The 1980–81 NCAA football bowl games were a series of post-season games played in December 1980 and January 1981 to end the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season. A total of 15 team-competitive games, and two all-star games, were played. The post-season began with the Independence Bowl on December 13, 1980, and concluded on January 17, 1981, with the season-ending Senior Bowl.
Schedule
DateGameSiteTelevisionTeamsAffiliationsResultsIndependence BowlState Fair StadiumShreveport, LouisianaMizlouSouthern Miss Golden Eagles (8–3)McNeese State Cowboys (10–1)IndependentSouthlandSouthern Miss 16McNeese State 14Garden State BowlGiants StadiumEast Rutherford, New JerseyMizlouHouston Cougars (6–5)Navy Midshipmen (8–3)SouthwestIndependentHouston 35Navy 0Holiday BowlJack Murphy StadiumSan Diego, CaliforniaMizlouNo. 14 BYU Cougars (11–1)No. 19 SMU Mustangs (8–3)WACSouthwestBYU 46SMU 45Tangerine BowlOrlando StadiumOrlando, FloridaMizlouFlorida Gators (7–4)Maryland Terrapins (8–3)SECACCFlorida 35Maryland 20Fiesta BowlSun Devil StadiumTempe, ArizonaNBCNo. 10 Penn State Nittany Lions (9–2)No. 11 Ohio State Buckeyes (9–2)IndependentBig TenPenn State 31Ohio State 19Hall of Fame ClassicLegion FieldBirmingham, AlabamaMizlouArkansas Razorbacks (6–5)Tulane Green Wave (7–4)SouthwestIndependentArkansas 34Tulane 15Sun BowlSun BowlEl Paso, TexasCBSNo. 8 Nebraska Cornhuskers (9–2)No. 17 Mississippi State Bulldogs (9–2)Big 8SECNebraska 31Mississippi State 17Liberty BowlLiberty Bowl Memorial StadiumMemphis, TennesseeABCNo. 16 Purdue Boilermakers (8–3)Missouri Tigers (8–3)Big TenBig 8Purdue 28Missouri 25Gator BowlGator Bowl StadiumJacksonville, FloridaABCNo. 3 Pittsburgh Panthers (10–1)No. 18 South Carolina Gamecocks (8–3)IndependentIndependentPittsburgh 37South Carolina 9Astro-Bluebonnet BowlAstrodomeHouston, TexasMizlouNo. 13 North Carolina Tar Heels (10–1)Texas Longhorns (7–4)ACCSouthwestNorth Carolina 16Texas 7Cotton Bowl ClassicCotton BowlDallas, TexasCBSNo. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide (9–2)No. 6 Baylor Bears (10–1)SECSouthwestAlabama 30Baylor 2Sugar BowlLouisiana SuperdomeNew Orleans, LouisianaABCNo. 1 Georgia Bulldogs (11–0)No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9–1–1)SECIndependentGeorgia 17Notre Dame 10Rose BowlRose BowlPasadena, CaliforniaNBCNo. 5 Michigan Wolverines (9–2)No. 16 Washington Huskies (9–2)Big TenPac 10Michigan 23Washington 6Orange BowlMiami Orange BowlMiami, FloridaNBCNo. 4 Oklahoma Sooners (9–2)No. 2 Florida State Seminoles (10–1)Big 8IndependentOklahoma 18Florida State 17Peach BowlFulton County StadiumAtlanta, GeorgiaCBSNo. 20 Miami Hurricanes (8–3)Virginia Tech Gobblers (8–3)IndependentIndependentMiami 20Virginia Tech 10 Rankings from AP Poll
References