1981 NCAA Division I-A football season

The 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Clemson Tigers, unbeaten and untied, taking the national championship after a victory over traditional power Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. This was also the first year of the California Bowl, played in Fresno, California; this game fancied itself as a "junior" version of the Rose Bowl as it pitted the Big West champion vs. the MAC champion.

This was the final season in which the Ivy League competed in Division I-A.; the league was lowered to Division I-AA (FCS) for 1982. Through 2009 season, the Ivy League has yet to participate in the post-season tournament, despite an automatic bid, citing academic concerns.

Octoberfest
Florida State played a brutal series of games known as "Octoberfest", playing traditional powers Nebraska, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and LSU all on the road and going 3-2 in that stretch.

Important game
Clemson's match-up with North Carolina proved to be the landmark game of the season and a huge turning point for the ACC. This game which Clemson won 10–8 marked the first time two ACC teams met while ranked in the top 10. ABC broadcast this game live nationally, a huge bit of exposure for what was usually known as a basketball conference. The game ended with Jeff Bryant recovering a lateral with a minute left.

Orange Bowl
Clemson's Orange Bowl opponent Nebraska featured future NFL stars Roger Craig, Irving Fryar, Mike Rozier, and Dave Rimington while finishing second nationally in rushing with 330 yards per game. But Clemson was able to take advantage of an injury to Nebraska quarterback Turner Gill. Eight out of twelve Nebraska possessions ended in a three and out, they crossed the 50 only four times and ended up with just two scoring opportunities.

Entering the game, Clemson was ranked #1, Georgia #2, then Alabama and Nebraska in one poll and Pittsburgh in another. After Georgia and Alabama had lost in Sugar and Cotton Bowls respectively, The Orange Bowl was for the national championship, although with Pitt beating Georgia, it is likely that Nebraska would have split the title with Pitt had they beaten Clemson. The final score was 22–15.

Pittsburgh, which was the consensus number one until being beaten soundly by Penn State in their season finale, beat Georgia, fresh off its second national title, in the Sugar Bowl. Also in the national title hunt till the very end, Alabama lost to number six Texas in the Cotton Bowl Classic.

Kenneth Sims of Texas was the first pick overall in the 1982 NFL Draft and was the winner of the Lombardi Award, given to the nation's best lineman.

Southern Methodist won the Southwest Conference and was ranked fifth, but was ineligible for post-season play due to NCAA probation, but could have still qualified for the national title.

Offense

 * QB - Jim McMahon - Brigham Young
 * RB - Marcus Allen - Southern California
 * RB - Herschel Walker - Georgia
 * WR - Anthony Carter - Michigan
 * TE - Tim Wrightman - UCLA
 * L - Sean Farrell - Penn State
 * L - Roy Foster - Southern California
 * L - Terry Crouch - Oklahoma
 * L - Ed Muransky - Michigan
 * L - Terry Tausch - Texas
 * L - Kurt Becker - Michigan
 * C - Dave Rimington - Nebraska

Defense

 * L - Billy Ray Smith - Arkansas
 * L - Kenneth Sims - Texas
 * L - Andre Tippett - Iowa
 * L - Tim Krumrie - Wisconsin
 * LB - Bob Crable - Notre Dame
 * LB - Jeff Davis - Clemson
 * LB - Sal Sunseri - Pittsburgh
 * DB - Tommy Wilcox - Alabama
 * DB - Mike Richardson - Arizona State
 * DB - Terry Kinard - Clemson
 * DB - Fred Marion - Miami (FL)
 * P - Reggie Roby - Iowa

Bowl Games

 * Rose Bowl: Washington 28, Iowa 0
 * Cotton Bowl Classic: Texas 14, Alabama 12
 * Fiesta Bowl: Penn State 26, Southern California 10
 * Orange Bowl: Clemson 22, Nebraska 15
 * Sugar Bowl: Pittsburgh 24, Georgia 20
 * Peach Bowl: West Virginia 26, Florida 6
 * Hall of Fame Classic: Mississippi State 10, Kansas 0
 * Bluebonnet Bowl: Michigan 33, UCLA 14
 * Liberty Bowl: Ohio State 31, Navy 28
 * Gator Bowl: North Carolina 31, Arkansas 27
 * Sun Bowl: Oklahoma 40, Houston 14
 * California Bowl: Toledo 27, San Jose State 25
 * Tangerine Bowl: Missouri 19, Southern Mississippi 17
 * Holiday Bowl: Brigham Young 38, Washington State 36
 * Garden State Bowl: Tennessee 28, Wisconsin 21
 * Independence Bowl: Texas A&M 33, Oklahoma State 16

Final AP Poll

 * 1) Clemson
 * 2) Texas
 * 3) Penn State
 * 4) Pittsburgh
 * 5) Southern Methodist
 * 6) Georgia
 * 7) Alabama
 * 8) Miami (FL)
 * 9) North Carolina
 * 10) Washington
 * 11) Nebraska
 * 12) Michigan
 * 13) Brigham Young
 * 14) Southern California
 * 15) Ohio State
 * 16) Arizona State
 * 17) West Virginia
 * 18) Iowa
 * 19) Missouri
 * 20) Oklahoma

Heisman Trophy

 * 1) Marcus Allen - TB, Southern California
 * 2) Herschel Walker - TB, Georgia
 * 3) Jim McMahon - QB, Brigham Young
 * 4) Dan Marino - QB, Pittsburgh
 * 5) Art Schlichter - QB, Ohio State

Award winners

 * Maxwell - Marcus Allen - RB, Southern California
 * Outland - Dave Rimington - C, Nebraska
 * Camp - Marcus Allen - RB, Southern California
 * Lombardi - Kenneth Simms - DT, Texas
 * O'Brien - Jim McMahon - QB, Brigham Young