The 1983 edition of the Orange Bowl featured the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the LSU Tigers. The game suffered from poor attendance due to riots in the Miami area as well as the game having no impact on the national championship, since No. 2 Penn State defeated No. 1 Georgia earlier in the day in the Sugar Bowl. LSU began the season 7-0-1, but lost in November to heavy underdogs Mississippi State and Tulane to come in 8-2-1 and ranked #13 by the AP and UPI polls. Nebraska was 11-1 and ranked #3 in both polls, but they had been denied a chance to play for the national championship due to a controversial 27-24 loss at Penn State early in the season.