1981 NCAA Division I-A football season

The 1981 Division 1A Football season ended with Clemson, unbeaten and untied, taking the national championship after a victory over traditional power Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. This was also the first year of the California Bowl, played in Fresno, CA, the Big West Conference's first post-season bowl game.

Important game

Clemson's match-up with North Carolina proved to be the landmark game of the season and a huge turning point for the ACC. This game which Clemson won 10-8 marked the first time two ACC teams met while ranked in the top 10. ABC broadcast this game live nationally, a huge bit of exposure for what was usually known as a basketball conference. The game ended with Jeff Bryant recovering a lateral with a minute left.

Orange Bowl

Clemson's Orange Bowl opponent Nebraska featured future NFL stars Roger Craig, Irving Fryar, Mike Rozier, and Dave Rimington while finishing second nationally in rushing with 330 yards per game. But Clemson was able to take advantage of an injury to Nebraska quarterback Turner Gill. Eight out of twelve Nebraska possessions ended in a three and out, they crossed the 50 only four times and ended up with just two scoring opportunities.

Entering the game, Clemson was ranked #1, Georgia #2, then Alabama and Nebraska. However in the fourth quarter the crowd at the Orange Bowl learned that this game was for the national championship as Georgia and Alabama had lost in their respective bowl games. Nebraska made a fourth quarter push, but Clemson's defense once again shut the door. The final score was 22-15.

Pittsburgh, which was the consensus number one until being beaten soundly by Penn St. in their season finale, beat Georgia, fresh off its first national title, in the Sugar Bowl. Also in the national title hunt till the very end, Alabama lost to number six Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

Kenneth Sims of Texas was the first pick overall in the 1982 NFL draft and was the winner of the Lombardi Trophy given to the nations best lineman.

Southern Methodist won the Southwest Conference and was ranked number five but was ineligible for post season play due to NCAA probation, but could have still qualified for the national title.

Conference Standings

"W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT = Winning Percentage, Conf. = Conference Record"

Consensus All-Americans

Offense

* QB - Jim McMahon - Brigham Young
* RB - Marcus Allen - Southern California
* RB - Herschel Walker - Georgia
* WR - Anthony Carter - Michigan
* TE - Tim Wrightman - UCLA
* L - Sean Farrell - Penn State
* L - Roy Foster - Southern California
* L - Terry Crouch - Oklahoma
* L - Ed Muransky - Michigan
* L - Terry Tausch - Texas
* L - Kurt Becker - Michigan
* C - Dave Rimington - Nebraska

Defense

* L - Billy Ray Smith - Arkansas
* L - Kenneth Sims - Texas
* L - Andre Tippett - Iowa
* L - Tim Krumrie - Wisconsin
* LB - Bob Crable - Notre Dame
* LB - Jeff Davis - Clemson
* LB - Sai Sunseri - Pittsburgh
* DB - Tommy Wilcox - Alabama
* DB - Mike Richardson - Arizona State
* DB - Terry Kinard - Clemson
* DB - Fred Marion - Miami (FL)
* P - Reggie Roby - Iowa

#1 and #2 Progress

Bowl Games

*Rose Bowl: Washington 28, Iowa 0
*Cotton Bowl: Texas 14, Alabama 12
*Fiesta Bowl: Penn State 26, Southern California 10
*Orange Bowl: Clemson 22, Nebraska 15
*Sugar Bowl: Pittsburgh 24, Georgia 20
*Peach Bowl: West Virginia 26, Florida 6
*Hall of Fame Classic: Mississippi State 10, Kansas 0
*Bluebonnet Bowl: Michigan 33, UCLA 14
*Liberty Bowl: Ohio State 31, Navy 28
*Gator Bowl: North Carolina 31, Arkansas 27
*Sun Bowl: Oklahoma 40, Houston 14
*California Bowl: Toledo 27, San Jose State 25
*Tangerine Bowl: Missouri 19, Southern Mississippi 17
*Holiday Bowl: Brigham Young 38, Washington State 36
*Garden State Bowl: Tennessee 28, Wisconsin 21
*Independence Bowl: Texas A&M 33, Oklahoma State 16

Heisman Trophy

# Marcus Allen - TB, Southern California
# Herschel Walker - TB, Georgia
# Jim McMahon - QB, Brigham Young
# Dan Marino - QB, Pittsburgh
# Art Schlichter - QB, Ohio State

Award Winners

* Maxwell - Marcus Allen - RB, Southern California
* Outland - Dave Rimington - C, Nebraska
* Camp - Marcus Allen - RB, Southern Caliornia
* Lombardi - Kenneth Simms - DT, Texas
* O'Brien - Jim McMahon - QB, Brigham Young

References

*Citation
last = McGrew
first = David
title = 1981 Revisited: Orange...
url=http://clemsontigers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/110501aag.html
accessdate = 2007-07-24
*Citation
date= Sunday, December 27
year= 1981
periodical= Syracuse Herald-American