1981 Cotton Bowl Classic
| 1981 Cotton Bowl Classic | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| 45th Cotton Bowl Classic | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 1, 1981 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Cotton Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Dallas, Texas | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Warren Lyles (Alabama NG) Major Ogilvie (Alabama RB) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Alabama by 3½ points | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Vance Carlson (Big Eight) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 74,281 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | CBS | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Lindsey Nelson (Play-by-play) Roger Staubach (Color) Frank Glieber (Sideline) | ||||||||||||||||||||
The 1981 Cotton Bowl Classic was the 45th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday, January 1. Part of the 1980–81 bowl game season, it matched the ninth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the #6 Baylor Bears of the Southwest Conference (SWC). Favored Alabama shut out the Baylor offense and won, 30–2.