The 1972 Orange Bowl was played on January 1, 1972, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. In the final game of the 1971 college football season, top-ranked and defending national champion Nebraska soundly defeated the #2 Alabama Crimson Tide, 38–6. Nebraska scored first on a 2-yard touchdown run by Jeff Kinney, then Johnny Rodgers scored on a 77–yard punt return on the final play of the first quarter, as Nebraska led 14–0. In the second quarter, Jerry Tagge and Gary Dixon added touchdown runs of one and two yards respectively, as Nebraska led convincingly 28–0 at halftime.