| 1978 Sugar Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| 44th edition | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 2, 1978 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 1977 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Louisiana Superdome | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | New Orleans, Louisiana | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Jeff Rutledge (Alabama QB) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Alabama by 1 point[1][2] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Percy Penn (SWC) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 76,811 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ABC | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Keith Jackson and Ara Parseghian | ||||||||||||||||||||
The 1978 Sugar Bowl was the 44th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Monday, January 2. Part of the 1977–78 bowl game season, it matched the third-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the #9 Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference.[3][4]
The teams were led by their respective hall of fame head coaches, Bear Bryant and Woody Hayes,[5] who were the winningest active coaches. Slightly favored,[1][2] Alabama won in a rout, 35–6.[4][6]
New Year's Day was on Sunday in 1978, and the major college bowl games were played the following day.
- ^ a b Browning, Al (January 2, 1978). "Bryant: Worthy of being here?". Tuscaloosa News. (Alabama). p. 11.
- ^ a b Gugger, John (January 2, 1978). "Emotion is lacking in Sugar Bowl game". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). p. 23.
- ^ "Hungry Tide wanted Sugar more and got it easily". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. January 3, 1978. p. 2C.
- ^ a b Putnam, Pat (January 9, 1978). "The Bear and Bama cast their ballot". Sports Illustrated. p. 10.
- ^ "Coaches sweet on Sugar". Milwaukee Sentinel. wire services. January 2, 1978. p. 5, part 2.
- ^ "Buckeyes blown out in 35-6 'Bama rout". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 3, 1978. p. 20.