1976 Orange Bowl

The 1976 Orange Bowl was the 42nd edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, on Thursday, January 1. Part of the 1975–76 bowl game season, it matched the fifth-ranked Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten Conference and the #3 Oklahoma Sooners of the Big Eight Conference.[1][2] In the first meeting between these two teams, favored Oklahoma won 14–6.[3][4]

1976 Orange Bowl
42nd Orange Bowl
Michigan Wolverines Oklahoma Sooners
(8–1–2) (10–1)
Big Ten Big Eight
6 14
Head coach: 
Bo Schembechler		 Head coach: 
Barry Switzer
APCoaches
55
APCoaches
33
1234 Total
Michigan 0006 6
Oklahoma 0707 14
DateJanuary 1, 1976
Season1975
StadiumOrange Bowl
LocationMiami, Florida
MVPSteve Davis        (Oklahoma QB)
Lee Roy Selmon (Oklahoma DT)
FavoriteOklahoma by 6 points[1]
RefereeR. Pete Williams (SEC)
Attendance80,307
United States TV coverage
NetworkNBC
AnnouncersJim Simpson, John Brodie

With top-ranked Ohio State's loss in the Rose Bowl, the Sooners were voted national champions.[5] (Since the previous poll in early December, #2 Texas A&M lost twice and fell out of the top ten.)

This was the sixth and final Orange Bowl played on artificial turf; Poly-Turf, similar to AstroTurf, was installed before the 1970 season and two versions lasted six seasons. It was removed in early 1976, following Super Bowl X, and replaced with natural grass.

Teams
Main article: 1975 NCAA Division I football season

Michigan
Main article: 1975 Michigan Wolverines football team

The Wolverines (8–1–2) were the runner-up in the Big Ten Conference, after falling to rival Ohio State in Ann Arbor, 21–14. This was the first season that the Big Ten (and Pac-8) allowed multiple bowl teams.

Oklahoma
Main article: 1975 Oklahoma Sooners football team

The Sooners were co-champions in the Big Eight Conference with Nebraska. Oklahoma opened with eight wins before an unexpected 23–3 loss at home to Kansas,[6][7] which snapped a 28-game winning streak (37-game unbeaten streak) and dropped them from second to sixth in the rankings. With wins over Missouri and Nebraska, they rose to third.

Scoring
First quarter
No scoring
Second quarter
Third quarter
No scoring
Fourth quarter
Source:[8]

Statistics
Statistics Michigan Oklahoma
First Downs1216
Rushes–yards52–16965–282
Passing yards3363
Passes (C–A–I)2–20–33–5–0
Total Offense72–20270–345
Punts–average10–38.69–34.9
Fumbles–lost1–04–3
Turnovers33
Penalties–yards5–249–90
Source:[8]

References
  1. Taylor, Jim (January 1, 1976). "Big Eight down to Big One as bowl parade hits peak". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). p. 53.
  2. "Run, run in Miami". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). UPI. January 1, 1976. p. 32.
  3. "'We're No. 1' claims Sooner". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 2, 1976. p. 1D.
  4. "No. 1, Sooner or...?". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. January 2, 1976. p. 25.
  5. "No. 1: Sooners voted national champions". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 3, 1976. p. 1B.
  6. "Kansas rises up to dump Oklahoma". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 9, 1975. p. 77B.
  7. "Kansas rocks Oklahoma". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. November 9, 1975. p. C5.
  8. "Game-by-game recaps: 1976" (PDF). 2019 Capital One Orange Bowl media guide. January 2019. p. 36.
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