Bowl Game History: When New Year’s Day Ruled The World

New Year’s Day is a big day for college football fans, but for an 18-year period of bowl game history, January 1 ruled the world—or at least the college football section of it. Marquee matchups marked the day, starting with the Cotton Bowl, rolling through the pageantry of the Rose, the drama of the Sugar and ending with the electrifying halftime spectacle in the Orange. Later years saw the Fiesta join the party and the Cotton slowly decline in importance. And from 1976-1993, you could watch all of the nation’s best teams in a single day and know who the national champion was by night’s end.

The Last New Year’s brings the 18-year period of New Year’s primacy to life. From the drama on the goal line in 1978—a phantom touchdown and a goal-line stand settled a national title, to the chaos and injustice of 1983’s games and subsequent championship vote to the greatness of Bear Bryant and the long struggles for redemption waged by Tom Osborne and Bo Schembecler. It’s all here.

College football’s postseason structure has changed substantially over the past two decades and more change is ahead. A lot of the changes are good, and The Last New Year’s is no attempt to glorify the system’s flaws. Rather, it celebrates the fun of watching the best college football had to offer all day and when New Year’s Day was the best day of the year. It’s a memory of how things were and a unique look at a special period in bowl game history.

The Last New Year’s is a 50,000 word book, concise in its presentation, yet committed to uncovering history’s hidden gems. For just $3.99 you can ride through 18 years of bowl game history, remember the best players, greatest matchups and most controversial arguments.

Click here to visit Amazon and download The Last New Year’s.