Alabama completed the regular season as SEC champions with a 10–1 record. The only defeat was a 20–7 non-conference loss to Missouri in week one. On November 17, bowl officials announced that Alabama would face Penn State in the Sugar Bowl.[2] It marked the seventh
appearance for Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, and their 29th bowl game.
The Tide entered the Sugar Bowl as a thirteen-point favorite,[1] but without a win in its last eight bowl games.
Penn State completed the regular season with a record of 9–2. Their only defeats were a 17–9 loss to Ohio State in week three and a 15–14 loss to the North Carolina State in week ten. On November 17, bowl officials announced that Penn State would face Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.[2] The invitation for Penn State was controversial as Alabama's Bryant personally selected Penn State as their opponent instead of the Big Eight runner-up (#6 Nebraska), ranked higher than the Nittany Lions. Bryant was miffed that the Orange Bowl, which was committed to the Big Eight champion (#3 Oklahoma), had snubbed the Crimson Tide in favor of the Big Ten runner-up, #5 Michigan (the Big Ten (and Pac-8) allowed multiple bowl teams for the first time this season). In Bryant's view, this effectively killed Alabama's chances for a national championship.[3] It was the second appearance for Penn State in the Sugar Bowl, and their fourteenth bowl game.
After Penn State's Chris Bahr missed a 62-yard field goal, Alabama scored on a 25-yard Danny Ridgeway field goal.[5] The second quarter was scoreless, and the Crimson Tide led 3–0 at halftime.
Penn State tied the game at three on a 42-yard Bahr field goal in the third quarter.[5] Alabama responded on the following drive with the lone touchdown of the game, a 14-yard Mike Stock run, to take a 10–3 lead.[5][6]
A 37-yard Bahr field goal reduced the lead to four points with under twelve minutes remaining. The Crimson Tide responded with an extended drive, resulting in a 28-yard Ridgeway field goal to push the lead back to seven at 13–6, the final score.[5][6] For his 210 yards passing after completing ten of twelve pass attempts, Alabama quarterbackRichard Todd was named the games outstanding player.[5]
It was Alabama's first bowl win in nine years (since January 1967) and started a string of six straight bowl victories.