2018 Orange Bowl

2018 Capital One Orange Bowl
College Football Playoff Semifinal
85th Orange Bowl
1234 Total
Oklahoma 0101014 34
Alabama 2110014 45
DateDecember 29, 2018
Season2018
StadiumHard Rock Stadium
LocationMiami Gardens, Florida
MVPTua Tagovailoa (QB, Alabama)
Xavier McKinney (S, Alabama)[1]
FavoriteAlabama by 14.5 (80.5) [2]
National anthemNicole Henry
RefereeDuane Heydt (ACC)
Attendance66,203[3]
United States TV coverage
NetworkESPN and ESPN Radio
AnnouncersChris Fowler (play-by-play)
Kirk Herbstreit (analyst)
Maria Taylor and Laura Rutledge (sideline) (ESPN)
Steve Levy, Brian Griese and Todd McShay (ESPN Radio)
Nielsen ratings10.4 (19 million viewers)[4]
International TV coverage
NetworkESPN Deportes
ESPN Deportes Radio
AnnouncersKenneth Garay
Sebastian Martinez-Christensen
Orange Bowl
 < 2017  2019
1 vs. 4 Seed CFP Semifinal Game
 < 2018 Sugar 2019 Peach

The 2018 Orange Bowl was a college football bowl game played on Saturday, December 29, 2018, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.[5] The 85th edition of the Orange Bowl was one of two College Football Playoff semifinal games, the game featured two of the four teams selected by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee—Alabama from the SEC, and Oklahoma from the Big 12 Conference. Alabama took off with a 28-0 lead in the early 2nd quarter and never looked backed to win 45-34. They advanced to face the winner of the Cotton Bowl (Clemson) in the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship. It was one of the 2018–19 bowl games concluding the 2018 FBS football season. Sponsored by the Capital One Financial Corporation, the game was officially known as the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl.

  1. ^ Potter, Charlie (December 29, 2018). "Recap: Alabama outlasts OU in Orange Bowl, will play for title". 247sports.com. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  2. ^ "Orange Bowl Odds: College football". Vegasinsider. January 1, 2003. p. C10. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  3. ^ @977ESPN (December 29, 2018). "Tonight's Orange Bowl attendance 66,203" (Tweet). Retrieved December 29, 2018 – via Twitter.
  4. ^ Bromberg, Nick (December 30, 2018). "College Football Playoff semifinal TV ratings down from 2017 when games were on New Year's". sports.yahoo.com. Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  5. ^ "2018-19 College Football Playoff and bowl schedule". ESPN. May 2, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.