Seasons 1981 Bowls & playoff ← Week 14 1981: Bowls & playoff 16 games. Eight ranked teams lost, one to an unranked team. Seven games matched two ranked teams. Winners are listed first; numbers before names are AP ranks going in.
The week in review Ranked against ranked Jan 1, 1982 1 Clemson 22,4 Nebraska 15Orange Bowl Box score Jan 1, 1982 6 Texas 14,3 Alabama 12upset Cotton Bowl Box score Jan 1, 1982 10 Pittsburgh 24,2 Georgia 20upset Sugar Bowl Box score Jan 1, 1982 7 Penn State 26,8 USC 10Fiesta Bowl Box score Jan 1, 1982 12 Washington 28,13 Iowa 0Rose Bowl Box score Dec 18, 1981 14 BYU 38,20 Washington State 36Holiday Bowl Box score
Upsets A ranked team beaten as the betting favorite, or, where no line is on file, by an unranked or lower-ranked team.
FBS vs. FBS Dec 12, 1981 Texas A&M 33,Oklahoma State 16Independence Bowl Box score Dec 13, 1981 Tennessee 28,Wisconsin 21Garden State Bowl Box score Dec 18, 1981 14 BYU 38,20 Washington State 36Holiday Bowl Box score Dec 19, 1981 Missouri 19,18 Southern Miss 17upset Tangerine Bowl Box score Dec 19, 1981 Toledo 27,San José State 25California Bowl Box score Dec 26, 1981 Oklahoma 40,Houston 14Sun Bowl Box score Dec 28, 1981 11 North Carolina 31,Arkansas 27Gator Bowl Box score Dec 30, 1981 15 Ohio State 31,Navy 28Liberty Bowl Box score Dec 31, 1981 16 Michigan 33,19 UCLA 14Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl Box score Dec 31, 1981 Mississippi State 10,Kansas 0Hall of Fame Classic Box score Dec 31, 1981 West Virginia 26,Florida 6Peach Bowl Box score Jan 1, 1982 1 Clemson 22,4 Nebraska 15Orange Bowl Box score Jan 1, 1982 7 Penn State 26,8 USC 10Fiesta Bowl Box score Jan 1, 1982 10 Pittsburgh 24,2 Georgia 20upset Sugar Bowl Box score Jan 1, 1982 6 Texas 14,3 Alabama 12upset Cotton Bowl Box score Jan 1, 1982 12 Washington 28,13 Iowa 0Rose Bowl Box score