1976 college football season
Encyclopedia
The 1976 college football season ended with a championship for the Panthers of the University of Pittsburgh
. Coached by Johnny Majors
(voted the AFCA Coach of the Year), the Pitt Panthers brought a college football championship to the home of the defending pro football champions, the Steelers. Pitt also had the Heisman Trophy
winner, Tony Dorsett
. At the beginning of the season, the Panthers had been ranked #9 in the AP poll.
During the 20th Century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA Football Guide, however, did note an "unofficial national champion" based on the top ranked teams in the "wire service" (AP and UPI) polls. The "writers' poll" by Associated Press
(AP) was the most popular, followed by the "coaches' poll" by United Press International
) (UPI). The AP poll consisted of the votes of as many as 62 writers, though not all voted in each poll, and the UPI poll was taken of a 25 member board of coaches.
#1, followed by #2 Michigan
, #3 Arizona State
(the highest preseason ranking for a WAC team), #4 Ohio State and #5 Oklahoma
.
September 11 #1 Nebraska
failed to win its opening game, being tied 6-6 by LSU in Baton Rouge, escaping with the stalemate only after the Bayou Bengals missed a 44-yard field goal attempt in the closing seconds. #2 Michigan
beat Wisconsin, 40-27. #3 Arizona State
lost its home opener to #17 UCLA
, 28-10, and dropped to 18th, then out of the Top 20 entirely. #4 Ohio State beat Michigan State, 49-21. #5 Oklahoma
won at Vanderbilt, 24-3. After a 31-10 win at #11 Notre Dame, #9 Pittsburgh
rose to third. With Nebraska and Arizona State dropping to 8th and 18th, and Pitt and UCLA moving up, the Top Five was: 1.Michigan 2.Ohio State 3.Pittsburgh 4.Oklahoma 5.UCLA.
September 18
#1 Michigan
beat Stanford 51-0.
#2 Ohio State won at #7 Penn State, 12-7
#3 Pittsburgh
went to Atlanta, beating Georgia Tech 42-14.
#4 Oklahoma
beat California, 28-17
#5 UCLA
beat Arizona, 37-9.
The poll remained unchanged: 1.Michigan 2.Ohio State 3.Pittsburgh 4.Oklahoma 5.UCLA.
September 25
#1 Michigan
crushed Navy, 70-14
#2 Ohio State lost a close game to Missouri, 22-21, and fell to 6th place.
#3 Pittsburgh
beat the visiting (from Philadelphia) Temple Owls, 21-7.
#4 Oklahoma
beat Florida State, 24-9
#5 UCLA
beat Air Force, 40-7.
#6 Nebraska
, which beat TCU 64-10, returned to the Top 5: 1.Michigan 2.Pittsburgh 3.Oklahoma 4.UCLA and 5.Nebraska
#1 Michigan
beat Wake Forest, 31-0.
#2 Pittsburgh
won at Duke, 44-31.
#3 Oklahoma
won at Iowa State, 24-10.
#4 UCLA
traveled to Columbus and played #6 Ohio State to a 10-10 tie.
#5 Nebraska
beat the Miami Hurricanes, 17-9, but dropped to 6th.
the Top Five was: 1.Michigan 2.Pittsburgh 3.Oklahoma 4.Georgia 5.UCLA
October 9
#1 Michigan
defeated Michigan State 42-10.
#2 Pittsburgh
beat Louisville, 27-6.
#3 Oklahoma
played its annual game against (#16) Texas in Dallas, to a 6-6 tie.
#5 UCLA
beat Stanford, 38-20
#6 Nebraska
won at Colorado, 24-12, and rose to third.
#7 Maryland
, which beat NC State 16-6, rose to fifth
the Top Five was: 1.Michigan 2.Pittsburgh 3.Nebraska 4.UCLA 5.Maryland
October 16
After playing its first five games at home, #1 Michigan
traveled to Evanston and defeated Northwestern, 38-7.
The #2 Pittsburgh Panthers
beat visit the visiting Miami Hurricanes, 36-19.
#3 Nebraska
shut out Kansas State, 51-0.
#4 UCLA
beat Washington State 62-3
#5 Maryland
narrowly beat Wake Forest, 17-15, and fell to 6th.
#6 Oklahoma
returned to the Top Five after a 28-10 win at #15 Kansas.
the Top Five was: 1.Michigan 2.Pittsburgh 3.Nebraska 4.UCLA 5.Oklahoma
October 23
#1 Michigan
won at Indiana, 35-0, while #2 Pittsburgh
won at Navy, 45-0.
#3 Nebraska
lost to #17 Missouri, 34-24. Though the Missouri Tigers would finish the 1976 season with a 6-5-0 record, they had upset USC and Ohio State as well.
#4 UCLA
won at California 35-19
#5 Oklahoma
lost at home to Oklahoma State, 31-24.
#6 Maryland
won at Duke, 30-3, to reach 7-0-0. #7 USC (which had lost its opener to Missouri, then won four, beat Oregon State 56-0, and crashed the Top 5: 1.Michigan 2.Pittsburgh 3.UCLA 4.USC 5.Maryland
October 30'
#1 Michigan
beat Minnesota, 45-0 and #2 Pittsburgh
beat Syracuse, 23-13, as both teams reached 8-0-0.
#3 UCLA
won at Washington, 30-21
#4 USC beat California 20-6.
#5 Maryland
beat Kentucky, 24-14, but fell back to 6th place in the polls, trading places with #6 Texas Tech
, which had beaten #15 Texas 31-28. The Top Five was: 1.Michigan 2.Pittsburgh 3.UCLA 4.USC 5.Texas Tech
In West Lafayette, Indiana, #1 Michigan
narrowly lost to Purdue, 16-14, and fell from the top spot. #2 Pittsburgh
's 37-7 win over visiting Army allowed it to take over the top spot.
#3 UCLA
beat Oregon, 46-0
#4 USC won at Stanford, 48-24.
#5 Texas Tech
won at TCU 14-10.
the Top Five was: 1.Pittsburgh 2.UCLA 3.USC 4.Michigan 5.Texas Tech
November 13
#1 Pittsburgh
beat West Virginia 24-16.
#2 UCLA
won at Oregon State to extend its record to 9-0-1. #3 USC beat Washington, 20-3.
#4 Michigan
beat Illinois 38-7.
#5 Texas Tech
beat SMU 34-7 to reach 8-0-0. The Top Five was unchanged: 1.Pittsburgh 2.UCLA 3.USC 4.Michigan 5.Texas Tech
November 20 While #1 Pittsburgh
was idle, three conference championships were determined on the same day. In Pac 8 conference play, #2 UCLA
(7-0) and #3 USC (6-0) were both unbeaten, so their crosstown L.A. game determined not just the conference title, but who would go to the Rose Bowl. UCLA suffered its first loss of the season, falling to the Trojans 24-14. The same day in Columbus, Ohio, the Big Ten's two best teams were meeting to determine the other berth in the Rose Bowl. In conference play #4 Michigan
(6-1-0) was second to #8 Ohio State (7-0). In the bicentennial year Schembechler-Hayes meeting, it was no contest as Michigan won 22-0 over the Buckeyes. The Southwest Conference title and a trip to Cotton Bowl came down to a meeting between #5 Texas Tech
and #9 Houston
, 6-0-0 and 5-1-0 in conference play, respectively. Visiting Houston handed the Red Raiders their first loss, 27-19. #6 Maryland
closed an 11-0-0 regular season with a 28-0 win at Virginia, and the ACC champion was invited to meet SWC champion Houston in the Cotton Bowl. Pittsburgh was invited to play in the Sugar Bowl
after the players took a vote and made it clear that they would prefer to play SEC champion #5 Georgia there rather than face lower ranked Big 8 co-champion Colorado in the Orange Bowl . The Orange Bowl then controversially selected Big 10 runner up Ohio State to play Colorado over Pac-8 runner up UCLA, even though UCLA had a better record and higher ranking than Ohio State. It was believed that Ohio State would bring more fans to Miami for the warm weather than UCLA would, and Orange Bowl officials did not like the prospect of a UCLA - Colorado matchup as it would be two schools from the west playing back east.
The Top Five was: 1.Pittsburgh 2.USC 3.Michigan 4.Maryland 5.Georgia
November 27 #1 Pittsburgh
moved its game against Penn State from its campus to Three Rivers Stadium. Pitt had not beaten the Nittany Lions in its last ten meetings, and on the day after Thanksgiving, cruised to a 24-7 win. Tony Dorsett
, who rushed for 224 yards and scored two of Pitt's touchdowns, breaking the record for yards in a season (1,948) and becoming the first college player to reach 6,000 yards rushing in a career, closing with 6,082 . USC maintained its #2 ranking with a 21-13 win over Notre Dame.
The final regular season poll was 1.Pittsburgh 2.USC 3.Michigan 4.Maryland and 5.Georgia.
, Pitt quarterback Matt Cavanaugh
passed for 192 yards, and Dorsett had 32 carries for 202 yards, overcoming Georgia's heralded "Junkyard Dogs" defense. After taking a 21-0 lead at halftime, the Panthers cemented their number one status with a 27-3 win over Georgia.
Pittsburgh received 59 of the 62 first place votes cast to win the AP Trophy, and was ranked #1 by UPI as well, followed by 2.USC 3.Michigan 4.Houston and 5.Oklahoma. The other Division I unbeaten team, Rutgers (11-0-0), was ranked 17th in the final poll.
Other bowls:
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
. Coached by Johnny Majors
Johnny Majors
Johnny Majors is a former American football player and coach. A standout halfback at the University of Tennessee, he was an All-American in 1956 and a two-time winner of the Southeastern Conference Most Valuable Player award, in 1955 and 1956. He finished second to Paul Hornung in voting for...
(voted the AFCA Coach of the Year), the Pitt Panthers brought a college football championship to the home of the defending pro football champions, the Steelers. Pitt also had the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner, Tony Dorsett
Tony Dorsett
Anthony "Tony" Drew Dorsett is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.-Early years:...
. At the beginning of the season, the Panthers had been ranked #9 in the AP poll.
During the 20th Century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA Football Guide, however, did note an "unofficial national champion" based on the top ranked teams in the "wire service" (AP and UPI) polls. The "writers' poll" by Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
(AP) was the most popular, followed by the "coaches' poll" by United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
) (UPI). The AP poll consisted of the votes of as many as 62 writers, though not all voted in each poll, and the UPI poll was taken of a 25 member board of coaches.
September
In the preseason poll released on September 7, 1976, the AP ranked NebraskaNebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
#1, followed by #2 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
, #3 Arizona State
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
(the highest preseason ranking for a WAC team), #4 Ohio State and #5 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
.
September 11 #1 Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
failed to win its opening game, being tied 6-6 by LSU in Baton Rouge, escaping with the stalemate only after the Bayou Bengals missed a 44-yard field goal attempt in the closing seconds. #2 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
beat Wisconsin, 40-27. #3 Arizona State
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
lost its home opener to #17 UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
, 28-10, and dropped to 18th, then out of the Top 20 entirely. #4 Ohio State beat Michigan State, 49-21. #5 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
won at Vanderbilt, 24-3. After a 31-10 win at #11 Notre Dame, #9 Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
rose to third. With Nebraska and Arizona State dropping to 8th and 18th, and Pitt and UCLA moving up, the Top Five was: 1.Michigan 2.Ohio State 3.Pittsburgh 4.Oklahoma 5.UCLA.
September 18
#1 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
beat Stanford 51-0.
#2 Ohio State won at #7 Penn State, 12-7
#3 Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
went to Atlanta, beating Georgia Tech 42-14.
#4 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
beat California, 28-17
#5 UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
beat Arizona, 37-9.
The poll remained unchanged: 1.Michigan 2.Ohio State 3.Pittsburgh 4.Oklahoma 5.UCLA.
September 25
#1 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
crushed Navy, 70-14
#2 Ohio State lost a close game to Missouri, 22-21, and fell to 6th place.
#3 Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
beat the visiting (from Philadelphia) Temple Owls, 21-7.
#4 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
beat Florida State, 24-9
#5 UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
beat Air Force, 40-7.
#6 Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
, which beat TCU 64-10, returned to the Top 5: 1.Michigan 2.Pittsburgh 3.Oklahoma 4.UCLA and 5.Nebraska
October
October 2#1 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
beat Wake Forest, 31-0.
#2 Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
won at Duke, 44-31.
#3 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
won at Iowa State, 24-10.
#4 UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
traveled to Columbus and played #6 Ohio State to a 10-10 tie.
#5 Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
beat the Miami Hurricanes, 17-9, but dropped to 6th.
the Top Five was: 1.Michigan 2.Pittsburgh 3.Oklahoma 4.Georgia 5.UCLA
October 9
#1 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
defeated Michigan State 42-10.
#2 Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
beat Louisville, 27-6.
#3 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
played its annual game against (#16) Texas in Dallas, to a 6-6 tie.
#5 UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
beat Stanford, 38-20
#6 Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
won at Colorado, 24-12, and rose to third.
#7 Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, which beat NC State 16-6, rose to fifth
the Top Five was: 1.Michigan 2.Pittsburgh 3.Nebraska 4.UCLA 5.Maryland
October 16
After playing its first five games at home, #1 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
traveled to Evanston and defeated Northwestern, 38-7.
The #2 Pittsburgh Panthers
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
beat visit the visiting Miami Hurricanes, 36-19.
#3 Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
shut out Kansas State, 51-0.
#4 UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
beat Washington State 62-3
#5 Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
narrowly beat Wake Forest, 17-15, and fell to 6th.
#6 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
returned to the Top Five after a 28-10 win at #15 Kansas.
the Top Five was: 1.Michigan 2.Pittsburgh 3.Nebraska 4.UCLA 5.Oklahoma
October 23
#1 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
won at Indiana, 35-0, while #2 Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
won at Navy, 45-0.
#3 Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
lost to #17 Missouri, 34-24. Though the Missouri Tigers would finish the 1976 season with a 6-5-0 record, they had upset USC and Ohio State as well.
#4 UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
won at California 35-19
#5 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
lost at home to Oklahoma State, 31-24.
#6 Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
won at Duke, 30-3, to reach 7-0-0. #7 USC (which had lost its opener to Missouri, then won four, beat Oregon State 56-0, and crashed the Top 5: 1.Michigan 2.Pittsburgh 3.UCLA 4.USC 5.Maryland
October 30'
#1 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
beat Minnesota, 45-0 and #2 Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
beat Syracuse, 23-13, as both teams reached 8-0-0.
#3 UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
won at Washington, 30-21
#4 USC beat California 20-6.
#5 Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
beat Kentucky, 24-14, but fell back to 6th place in the polls, trading places with #6 Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, which had beaten #15 Texas 31-28. The Top Five was: 1.Michigan 2.Pittsburgh 3.UCLA 4.USC 5.Texas Tech
November
November 6In West Lafayette, Indiana, #1 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
narrowly lost to Purdue, 16-14, and fell from the top spot. #2 Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
's 37-7 win over visiting Army allowed it to take over the top spot.
#3 UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
beat Oregon, 46-0
#4 USC won at Stanford, 48-24.
#5 Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
won at TCU 14-10.
the Top Five was: 1.Pittsburgh 2.UCLA 3.USC 4.Michigan 5.Texas Tech
November 13
#1 Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
beat West Virginia 24-16.
#2 UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
won at Oregon State to extend its record to 9-0-1. #3 USC beat Washington, 20-3.
#4 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
beat Illinois 38-7.
#5 Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
beat SMU 34-7 to reach 8-0-0. The Top Five was unchanged: 1.Pittsburgh 2.UCLA 3.USC 4.Michigan 5.Texas Tech
November 20 While #1 Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
was idle, three conference championships were determined on the same day. In Pac 8 conference play, #2 UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
(7-0) and #3 USC (6-0) were both unbeaten, so their crosstown L.A. game determined not just the conference title, but who would go to the Rose Bowl. UCLA suffered its first loss of the season, falling to the Trojans 24-14. The same day in Columbus, Ohio, the Big Ten's two best teams were meeting to determine the other berth in the Rose Bowl. In conference play #4 Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
(6-1-0) was second to #8 Ohio State (7-0). In the bicentennial year Schembechler-Hayes meeting, it was no contest as Michigan won 22-0 over the Buckeyes. The Southwest Conference title and a trip to Cotton Bowl came down to a meeting between #5 Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
and #9 Houston
1976 Houston Cougars football team
The 1976 Houston Cougars football team, also known as the Houston Cougars, Houston, or UH, represented the University of Houston in the college football 1976–1977 season. It was the 31st year of season play for Houston. The team was coached by fifteenth-year head football coach, Bill Yeoman...
, 6-0-0 and 5-1-0 in conference play, respectively. Visiting Houston handed the Red Raiders their first loss, 27-19. #6 Maryland
1976 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 1976 Maryland Terrapins football team represented University of Maryland in the 1976 NCAA Division I-A college football season. The Terrapins offense scored 294 points while the defense allowed 115 points...
closed an 11-0-0 regular season with a 28-0 win at Virginia, and the ACC champion was invited to meet SWC champion Houston in the Cotton Bowl. Pittsburgh was invited to play in the Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
after the players took a vote and made it clear that they would prefer to play SEC champion #5 Georgia there rather than face lower ranked Big 8 co-champion Colorado in the Orange Bowl . The Orange Bowl then controversially selected Big 10 runner up Ohio State to play Colorado over Pac-8 runner up UCLA, even though UCLA had a better record and higher ranking than Ohio State. It was believed that Ohio State would bring more fans to Miami for the warm weather than UCLA would, and Orange Bowl officials did not like the prospect of a UCLA - Colorado matchup as it would be two schools from the west playing back east.
The Top Five was: 1.Pittsburgh 2.USC 3.Michigan 4.Maryland 5.Georgia
November 27 #1 Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
moved its game against Penn State from its campus to Three Rivers Stadium. Pitt had not beaten the Nittany Lions in its last ten meetings, and on the day after Thanksgiving, cruised to a 24-7 win. Tony Dorsett
Tony Dorsett
Anthony "Tony" Drew Dorsett is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.-Early years:...
, who rushed for 224 yards and scored two of Pitt's touchdowns, breaking the record for yards in a season (1,948) and becoming the first college player to reach 6,000 yards rushing in a career, closing with 6,082 . USC maintained its #2 ranking with a 21-13 win over Notre Dame.
The final regular season poll was 1.Pittsburgh 2.USC 3.Michigan 4.Maryland and 5.Georgia.
Conference standings
The following is an incomplete list of conference standings:#1 and #2 Progress
| WEEKS | #1 | #2 | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| PRE | Nebraska | Michigan | LSU 6, Nebraska 6 (Sept 11) |
| 1-2 | Michigan | Ohio State | Missouri 22, Ohio State 21 (Sept 25) |
| 3-8 | Michigan | Pittsburgh | Purdue 16, Michigan 14 (Nov 6) |
| 9-10 | Pittsburgh | UCLA | USC 24 UCLA 14 (Nov 19) |
| 11-Final | Pittsburgh | USC | Pittsburgh 27, Georgia 3 |
Bowl Games
At the Sugar BowlSugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
, Pitt quarterback Matt Cavanaugh
Matt Cavanaugh
Matthew Andrew Cavanaugh is a former American football quarterback in the NFL who played from 1978 to 1991. In the course of his career as a professional football player, he earned two Super Bowl rings...
passed for 192 yards, and Dorsett had 32 carries for 202 yards, overcoming Georgia's heralded "Junkyard Dogs" defense. After taking a 21-0 lead at halftime, the Panthers cemented their number one status with a 27-3 win over Georgia.
| BOWL | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUGAR | #1 Pittsburgh Panthers Pittsburgh Panthers football Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football... |
27 | #5 Georgia Bulldogs Georgia Bulldogs football The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54... |
3 |
| ROSE | #2 USC Trojans | 14 | #3 Michigan Wolverines Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history... |
6 |
| COTTON | #6 Houston Cougars 1976 Houston Cougars football team The 1976 Houston Cougars football team, also known as the Houston Cougars, Houston, or UH, represented the University of Houston in the college football 1976–1977 season. It was the 31st year of season play for Houston. The team was coached by fifteenth-year head football coach, Bill Yeoman... |
30 | #4 Maryland Terrapins 1976 Maryland Terrapins football team The 1976 Maryland Terrapins football team represented University of Maryland in the 1976 NCAA Division I-A college football season. The Terrapins offense scored 294 points while the defense allowed 115 points... |
21 |
| ORANGE | #11 Ohio State Buckeyes | 27 | #12 Colorado Buffaloes Colorado Buffaloes football The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,... |
10 |
Pittsburgh received 59 of the 62 first place votes cast to win the AP Trophy, and was ranked #1 by UPI as well, followed by 2.USC 3.Michigan 4.Houston and 5.Oklahoma. The other Division I unbeaten team, Rutgers (11-0-0), was ranked 17th in the final poll.
Other bowls:
| BOWL | Location | Winner | Loser |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUN | El Paso | Texas A&M 37 | Florida 14 |
| GATOR | Jacksonville | Notre Dame 20 | Penn State 9 |
| TANGERINE | Orlando | Oklahoma State 49 | Brigham Young 21 |
| FIESTA | Tempe | Oklahoma 41 | Wyoming 7 |
| ASTRO-BLUEBONNET | Houston | Nebraska 27 | Texas Tech 24 |
| LIBERTY 1976 Liberty Bowl The 1976 Liberty Bowl, part of the 1976 bowl game season, took place on December 20, 1976, at Memphis Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference , and the , representing the Pacific-8 Conference... |
Memphis | Alabama 36 | UCLA 6 |
| PEACH 1976 Peach Bowl 1976 Peach Bowl was a postseason college football match between the Kentucky Wildcats and the North Carolina Tar Heels at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The University of Kentucky represented the Southeastern Conference and North Carolina represented the Atlantic Coast... |
Atlanta | Kentucky Kentucky Wildcats football The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era... 21 |
North Carolina University of North Carolina Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century... 0 |
| INDEPENDENCE | Shreveport | McNeese State 20 | Tulsa 16 |
Other champions
| NCAA Division II | Montana State Bobcats | 24 | Akron Zips Akron Zips football The University of Akron Zips are a college football program representing the University of Akron that competes in NCAA Division I FBS Mid-American Conference football... |
13 |
| NCAA Division III | St. John's (Minn.) Johnnies | 31 | Towson State Tigers Towson University Towson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S... |
28 |
| NAIA Division I | Texas A & I Javelinas Texas A&M University–Kingsville Texas A&M University–Kingsville is a U.S. national university with a multicultural student body that is 62 percent Hispanic and includes students from 35 states and 43 foreign countries... |
26 | Central Arkansas Bears University of Central Arkansas The University of Central Arkansas is a state-run institution located in the city of Conway, the seat of Faulkner County, north of Little Rock and is the fourth largest university by enrollment in the U.S. state of Arkansas, and the third largest college system in the state. The school is most... |
0 |
| NAIA Division II | Westminster (Pa.) Titans Westminster College, Pennsylvania Westminster College is a liberal arts college located in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1852, it is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church... |
20 | Redlands Bulldogs University of Redlands The University of Redlands is a private liberal arts and sciences university located in Redlands, California. The university's campus sits on near downtown Redlands. The university was founded in 1907 and was associated with the American Baptist Church. The land for the university was donated by... |
13 |
Heisman Trophy
- Tony Dorsett, Running Back, Pittsburgh Panthers1976 Pittsburgh Panthers football teamThe 1976 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 1976 college football season and is recognized as that season's consensus National Champions...