The year was 1969 and the Buffaloes had finished the regular season with a 7-3 record. The losses against Penn State, Oklahoma and Nebraska set up a date with history for head coach Eddie Crowder and the Buffs against Alabama in the Liberty Bowl. Nobody knew what to expect from the Crimson Tide team representing the SEC. Bear Bryant was in the process of establishing Alabama's dominance and already had three national championships. This happened to be down year for Bryant with a 6-4 record on the season.
The black and white members of the Buffs football team knew about Memphis, Tenn from the outside.