The 63rd Orange Bowl, also known as the 1996 Orange Bowl, was a 1996–1997 Bowl Alliance game played on December 31, 1996, on New Year's Eve, between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Virginia Tech Hokies. Virginia Tech, champions of the Big East Conference, came into the game with a 10–1 record and #10 AP ranking, whereas Nebraska, members of the Big 12 Conference, came into the game with a 10–2 and No. 6 ranking. In a high-scoring affair, Nebraska defeated Virginia Tech, 41–21.
Due to Bowl Alliance (predecessor to the Bowl Championship Series) rules, the Orange Bowl following the 1996 season was played on December 31, instead of January 1 or later. This marked the first time that an Orange Bowl was played prior to New Year's Day: there were two Orange Bowls in the same calendar year—one in January, following the 1995 season, and the other in December, following the 1996 season. The Orange Bowl Committee, which had the fourth and sixth selections of eligible Bowl Alliance teams, selected Big East champions Virginia Tech and Nebraska, an at-large selection that appeared to be a national championship game contender before its loss to Texas in the inaugural Big 12 Championship Game.
The weeks before the game were filled with controversy, as both teams had multiple players arrested or charged with crimes. Despite having lost their last game before the Orange Bowl, Nebraska was heavily favored over Virginia Tech, as spread bettors favored the Cornhuskers by 16 or 17 points, depending on the source used. The Cornhuskers had won the 1994 and 1995 national championships, and presented an imposing history when compared with that of Virginia Tech, which had posted its most important win in school history at the end of the previous season, defeating Texas in the 1995 Sugar Bowl.
On December 31, the weather was clear and warm at the start of the game, though a light rain began to fall in the fourth quarter. Virginia Tech scored first, taking a 7–0 lead at the end of the first quarter—its only advantage in the game. In the second quarter, Nebraska scored three times for 17 points, taking a 17–7 lead before Virginia Tech quarterback Jim Druckenmiller threw a touchdown pass with 19 seconds remaining in the first half, cutting Nebraska's lead to 17–14. In the third quarter, the two teams alternated scores, with Nebraska maintaining a three or 10-point lead throughout. At the end of the third quarter, Nebraska had a 31–21 lead. In the final quarter of the game, Nebraska scored 10 unanswered points as the Cornhuskers used their large number of backup players to advantage. The final score was 41–21, Nebraska.
Team selection During the 1996 season, the Orange Bowl was a member of the Bowl Alliance, a precursor to the former Bowl Championship Series. The Bowl Alliance was formed prior to the 1995 college football season in an effort to match the No. 1 and No. 2 teams at the conclusion of the regular season while also ensuring other high-ranking teams were allowed to participate in high-profile bowl games. The Alliance included the Southeastern Conference, Big 12 Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, and Big East Conference. As agreed, the champions of each conference would play in one of three Bowl Alliance games: the Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl. The Big Ten and Pac-10 conferences, which had a separate agreement with the Rose Bowl, were not included in the Bowl Alliance until 1998, when the Alliance became the Bowl Championship Series.St. Louis Post-Dispatch staff. "The Bowl Picture", St. Louis Post-Dispatch. September 1, 1996. Page 7H.The Associated Press. "Osborne still can't win, despite national titles", The Roanoke Times. August 31, 1996. Page Football 10.
In 1996, the Orange Bowl had the fourth and sixth selections from eligible Bowl Alliance teams. The Sugar Bowl had the top two picks, while the Fiesta Bowl, which had the top picks in 1995, received the third and fifth picks. Due to Bowl Alliance restrictions, the Orange Bowl at the end of the 1996 season had to be played on December 31, marking the first time in the history of the Orange Bowl that the game was not played in January and that there were two Orange Bowls in the same year—one at the end of the 1995 season, and the other at the conclusion of the 1996 season. The only other time was in 2014, the first year of the college football playoffs.Barnes, Craig. "Color the Orange Bowl neutral with JRs move", South Florida Sun Sentinel. August 29, 1996. Page 23FB.
Nebraska
The Nebraska Cornhuskers began the 1996 season having won the national championship in both 1994 and 1995.Nebraska Sports Information Department. [Nebraska Football Record Book, "1994 National Championship" /pdf1/133383.pdf]. (PDF p. 9), Page 69. Accessed November 18, 2008.Nebraska Sports Information Department. [Nebraska Football Record Book, "1995 National Championship" /pdf1/133383.pdf]. (PDF p. 10), Page 70. Accessed November 18, 2008. Though Nebraska was now a member of a new conference—the former Big Eight Conference had been merged with four Texas schools to become the Big 12Sun-Sentinel Staff. "Big 12", South Florida Sun-Sentinel. August 21, 1996. Page 26FB.—it was widely expected that Nebraska would repeat the performance for a third time in 1996.Mell, Randall and Patton, Robes. "Huskers' magic numbers", South Florida Sun-Sentinel. August 29, 1996. Page 36FB.
Nebraska was ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press preseason poll, and lived up to the ranking in its first game of the season. On September 7, Nebraska overwhelmed the Michigan State Spartans, 55–14.Hambleton, Ken. "Defense, special teams step up", Lincoln Journal-Star. September 8, 1996. Page C1. After an off week, however, Nebraska fans were shockedHuddle, Catharine. "Loss leaves NU fans with sense of disbelief", Lincoln Journal-Star. September 22, 1996. Page A8. by one of the first big national upsets of the season as Nebraska was shut out by No. 17 Arizona State, 19–0.Hambleton, Ken. "Arizona State stuns Cornhuskers 19–0", Lincoln Journal-Star. September 22, 1996. Page A1. The loss dropped Nebraska to No. 8 in the rankings, but as the season wore on, Nebraska rose through the ranks as the Cornhuskers won seven consecutive games.Nebraska Sports Information Department. "Football – 1996 Schedule/Results", Huskers.com. Accessed November 18, 2008. Nebraska's 10–1 record to that point earned it a trip to the first-ever Big 12 Championship Game in St. Louis, Missouri, against the Texas Longhorns.Hambleton, Ken. "NU looks to make more history", Lincoln Journal-Star. December 7, 1996. Page C1.
Despite Nebraska's early-season loss, the Cornhuskers still had a chance to win a record-setting third consecutive national championship. A win against Texas would earn Nebraska a bid to the Sugar Bowl and a game against No. 1 Florida State to decide the national championship. Unfortunately for Nebraska, the underdog Longhorns upset heavily favored Nebraska, 37–27.McKeever, Curt. "'Horns stampede NU defense", Lincoln Journal-Star. December 8, 1996. Page B12. Eight days after losing to Texas, Nebraska was awarded a bid to the Orange Bowl.VanDeventer, Betty. "Huskers will meet the Hokies in the Orange Bowl", Lincoln Journal-Star. December 9, 1996. Page A1.
Virginia Tech
The Virginia Tech Hokies entered the 1996 season having ended 1995 with a victory over No. 9 Texas in the 1995 Sugar Bowl (December),Virginia Tech Athletics Communications Department. Virginia Tech Past Football Schedules: 1995–1996 . Hokiesports.com. Accessed November 18, 2008. considered to be the most important game in Virginia Tech history to that point. Following the victory, hopes were high that the Hokies would repeat the performance in the 1996 season.King, Randy. "Hokies hope they won't be 1-hit wonder in the big time", The Roanoke Times. August 31, 1996. Page Metro 4.
Virginia Tech kicked off the 1996 season in Akron, Ohio, against the Akron Zips. The Hokies were nearly upset by the Zips, but eventually won the game, 21–18. Tech dropped in rank due to the close finish, and traveled next to Boston, Massachusetts, to play the Boston College Eagles. In a nationally televised game, Tech defeated the Eagles, 45–7. The Hokies followed that win with a home-opening victory against Rutgers, then traveled to Syracuse, New York, to play the Syracuse Orangemen. Though the Hokies lost, 21–52, they recovered to win their final seven games of the regular season, securing a Big East championship and a trip to the Orange Bowl.Virginia Tech Athletics Communications Department. "Virginia Tech Football Past Schedules: 1996–1997", Hokiesports.com. Accessed November 21, 2008.
There was no small amount of controversy generated by Virginia Tech's selection ahead of fifth-ranked, 13-1 BYU. The Cougars, who had just defeated a ranked Wyoming team to win the WAC championship and who had also upset then-thirteenth-ranked Texas A&M early in the season, were statistically more dominant than the Hokies and seen by many as more deserving of an Orange Bowl berth. They also featured All-American quarterback and NCAA passing leader Steve Sarkisian. A press conference held by the Orange Bowl selection committee attempted to explain the selection process, but was met with instantaneous ridicule from many sides, most notably Penn State's Joe Paterno, who publicly lamented the "political" nature of the selection process.Harmon, Dick, and Steve Cameron. Wild Blue Yonder: The High Flying Story of BYU Football. Lenexa, Kan.: Addax Pub. Group, 1997. Print.
Pregame buildup
Nebraska was heavily favored to win the contest, as the point spread favored Nebraska by 16 pointsKing, Randy. "A look back, 12 years later" , The Roanoke Times. September 27, 2008. Accessed November 18, 2008. to 17 points.King, Randy. "A number of concerns for Hokies", The Roanoke Times. December 27, 1996. Page B1. Heading into the Orange Bowl, the two teams presented a study in contrasts. The Cornhuskers boasted a string of 28 seasons with nine or more victories, received 28 straight bowl bids, spent 256 consecutive weeks ranked in the AP poll, and had recorded 214 straight sellouts in their 75,000-capacity home stadium.Lipper, Bob. "When it comes to football, 'Huskers outstanding in field", Richmond Times-Dispatch. December 30, 1996. Page C1. Virginia Tech, meanwhile, had a bowl streak dating back just three years, to the 1993 Independence Bowl, and while the game was Nebraska's 16th Orange Bowl, it was Virginia Tech's first. Nebraska and Virginia Tech were among the winningest seven teams in Division I-A college football during the two seasons prior to the Orange Bowl. Virginia Tech had 20 wins in those two seasons, while Nebraska had 22 victories.
In the first weeks after the matchup was announced, Virginia Tech sold its allotment of 15,000 tickets, while Nebraska sales lagged, only reaching the 5,000 mark in the time it took Tech to sell its allotment.The Associated Press. "Tech early winner in bowl ticket sales", The Roanoke Times. December 15, 1996. Page C4. The slow Nebraska sales were largely due to fans who had booked trips to the Sugar Bowl in anticipation of a victory by the Cornhuskers in the Big 12 championship game. Disappointed by the loss, many people elected not to make the trip to Miami.Hambleton, Ken and Swartzlander, David. "Orange Bowl not as sweet for travel firms", Lincoln Journal-World. December 11, 1996. Page A1. By December 27, four days prior to the game, Tech had increased its total to 15,500, while Nebraska improved to 8,000 sold. The game was the first Orange Bowl to be played at Miami's professional football arena, Pro Player Stadium, instead of Orange Bowl stadium. The move was made in order to secure the Orange Bowl's place in the Bowl Alliance, as Pro Player Stadium was a more modern facility with a larger seating capacity.
Off-field problems