The 1990–91 NCAA football bowl games featured 19 games, starting early in December
1990 and ending on New Year's Day 1991. They followed the
1990 regular season and ended in controversy. Going into the postseason,
Colorado had a 10–1–1 record and was ranked #1 in both
Coaches' and
AP polls. After a relatively unimpressive (and controversial) 10–9 victory over #5
Notre Dame in the
Orange Bowl and an impressive victory by the undefeated (10–0–1) #2
Georgia Tech in the
Citrus Bowl, the Buffaloes lost their #1 ranking to the Yellow Jackets in the Coaches' Poll, creating a split championship. This controversial ending, along with the dual undefeated champions of the
following year, led to the creation of the
Bowl Coalition.
Bowl games
NOTE: Rankings used are the final regular season AP Rankings whenever noted
Florida,
Houston, and
Oklahoma were on probation by the NCAA during the 1990 season; they were therefore ineligible to receive votes in the Coaches' Poll