1981 Cotton Bowl Classic

The 1981 Cotton Bowl Classic, part of the 1980 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1981, at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and the Baylor Bears of the Southwestern Conference (SWC). Alabama was victorious by a final score of 30–2.

Game summary
Alabama took a 6–0 lead on a pair of Peter Kim field goals in the first quarter. Baylor responded later in the quarter with its only points of the game when Tommy Tabor sacked Alabama quarterback Walter Lewis in the endzone for a safety to bring the score to 6–2. The Crimson Tide extended their lead to 13–2 at the half following a one-yard Major Ogilvie touchdown run in the second quarter. After scoring on a third Kim field goal in the third, Alabama closed out the game with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns. Don Jacobs scored first on a one-yard run and Mark Nix scored on a three-yard run to make the final score 30–2. For his performance, Alabama linebacker Warren Lyles was named the MVP of the contest. This game was the final collegiate game for legendary Baylor (and future college and pro football hall of famer) linebacker Mike Singletary.