1968 American Football Season

The 1968 American football season was a monumental year that fundamentally altered the landscape of professional sports. It was a season defined by fierce rivalries, iconic individual performances, and an unforgettable championship game that shattered the perception of dominance between the two competing leagues.

The AFL-NFL Rivalry and the Ultimate Upset

In 1968, professional football was still split between the long-established National Football League (NFL) and the upstart American Football League (AFL), though they had agreed to a future merger. Up to this point, the NFL was widely considered vastly superior, a narrative heavily backed by the Green Bay Packers’ dominant victories in the first two AFL-NFL Championship Games (later known as Super Bowls I and II).

The Baltimore Colts dominated the NFL with a 13–1 regular-season record under head coach Don Shula, later avenging their lone loss by defeating the Cleveland Browns 34–0 in the NFL Championship. Meanwhile, the New York Jets, led by brash young quarterback Joe Namath, captured the AFL title by defeating the Oakland Raiders 27–23.

What followed at Super Bowl III on January 12, 1969, became legendary:

• The Guarantee: Days before the game, Joe Namath publicly guaranteed a victory despite the Jets being 18-point underdogs.
• The Game: Namath backed up his words, orchestrating a masterful, control-the-clock game plan. The Jets’ defense forced five turnovers from the Colts.
• The Impact: The Jets won 16–7. It was the AFL’s first interleague championship victory, proving the upstart league could compete at the highest level and legitimizing the upcoming 1970 merger.

College Football Innovation and the “Game of the Century”

The 1968 collegiate season was equally historic, characterized by high-powered offenses and unforgettable matchups.

• The Ohio State Buckeyes: Led by head coach Woody Hayes and a legendary group of sophomores known as the “Super Sophs” (including fullback Rex Kern and defensive back Jack Tatum), Ohio State went undefeated (10–0) and claimed the National Championship by defeating O.J. Simpson’s USC Trojans 27–16 in the Rose Bowl.
• The “Game of the Century”: On November 23, 1968, the undefeated Harvard Crimson and undefeated Yale Bulldogs met for their annual rivalry game. Yale, led by quarterback Brian Dowling, heavily favored and led 29–13 with just 42 seconds remaining. In a miraculous comeback, Harvard scored 16 points in the final seconds to tie the game 29–29, inspiring the famous Harvard Crimson student newspaper headline: “Harvard Wins 29-29.”
• Heisman Trophy: USC running back O.J. Simpson won the Heisman Trophy in a landslide after rushing for 1,709 yards and 22 touchdowns during the regular season.

A Deep Dive into 1968 Football History and Highlights

Beyond the championship games, 1968 was a year of incredible individual milestones and bizarre pop-culture crossovers:

• January 1, 1968 – The 54th edition of the Rose Bowl featured the USC Trojans defeating the Indiana Hoosiers 14-3, as Southern Cal tailback O.J. Simpson was the game MVP.
• January 14, 1968 – Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida – In the day, it was dubbed the second AFL-NFL World Championship Game, but later became known as Super Bowl II. The AFL’s Oakland Raiders met the NFL’s top team, the Green Bay Packers. The Washington Post has a great write-up on the game. I encourage you to check it out for the details. Bart Starr showed why he was one of the best in the business, and the Packers’ defense was phenomenal. Raider signal caller Daryle Lamonica was under siege most of the day, and this pressure forced some crucial errors. One of these was the 60-yard pick-six that Green Bay cornerback Herb Adderley had in the fourth quarter to pad an already big Packers lead. The Green Bay Packers played well as a team and upstaged the Oakland Raiders, 33-14. The game’s MVP was Bart Starr, who was sacked 3 times but managed to throw for 202 yards and a score against a very good Oakland defense. (source)
• January 21, 1968 – Gator Bowl, Jacksonville – The Eastern Division of the AFL must have liked playing on January 20. Because at the 7th AFL All-Star Game, the Eastern Division once again got one over on their Western Division rivals by the score of 25-24, per RemembertheAFL.com.  A couple of New York Jets were voted as the offensive Most Valuable Players, as Quarterback Joe Namath and Don Maynard shared that spotlight, and the defensive MVP of the game was Speedy Duncan of the LA Chargers, who played defensive back and also returned kicks. Duncan muffed an early punt that the West recovered and later scored on, but his 90-yard kickoff return later in the game made up for it.
• January 21, 1968 – LA Memorial Coliseum – 18th NFL Pro Bowl, according to the American Football Database, was won by the Western Division, which outscored its Eastern counterparts, 38-20. Otto Graham of Washington coached the East while matching wits with the Colts Don Shula. Graham took some heat from his players when he benched QB Fran Tarkenton in the 4th quarter because of who Tarkenton was and the game being a charity exhibition. The Most Valuable Players were Gale Sayers of the Chicago Bears and Green Bay’s Dave Robinson. The MVP honor was the second season in a row that Sayers earned it.
• January 30, 1968 – Ron Yary from USC was the first overall pick by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1968 NFL Draft. 
• May 29, 1968 – A trial began for multiple former LSU football stars accused of being part of a bribery and points-shaving scandal in Louisiana. On trial were Samuel Graziano, Joseph L. Nolan, Samuel F. Comeaux, Jim Dousay, and Joe LaBruzzo of the LSU football team.
• September 29, 1968 – A new single-game NFL punting return record was established as the St. Louis Cardinals ‘ Chuck Latourette set the NFL record 47.7 yards per return in a game against the New Orleans Saints on 3 returns!
• November 3, 1968 – Shea Stadium, New York City,  New York – Jets kicker Jim Turner boots 6 field goals and an extra point to defeat the Buffalo Bills, 25-21.
• November 17, 1968 – The “Heidi” Game: the Oakland Raiders played the New York Jets. With the Jets leading 32–29 and only 65 seconds left on the clock, NBC famously cut away from the live broadcast to air the children’s movie Heidi. Viewers missed the Raiders scoring two touchdowns in nine seconds to win 43–32, sparking national outrage and forever changing how networks handle live sports broadcasting.
• November 23, 1968 – The memorable meeting of Harvard and Yale that ended in a tie.
• November 26, 1968 – USC running back O.J. Simpson won the Heisman Trophy.
• November 30, 1968 – CNE Stadium, Toronto – Ottawa Rough Riders defeat Calgary Stampeder, 24-21 in the 56th playing of the CFL’s Grey Cup. The site Sports Team History notes that the Most Valuable Player was Vic Washington, whose 79-yard scoring run in the contest set a Grey Cup record and had a huge impact on the outcome of this championship game.
• November 30, 1968 – Legion Field, Birmingham – Those who watched the 33rd Iron Bowl were in for a real treat. The Paul W. Bryant Museum, a must-visit place, by the way, shares a great YouTube clip showing how Alabama defeated Auburn 24-16 in this classic matchup.
• December 29, 1968 – Cleveland Municipal Stadium – NFL Championship: Baltimore Colts blanked the Cleveland Browns, 34-0. With the victory, the Colts earned the right to face the AFL’s top team in Super Bowl III. 
• December 29, 1968 – The AFL Championship game was played at Shea Stadium in New York. Jets signal-caller Joe Namath threw a touchdown pass to lead the Jets in a victory over the tough Oakland Raiders squad, 27-23, to advance to play the Colts in Super Bowl III.