The 1987–88 NCAA football bowl games concluded the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season, featuring 18 games. Twenty ranked teams participated, and seven of the eighteen matchups were between two ranked teams.[1] The Miami Hurricanes were declared the national champions, after upsetting #1 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.[2][3]
Seventeen of the bowl games ended with a winner, while there was a lone tie (Auburn vs Syracuse in the Sugar Bowl).
Nine independent teams competed, along with six SEC teams, four Big Ten, four Pac-10, three WAC, three Big 8, three SWC, two ACC, one MAC, and one PCAA.
The largest margin of victory occurred twice; Clemson beat Penn State and Texas A&M beat Notre Dame, both 35-10.
The "bowl week" started on December 13 with the California Bowl, and concluded on January 2, 1988 with the Hall of Fame Bowl and the Peach Bowl.
Bowl schedule
| Date
|
Game
|
Site
|
Television
|
Teams
|
Affiliations
|
Results
|
| Dec. 13
|
California Bowl
|
Bulldog Stadium
Fresno, California
|
ESPN
|
Eastern Michigan Hurons (9–2)
San Jose State Spartans (10–1)
|
MAC
PCAA
|
Eastern Michigan 30
San Jose State 27
|
| Dec. 19
|
Independence Bowl
|
Independence Stadium
Shreveport, Louisiana
|
Mizlou
|
Washington Huskies (6–4–1)
Tulane Green Wave (6–5)
|
Pac-10
Independent
|
Washington 24
Tulane 12
|
| Dec. 22
|
All-American Bowl
|
Legion Field
Birmingham, Alabama
|
Raycom
|
BYU Cougars (9–3)
Virginia Cavaliers (7–4)
|
WAC
ACC
|
Virginia 22
BYU 16
|
| Dec. 25
|
Jeep Eagle Aloha Bowl
|
Aloha Stadium
Honolulu, HI
|
ABC
|
#10 UCLA Bruins (9–2)
Florida Gators (6–5)
|
Pac-10
SEC
|
UCLA 20
Florida 16
|
| John Hancock Sun Bowl
|
Sun Bowl
El Paso, Texas
|
CBS
|
West Virginia Mountaineers (6–5)
#11 Oklahoma State Cowboys (9–2)
|
Independent
Big 8
|
Oklahoma State 35
West Virginia 33
|
| Dec. 29
|
Liberty Bowl
|
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Memphis, Tennessee
|
Raycom
|
Arkansas Razorbacks (9–3)
#15 Georgia Bulldogs (8–3)
|
SWC
SEC
|
Georgia 20
Arkansas 17
|
| Dec. 30
|
Freedom Bowl
|
Anaheim Stadium
Anaheim, California
|
Mizlou
|
Air Force Falcons (9–3)
Arizona State Sun Devils (6–4–1)
|
WAC
Pac-10
|
Arizona State 33
Air Force 28
|
| SeaWorld Holiday Bowl
|
Jack Murphy Stadium
San Diego
|
ESPN
|
#18 Iowa Hawkeyes (9–3)
Wyoming Cowboys (10–2)
|
Big Ten
WAC
|
Iowa 20
Wyoming 19
|
| Dec. 31
|
Mazda Gator Bowl
|
Gator Bowl Stadium
Jacksonville, Florida
|
CBS
|
#9 South Carolina Gamecocks (8–3)
#7 LSU Tigers (9–1–1)
|
Independent
SEC
|
LSU 30
South Carolina 13
|
| Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl
|
Astrodome
Houston
|
Mizlou
|
#19 Pittsburgh Panthers (8–3)
Texas Longhorns (6–5)
|
Independent
SWC
|
Texas 32
Pittsburgh 27
|
| Jan. 1
|
Rose Bowl
|
Rose Bowl
Pasadena, California
|
NBC
|
#16 USC Trojans (8–3)
#8 Michigan State Spartans (8–2–1)
|
Pac-10
Big Ten
|
Michigan State 20
USC 17
|
Orange Bowl
National Championship
|
Orange Bowl
Miami
|
NBC
|
#2 Miami Hurricanes (11–0)
#1 Oklahoma Sooners (11–0)
|
Independent
Big 8
|
Miami 20
Oklahoma 14
|
| Florida Citrus Bowl
|
Florida Citrus Bowl
Orlando, Florida
|
ABC
|
#14 Clemson Tigers (9–2)
#20 Penn State Nittany Lions (8–3)
|
ACC
Independent
|
Clemson 35
Penn State 10
|
| Sunkist Fiesta Bowl
|
Sun Devil Stadium
Tempe, Arizona
|
NBC
|
#3 Florida State Seminoles (10–1)
#5 Nebraska Cornhuskers (10–1)
|
Independent
Big 8
|
Florida State 31
Nebraska 28
|
| Cotton Bowl Classic
|
Cotton Bowl
Dallas
|
CBS
|
#12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8–3)
#13 Texas A&M Aggies (9–2)
|
Independent
SWC
|
Texas A&M 35
Notre Dame 10
|
| USF&G Sugar Bowl
|
Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans
|
ABC
|
#6 Auburn Tigers (9–1–1)
#4 Syracuse Orangemen (11–0)
|
SEC
Independent
|
Auburn 16
Syracuse 16
|
| Jan. 2
|
Hall of Fame Bowl
|
Tampa Stadium
Tampa, Florida
|
NBC
|
Michigan Wolverines (7–4)
Alabama Crimson Tide (7–4)
|
Big Ten
SEC
|
Michigan 28
Alabama 24
|
| Peach Bowl
|
Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium
Atlanta
|
Mizlou
|
#17 Tennessee Volunteers (9–2–1)
Indiana Hoosiers (8–3)
|
SEC
Big Ten
|
Tennessee 27
Indiana 22
|
References
- ^ "AP and Coaches Yearly Final Polls". cfbdatawarehouse.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
- ^ "Recognized National Championships by Year". cfbdatawarehouse.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
- ^ Keith Meador. "1987 Oklahoma at Miami (FL) Game Recap - SoonerStats - Oklahoma Sooners Football, Basketball, Baseball, and Softball Scores, Records, and Stats". soonerstats.com. Retrieved November 19, 2016.