When UCLA upset the top ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl, the stage was set for Oklahoma to control it's own destiny. A win against a tough Michigan team in the 1976 Orange Bowl would mean a National Championship for the Sooners.

Oklahoma found themselves in a defensive battle with the Big Ten runner up and fourth-ranked Wolverines. Three hard-fought quarters netted Oklahoma a slim 7 - 0 advantage. But on the first play of the fourth quarter, Sooners quarterback Steve Davis ran 10 yards to up the lead to 14 - 0. The Michigan defense then recovered an Oklahoma fumble on the Sooner 2 and Gordon Bell took it in to make it 14 - 6.

That was the last time the Wolverines would threaten as the Sooner defense took over. With Oklahoma's Lee Roy and Dewey Selmon leading the defense with 10 and 13 tackles respectively, Michigan never made it past midfield again and was held to just 202 yards of offense for the game.