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Factoid 235 - The 1981 College Football season.

Date: 8/9/14

In 1981 there were 137 teams in Division 1, 16 bowl games, and this year at least six teams could claim a National Championship through one selector or another: Clemson; Nebraska; Penn State; Pittsburgh; SMU; and Texas.

Clemson was the only undefeated team of the six and won the “Consensus National championship.”** They went into the 1982 Orange Bowl undefeated and ranked number one in the country. They played Tom Osborne’s Nebraska Cornhuskers, which were ranked fourth and were also undefeated. Clemson won the game by a score of 22 to 15.

One of the hallmarks of the season was Clemson's match-up with North Carolina who was ranked in the top 10 as was Clemson. This game was the first time two ACC teams met while ranked in the top 10. ABC broadcast this game live nationally, and Clemson ended winning 10 to 8.

National Champions

  • Clemson 12–0 Danny Ford (AP, B(QPRS), BR, CFRA, DeS, FN, FWAA, HAF, L, MGR, NCF, NFF, NYT, PS, R(FACT), SN, SR, UPI ) *
  • Nebraska 9–3 Tom Osborne (NCF) *
  • Penn State 10–2 Joe Paterno (DuS) *
  • Pittsburgh 11–1 Jackie Sherrill (NCF) *
  • SMU 10–1 Ron Meyer (NCF) *
  • Texas 10–1–1 Fred Akers (NCF) *

1981 Fun Facts
  • Daylight savings time was introduced in the Soviet Union.
  • The first American test-tube baby, Elizabeth Jordan Carr, was born in Norfolk, Virginia.
  • COMDEX Fall, IBM introduced the IBM PC.

    * Selector's Glossary

    ** The NCAA designated "Consensus National Champions" by virtue of their selection from 1950 onward by one or more selectors from the Associated Press, UPI, Football Writers Association of America, NFF/College Football Hall of Fame, and USA Today.


    • Factoid 234 - The 1971 College Football season.
    Factoid 236 - The 1991 College Football season.

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