Orange Bowl Winners List By Year: Past Champions History

Complete Orange bowl Champions List: Past winners by Year, History Since 1935

— Penn State quarterback Drew Allar said he was trying to throw the ball into the ground. Notre Dame defensive back Christian Gray dove for it anyway and — luck of the Irish — the ball ended up right in his hands.

A few seconds later, Gray and Notre Dame found themselves with a spot in the national title game after a thrill-a-minute 27-24 victory Thursday night in the Orange Bowl.

Gray’s snag of Allar’s ill-advised pass across the middle at the Penn State 42 with 33 seconds left, set up a 19-yard drive that ended with Mitch Jeter’s winning 41-yard field goal.

The Irish (14-1), seeded seventh in this, the first 12-team college playoff, will have a chance to bring their 12th title and first since 1988 back under the Golden Dome with a game Jan. 20 in Atlanta. Their opponent will be the winner Friday night of the Texas-Ohio State semifinal in the Cotton Bowl.

Allar explained he saw his first two options covered on the play, then wanted to throw the ball into the dirt. But the throw, under pressure and across his body, didn’t have enough zip on it to reach either receiver Omari Evans or the ground before Gray slid in.

It was the most memorable play of a game that was the best of what’s been a sleepy few weeks of playoff football. It featured three ties and three lead changes, along with 31 points in the fourth quarter alone.

In the final, Irish coach Marcus Freeman will try to become the first Black coach to win the title at college football’s highest level. Freeman, whose mother is South Korean, also is the first coach of Asian heritage to get this far.

Penn State coach James Franklin fell to 4-20 with the Nittany Lions against teams ranked in the AP Top 10. The sixth-seeded Nittany Lions ended the season at 13-3.

Orange bowl winners list by year: Past champions, All-time results 1935-2025

Jan. 9, 2025 — No. 7 Notre Dame 27, No. 8 Penn St. 24

Dec. 30, 2023 — No. 6 Georgia 63, No. 4 Florida St. 3

Dec. 30, 2022 — No. 6 Tennessee 31, No. 10 Clemson 14

Dec. 31, 2021 — CFP No. 3 Georgia 34, No. 2 Michigan 11

Jan. 2, 2021 — No. 5 Texas A&M 41, No. 14 North Carolina 27

Dec. 30, 2019 — Florida 36, Virginia 28

Dec. 30, 2018 — Alabama 45, Oklahoma 34 (CFC SF)

Dec. 30, 2017 — Wisconsin 34, Miami 24

Dec. 30, 2016 — Florida St. 33, Michigan 32

Dec. 31, 2015 — Clemson 37, Oklahoma 17

Dec. 31, 2014 — Georgia Tech 49, Mississippi St. 34

Jan. 3, 2014 — Clemson 40, Ohio St. 35

Jan. 1, 2013 — Florida St. 31, Northern Illinois 10

Jan. 4, 2012 — West Virginia 70, Clemson 33

Jan. 3, 2011 — Stanford 40, Virginia Tech 12

Jan. 5, 2010 — Iowa 24, Georgia Tech 14

Jan. 1, 2009 — Virginia Tech 20, Cincinnati 7

Jan. 3, 2008 — Kansas 24, Virginia Tech 21

Jan. 2, 2007 — Louisville 24, Wake Forest 13

Jan. 4, 2006 — Penn St. 26, Florida St. 23, 3OT

Jan. 1, 2005 — Southern Cal 55, Oklahoma 19

Jan. 1, 2004 — Miami 16, Florida St. 14

Jan. 2, 2003 — Southern Cal 38, Iowa 17

Jan. 2, 2002 — Florida 56, Maryland 23

Jan. 3, 2001 — Oklahoma 13, Florida St. 2

Jan. 1, 2000 — Michigan 35, Alabama 34, OT

Jan. 2, 1999 — Florida 31, Syracuse 10

Jan. 2, 1998 — Nebraska 42, Tennessee 17

Dec. 31, 1996 — Nebraska 41, Virginia Tech 21

Jan. 1, 1996 — Florida St. 31, Notre Dame 26

Jan. 1, 1995 — Nebraska 24, Miami 17

Jan. 1, 1994 — Florida St. 18, Nebraska 16

Jan. 1, 1993 — Florida St. 27, Nebraska 14

Jan. 1, 1992 — Miami 22, Nebraska 0

Jan. 1, 1991 — Colorado 10, Notre Dame 9

Jan. 1, 1990 — Notre Dame 21, Colorado 6

Jan. 2, 1989 — Miami 23, Nebraska 3

Jan. 1, 1988 — Miami 20, Oklahoma 14

Jan. 1, 1987 — Oklahoma 42, Arkansas 8

Jan. 1, 1986 — Oklahoma 25, Penn St. 10

Jan. 1, 1985 — Washington 28, Oklahoma 17

Jan. 2, 1984 — Miami 31, Nebraska 30

Jan. 1, 1983 — Nebraska 21, LSU 20

Jan. 1, 1982 — Clemson 22, Nebraska 15

Jan. 1, 1981 — Oklahoma 18, Florida St. 17

Jan. 1, 1980 — Oklahoma 24, Florida St. 7

Jan. 1, 1979 — Oklahoma 31, Nebraska 24

Jan. 2, 1978 — Arkansas 31, Oklahoma 6

Jan. 1, 1977 — Ohio St. 27, Colorado 10

Jan. 1, 1976 — Oklahoma 14, Michigan 6

Jan. 1, 1975 — Notre Dame 13, Alabama 11

Jan. 1, 1974 — Penn St. 16, LSU 9

Jan. 1, 1973 — Nebraska 40, Notre Dame 6

Jan. 1, 1972 — Nebraska 38, Alabama 6

Jan. 1, 1971 — Nebraska 17, LSU 12

Jan. 1, 1970 — Penn St. 10, Missouri 3

Jan. 1, 1969 — Penn St. 15, Kansas 14

Jan. 1, 1968 — Oklahoma 26, Tennessee 24

Jan. 2, 1967 — Florida 27, Georgia Tech 12

Jan. 1, 1966 — Alabama 39, Nebraska 28

Jan. 1, 1965 — Texas 21, Alabama 17

Jan. 1, 1964 — Nebraska 13, Auburn 7

Jan. 1, 1963 — Alabama 17, Oklahoma 0

Jan. 1, 1962 — LSU 25, Colorado 7

Jan. 2, 1961 — Missouri 21, Navy 14

Jan. 1, 1960 — Georgia 14, Missouri 0

Jan. 1, 1959 — Oklahoma 21, Syracuse 6

Jan. 1, 1958 — Oklahoma 48, Duke 21

Jan. 1, 1957 — Colorado 27, Clemson 21

Jan. 2, 1956 — Oklahoma 20, Maryland 6

Jan. 1, 1955 — Duke 34, Nebraska 7

Jan. 1, 1954 — Oklahoma 7, Maryland 0

Jan. 1, 1953 — Alabama 61, Syracuse 6

Jan. 1, 1952 — Georgia Tech 17, Baylor 14

Jan. 1, 1951 — Clemson 15, Miami 14

Jan. 2, 1950 — Santa Clara 21, Kentucky 13

Jan. 1, 1949 — Texas 41, Georgia 28

Jan. 1, 1948 — Georgia Tech 20, Kansas 14

Jan. 1, 1947 — Rice 8, Tennessee 0

Jan. 1, 1946 — Miami 13, Holy Cross 6

Jan. 1, 1945 — Tulsa 26, Georgia Tech 12

Jan. 1, 1944 — LSU 19, Texas A&M 14

Jan. 1, 1943 — Alabama 37, Boston College 21

Jan. 1, 1942 — Georgia 40, TCU 26

Jan. 1, 1941 — Mississippi St. 14, Georgetown 7

Jan. 1, 1940 — Georgia Tech 21, Missouri 7

Jan. 2, 1939 — Tennessee 17, Oklahoma 0

Jan. 1, 1938 — Auburn 6, Michigan St. 0

Jan. 1, 1937 — Duquesne 13, Mississippi St. 12

Jan. 1, 1936 — Catholic U. 20, Mississippi 19

Jan. 1, 1935 — Bucknell 26, Miami 0






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