These two teams haven’t met in 10 seasons (that one, too, came in the Fiesta Bowl) and only that one time after 1996.
Advertisement
In another January 1 matchup, MS of the Southeastern Conference and Oklahoma State of the Big 12 will meet in the Sugar Bowl, while the December 31 Peach Bowl features a matchup between Florida State and Houston, the American Athletic Conference champion. But the Hawkeyes (12-1 SU, 7-5 ATS), fifth in the final playoff rankings, got a nice consolation prize with their first trip to Pasadena in 25 years.
The team will play in Glendale, Ariz., in suburban Phoenix, on New Year’s Day.
Notre Dame football Coach Brian Kelly was asked what his priorities are for this game on the Fiesta Bowl teleconference today.
Meyer’s coaching roots trace to Notre Dame, where he was once an assistant under Lou Holtz and Bob Davie. After its Pinstripe Bowl triumph two years ago against Rutgers followed by the Music City win over LSU last year, Notre Dame will be looking to post bowl victories three consecutive seasons for the first time since doing that in three straight seasons from 1991 through 1993.
There are other ties that bind the Ohio State and Notre Dame programs.
Notre Dame will be fighting to try and prove that it’s not “overrated” with DeShone Kizer as the quarterback.
– Ohio State athletics director Gene Smith is a former Notre Dame defensive lineman (he earned a monogram in 1976 as a backup to captain Willie Fry) who also coached the Irish junior varsity and special teams in 1978-80. And recruiting coordinator and linebacker coach Mike Elston lists St. Marys, Ohio, as his hometown. “(Kelly) has Notre Dame where Notre Dame belongs, and that’s one of the top five teams in the country”.
But championship game or not fans are ready to cheer the Irish on. The Buckeyes may be the most talented team in the country. With that in mind, we give you a top 10 that is from the modern era, or in simpler terms; from the last 50 years. “Not being there in a while and not playing well in 2012 on a national stage, you know, it’s very important for us to play well and win the game”.
“The matchup is going to help us”, said Ike Reynolds of Reynolds Travel. We’ve made great strides as a program since then, and now we have that chance again. I think we can get some really good play out of Jarron.
Jones’ final season of eligibility will be in 2016, while Smythe has two seasons after this one.
Keep in mind that Notre Dame has not won a major bowl game since 1994 when the Irish defeated the Texas A&M Aggies in the Cotton Bowl. Since the Fiesta Bowl’s inception in 1971, OSU has played in it five times. It’s a darned good football team.
Notre Dame comes into the game with two losses by a combined four points.
Advertisement
The Buckeye senior class is in a unique position where a win on New Year’s Day could lock up a 50th win over a four-year span, a number that is hard to fathom and harder to reach in the days before seasons that would go beyond 12 games total. “I have a ton of respect for what (Ohio State coach) Urban (Meyer) has accomplished”.
