National Football Foundation

ACC Champion Florida State defeated Big 8 Champion Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, marking the Seminoles’ first MacArthur Bowl. Coached by College Football Hall of Famer Bobby Bowden, Florida State finished 12-1 after an 18-16 victory against the Cornhuskers in the Orange Bowl. The Seminoles beat their first five opponents by an average score of 46–3, during which linebacker Derrick Brooks, a 1994 NFF National Scholar-Athlete, outscored all five opponents combined. The 1993 Florida State team featured Hall of Fame quarterback Charlie Ward, and 1993 NFF National Scholar-Athlete and linebacker Kenneth Alexander.

Representing the pinnacle of team achievement in college sports, the trophy was the gift of an anonymous donor, who commissioned Tiffany & Co. to craft it from 400 ounces of silver, in honor of NFF founder General Douglas A. MacArthur. It took eight months to make, and the trophy features MacArthur's famous quote: "There is no substitute for victory."