The 1972 Orange Bowl was played the night of January 1 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.

Six-point favorite Nebraska entered the game on a 31-game unbeaten streak, and scored first on a 2-yard touchdown run by Jeff Kinney. Future Heisman Trophy winner 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, quarterback Jerry Tagge and Gary Dixon added touchdown runs of one and two yards respectively, as Nebraska led convincingly 28–0 at halftime as the Husker defense stifled the Tide's previously potent Wishbone offense with All-American running back Johnny Musso.

In the third quarter, Bama's Terry Davis scored on a 3–yard touchdown run making the score 28–6, eliminating the shutout. Nebraska's Rich Sanger kicked a 21-yard field goal at the end of the third quarter, and a 1-yard touchdown run by reserve senior QB Van Brownson made the final score 38–6.

With top-ranked Nebraska's 32-point victory, the 1972 Orange Bowl was one of the most lopsided meetings of #1 vs #2, specifically in a season-ending bowl game.

Nebraska (13-0) was the consensus national champion, having defeated the next three teams in the final AP Poll released on January 3: Oklahoma, Colorado, and Alabama.

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