1977 Orange Bowl

1977 Orange Bowl
43rd Orange Bowl
Ohio State Buckeyes Colorado Buffaloes
(8–2–1) (8–3)
Big Ten Big 8
27 10
Head coach: 
Woody Hayes		 Head coach: 
Bill Mallory
APCoaches
1110
APCoaches
1212
1234 Total
Ohio State 71037 27
Colorado 10000 10
DateJanuary 1, 1977
Season1976
StadiumOrange Bowl
LocationMiami, Florida
MVPRod Gerald       (Ohio State QB)
Tom Cousineau (Ohio State LB)
FavoriteOhio State by 5 to 6½ points[1][2]
RefereeRobert Carpenter (ACC)
Attendance65,537
United States TV coverage
NetworkNBC
AnnouncersJim Simpson and John Brodie
Orange Bowl
 < 1976  1978 > 

The 1977 Orange Bowl was the 43rd edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, on Saturday, January 1. Part of the 1976–77 bowl game season, it matched the eleventh-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference and the #12 Colorado Buffaloes of the Big Eight Conference.[3] Behind early, favored Ohio State won 27–10.[4][5]

This was the only Orange Bowl between 1976 and 1981 without Oklahoma, and the only one from 1976 through 1989 without either the Sooners or Nebraska (the 1979 game matched both). The night before, Nebraska won the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, and Oklahoma took the Fiesta Bowl a week earlier.

It was the first Orange Bowl played on natural grass in seven years, since January 1970. Poly-Turf, similar to AstroTurf, was installed for the 1970 season, replaced in 1972, and removed in early 1976, following Super Bowl X.

  1. ^ Snyder, Jimmy "The Greek" (January 1, 1977). "A&M most improved". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 13.
  2. ^ Nelson, John (December 31, 1976). "Bowls won't settle argument". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. p. 16.
  3. ^ "Co-champs hoping to get respect". Lakeland Ledger. (Florida). Associated Press. January 1, 1977. p. 1B.
  4. ^ "Injured QB leads OSU in Orange". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. January 2, 1977. p. D2.
  5. ^ "Rod Gerald rallies Buckeyes". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. January 2, 1977. p. 1B.