Orange Bowl History

This year's Florida State-Penn State pairing is just the most recent on a long list of historic showdowns that have taken place at the Orange Bowl. Held around New Year's Day in Miami's tropical climate, the first Orange Bowl was played on Jan. 1, 1936 and featured Bucknell and Miami. Bucknell would shutout the host Hurricanes 26-0. The warm winter atmosphere that came along with the Orange Bowl began to attract some of the nation's top teams in only the game's fourth year. The Auburn Tigers, Michigan State Spartans, Tennessee Volunteers and Oklahoma Sooners each made early appearances at the Orange Bowl. Beginning with Oklahoma's 7-0 victory over Maryland in 1954, the Big 8, now known as the Big 12, and the Orange Bowl began a longstanding relationship. The Big 8 was represented in the Orange Bowl for over four decades. The Sooners, Colorado Buffalos and Nebraska Cornhuskers have each won National Championships at the Orange Bowl. In 1998, the Orange Bowl joined the Rose Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl and Sugar Bowl to form the Bowl Championship Series. Once every four years the Orange Bowl hosts the BCS National Championship Game. Oklahoma, who won a national title with a 25-10 victory over Pen State in 1985 Orange Bowl, also was featured in the first BCS National Championship Game held at the Orange Bowl. Led by a stingy defense, Bob Stoops' Sooners raised the crystal football after stifling a high-powered Florida State squad, 13-2. The 2005 Orange Bowl also played host to BCS National Championship Game. Again, Stoops' Sooners, this time led by their Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Jason White, were back. But the result wouldn't be to Oklahoma's liking. Behind a record-setting performance by quarterback Matt Leinart, the USC Trojans thrashed the Sooners 55-9.

Orange Bowl Previous Results

January 1, 1935 Bucknell 26 Miami 0
January 1, 1936 Catholic U. 20 Mississippi 19
January 1, 1937 Duquesne 13 Mississippi State 12
January 1, 1938 Auburn 6 Michigan State 0
January 2, 1939 Tennessee 17 Oklahoma 0
January 1, 1940 Georgia Tech 21 Missouri 7
January 1, 1941 Mississippi State 14 Georgetown 7
January 1, 1942 Georgia 40 TCU 26
January 1, 1943 Alabama 37 Boston College 21
January 1, 1944 LSU 19 Florida A&M 14
January 1, 1945 Tulsa 26 Georgia Tech 12
January 1, 1946 Miami 13 Holy Cross 6
January 1, 1947 Rice 8 Tennessee 0
January 1, 1948 Georgia Tech 20 Kansas 14
January 1, 1949 Florida 41 Georgia 28
January 2, 1950 Santa Clara 21 Kentucky 13
January 1, 1951 Clemson 15 Miami 14
January 1, 1952 Georgia Tech 17 Baylor 14
January 1, 1953 Alabama 61 Syracuse 6
January 1, 1954 Oklahoma 7 Maryland 0
January 1, 1955 Duke 34 Nebraska 7
January 2, 1956 Oklahoma 20 Maryland 6
January 1, 1957 Colorado 27 Clemson 21
January 1, 1958 Oklahoma 48 Duke 21
January 1, 1959 Oklahoma 21 Syracuse 6
January 1, 1960 Georgia 14 Missouri 0
January 2, 1961 Missouri 21 Navy 14
January 1, 1962 LSU 25 Colorado 7
January 1, 1963 Alabama 17 Oklahoma 0
January 1, 1964 Nebraska 13 Auburn 7
January 1, 1965 Florida 21 Alabama 17
January 1, 1966 Alabama 39 Nebraska 28
January 2, 1967 Florida 27 Georgia Tech 12
January 1, 1968 Oklahoma 26 Tennessee 24
January 1, 1969 Penn State 15 Kansas 14
January 1, 1970 Penn State 10 Missouri 3
January 1, 1971 Nebraska 17 LSU 12
January 1, 1972 Nebraska 38 Alabama 6
January 1, 1973 Nebraska 40 Notre Dame 6
January 1, 1974 Penn State 16 LSU 9
January 1, 1975 Notre Dame 13 Alabama 11
January 1, 1976 Oklahoma 14 Michigan 6
January 1, 1977 Ohio State 27 Colorado 10
January 2, 1978 Arkansas 31 Oklahoma 6
January 1, 1979 Oklahoma 31 Florida State 24
January 1, 1980 Oklahoma 24 Miami 7
January 1, 1981 Oklahoma 18 Miami 17
January 1, 1982 Clemson 22 Nebraska 15
January 1, 1983 Nebraska 21 LSU 20
January 2, 1984 Miami 31 Nebraska 30
January 1, 1985 Washington 28 Oklahoma 17
January 1, 1986 Oklahoma 25 Penn State 10
January 1, 1987 Oklahoma 42 Arkansas 8
January 1, 1988 Miami 20 Oklahoma 14
January 2, 1989 Miami 23 Nebraska 3
January 1, 1990 Notre Dame 21 Colorado 6
January 1, 1991 Colorado 10 Notre Dame 9
January 1, 1992 Miami 22 Nebraska 0
January 1, 1993 Florida State 27 Nebraska 14
January 1, 1994 Florida State 18 Nebraska 16
January 1, 1995 Nebraska 24 Miami 17
January 1, 1996 Florida State 31 Notre Dame 26
December 31, 1996 Nebraska 41 Virginia Tech 21
January 2, 1998 Nebraska 42 Tennessee 17
January 2, 1999 Florida 31 Syracuse 10
January 1, 2000 Michigan 35 Alabama 34 (OT)
January 3, 2001 Oklahoma 13 Florida State 2
January 2, 2002 Florida 56 Maryland 23
January 2, 2003 USC 38 Iowa 17
January 1, 2004 Miami 16 Florida State 14
January 4, 2005 USC 55 Oklahoma 19

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