #9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8–1–1).

Texas was looking to win their second national championship in five years, previously won in 1963. The Longhorns finished with a perfect season and a second straight Southwest Conference championship. This was independent Notre Dame's first postseason appearance since the 1925 Rose Bowl, 45 years earlier.

By a vote of its players in mid-November, second-ranked Penn State (10–0) opted to return to the Orange Bowl, and faced #6 Missouri (9–1). At the time, the top-ranked team was defending champion Ohio State, who lost the next week at Michigan.

On a cool, clear day in Dallas, the two teams were even in first downs and were different in total yards by only 28. Both had over 70 offensive plays, the Irish had their passing attack and the Longhorns with their running attack. Notre Dame scored the first ten points; a Scott Hempel made a short field goal in the first quarter and Joe Theismann threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to Tom Gatewood early in the second. After the Irish kickoff, Texas went on a 74-yard drive that culminated with a one-yard Jim Bertelsen touchdown run that made the score 10–7 at halftime. After a scoreless third, the fourth quarter saw three touchdowns, each changing the lead. Longhorn Ted Koy culminated a 77-yard drive with his touchdown run with ten minutes remaining to give Texas a 14–10 advantage.

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