Hidden Yardage: The Story of the 1980 College Football Season

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1980's top teams jockey for position and a shot at the title as bowl bids are handed out. The sport's two pre-eminent programs do battle at Legion Field as Notre Dame and Alabama meet with the Sugar Bowl on the line. Meanwhile the USC Trojans, suspended from postseason play, look to spoil the party and extend their unbeaten streak to 29 games against a Washington Huskies team with something to prove. And Heisman favorite George Rogers tries to carry his South Carolina teammates to a win and a berth in the Gator Bowl against upset-minded Wake Forest.

After a chaotic week that saw four top ten teams fall victim to an upset, college football's new number one, Notre Dame, tries to avoid a trap game in Atlanta. Resurgent Florida seeks its first ever SEC championship as it takes on Georgia in Jacksonville where the two teams combine for one of the wildest endings in college football history. Plus, the incredibly true story of Illinois quarterback Dave Wilson's battle with the Big Ten and his record-breaking performance in the Horseshoe against Ohio State to become college football's first 600-yard man.

Undefeated and top-ranked Alabama looks to roll to a 23rd straight victory over Mississippi State in Jackson but the Bulldogs and their coach have a plan to change history. The nation tunes in for a legendary showdown between freshman Herschel Walker and senior George Rogers. Both will have huge days on the ground but a crucial fumble will decide the game and, potentially, the Heisman Trophy. The Oklahoma Sooners humiliate sixth-ranked North Carolina as part of one of the wildest Saturdays in college football history. Four of the six remaining undefeated teams suffer an upset and for the sixth week in a row a top-five team is upended.

The 1980 college football season wraps up its second month with Alabama still looking like the team to beat. The top-ranked Tide welcome Southern Miss to Tuscaloosa where Bear Bryant hasn't lost in nearly two decades. In Texas, the number two Longhorns figure to keep their winning streak going against SMU but a freshman quarterback making his first start helps to spark Mustang Mania in the Southwest. Plus, Pittsburgh's Jackie Sherrill takes his Panthers on the road to face his mentor Johnny Majors and the Tennessee Volunteers as Pitt tries to climb back into the national championship hunt.

College offenses are taking to the air as Illinois and Purdue combine for the greatest passing day in Big Ten history. Jim McMahon and the BYU Cougars continue their assault on the record books when their aerial circus invades Logan, Utah for a game against the Utah State Aggies. The Pitt Panthers look to take out their frustrations after an upset loss to Florida State with a rumble against West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl. After quarterback Dan Marino is lost to injury, the Panthers are just hoping to survive. On the west coast, second-ranked USC’s undefeated streak is in jeopardy against the Oregon Ducks and George Rogers and Herschel Walker continue to punish defenses as they set their sights on each other for southeastern supremacy and the Heisman Trophy.

The largest crowd in Florida State history awaits an encore from the Seminoles as they take on their second straight top-five opponent. This time they host the Pitt Panthers, the Beast of the East, and their star defender Hugh Green in a battle of top-ranked independents. Bear Bryant and the Crimson Tide look for some national media exposure while in the Big Apple to take on Rutgers and find themselves in an unexpected battle with the Scarlet Knights. UCLA continues its redemption tour as it returns to the West Coast after silencing the Horseshoe with a win over Ohio State and tries to slow down John Elway and Stanford. Plus, a recap of the title contenders as we near the midway point of the 1980 season.

The Florida State Seminoles take on third-ranked Nebraska in Lincoln with a walk-on center and big, bad Ron Simmons. Ohio State defends The Horseshoe against a revenge-minded UCLA Bruins team with nothing to lose while Penn State goes to Columbia, Missouri and comes away with a win and a quarterback. Plus, Colorado is on the wrong end of history as Oklahoma puts up offensive numbers higher than the Rocky Mountains.