1956 Orange Bowl

1956 Orange Bowl
22nd Orange Bowl
National Championship Game[1]
Maryland Terrapins Oklahoma Sooners
(10–0) (10–0)
ACC Big 7
6 20
Head coach: 
Jim Tatum		 Head coach: 
Bud Wilkinson
APCoaches
33
APCoaches
11
1234 Total
Maryland 0060 6
Oklahoma 00146 20
DateJanuary 2, 1956
Season1955
StadiumBurdine Stadium
LocationMiami, Florida
FavoriteOklahoma by 7 points[2]
RefereeJohn Waldorf (Big Seven;
split crew: Big Seven, ACC)
Attendance76,561[3]
United States TV coverage
NetworkCBS
AnnouncersTom Harmon (play-by-play)
Chris Schenkel (color)
Orange Bowl
 < 1955  1957 > 
College Football Championship Game
 < 1933 1963 > 

The 1956 Orange Bowl was a college football bowl game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Maryland Terrapins. It was played on January 2, because New Year's Day was a Sunday.[2][4] The game was a de facto national championship game, as both teams would be playing for the FWAA’s Grantland Rice Trophy.[1]

  1. ^ a b Jenkins, Dan (September 11, 1967). "THIS YEAR THE FIGHT WILL BE IN THE OPEN". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 12, 2024. Because of their discontent with all polls, especially those of the wire services, the Football Writers Association of America set about naming the national champion in 1954, also after the bowl games.
  2. ^ a b "Eight of top 11 teams play". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. January 2, 1956. p. 48.
  3. ^ "Sooners surge from behind a 6-point deficit at half-time to overpower Maryland, 20 to 6, in Orange Bowl". tulsaworld.com. January 3, 1956.
  4. ^ "Oklahoma rallies to beat Maryland, 20-6". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. January 3, 1956. p. 18.