1966 Orange Bowl

1966 Orange Bowl
32nd Orange Bowl
National Championship Game
Alabama Crimson Tide Nebraska Cornhuskers
(8–1–1) (10–0)
SEC Big 8
39 28
Head coach: 
Bear Bryant		 Head coach: 
Bob Devaney
APCoaches
44
APCoaches
33
1234 Total
Alabama 71787 39
Nebraska 07615 28
DateJanuary 1, 1966
Season1965
StadiumOrange Bowl
LocationMiami, Florida
MVPSteve Sloan (Alabama QB)
FavoriteAlabama by 3 points[1][2]
RefereeMorris Harrison (SEC;
split crew: SEC, Big Eight)
Attendance72,214
United States TV coverage
NetworkNBC
AnnouncersCurt Gowdy, Paul Christman
Orange Bowl
 < 1965  1967 > 
College Football Championship Game
 < 1964 1966 (Nov) > 

The 1966 Orange Bowl was the 32nd edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, on Saturday, January 1. The final game of the 1965–66 bowl season, it matched the third-ranked and undefeated Nebraska Cornhuskers of the Big Eight Conference and the #4 Alabama Crimson Tide of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).[1][3]

This was the second year that the Orange Bowl was played at night on New Year's Day, after the other college football bowl games. Due to losses by both #1 Michigan State in the Rose Bowl and #2 Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl earlier in the day, the game had turned into a de facto national championship game, as the AP would be taking a final post-bowl vote for the first time ever. Slightly favored,[1][2] Alabama won, 39–28.[4][5]

  1. ^ a b c "Light 'Bama team Orange Bowl pick". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. January 1, 1966. p. 9.
  2. ^ a b "'Bama choice over Tide (Huskers) in Orange Bowl". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. January 1, 1966. p. 11.
  3. ^ Land, Charles (January 1, 1966). "Tide, Nebraska tangle tonight". Tuscaloosa News. (Alabama). p. 6.
  4. ^ "39-28 win for 'Bama in Miami". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). Associated Press. January 2, 1966. p. D1.
  5. ^ Land, Charles (January 2, 1966). "Stakes were high, so was Tide". Tuscaloosa News. (Alabama). p. 11.