Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
1971 and 1972 Rose Bowl Games
1996 Inductee
If you have ever wondered whether David could have slain a second Philistine giant after facing Goliath, you could find your answer by looking at the John Ralston-coached Stanford teams that won the 1971 and 1972 Rose Bowl Games. Ralston’s game plans relied on the slingshot arms of Jim Plunkett and Don Bunce to beat two perfect” Big Ten champions.”
In 1971, the Ohio State Buckeyes were crushed by Ralston’s wide-open game plan executed by fellow Rose Bowl Hall of Famer Jim Plunkett and his 20-of-30 passing day.
Stanford followed its 27–17 victory that day with an exciting 13–12 upset of Michigan the next year. Don Bunce completed 24 of 44 passes, and Rod Garcia’s 31-yard field goal in the final seconds finished off the Wolverines.
Ralston went on to coach in the NFL, USFL and again in the college ranks after leaving Stanford following the 1972 Rose Bowl Game. He earned national Coach of the Year honors while at Stanford in 1970 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992. Ralston passed away in 2019.
