Ohio State opens as 6.5 point favorite over Notre Dame

The game hasn’t always featured longshot teams and has been the stage for 36 different teams in its 44-year history.

Most notable among them: a matchup of traditional powers Notre Dame and Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, on New Year’s Day in Glendale, Ariz.

Despite the 10 straight wins, the Buckeyes entered the Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin as an underdog with third-string quarterback Cardale Jones at the helm of the offense.

Ohio State’s fate has been determined: the Fiesta Bowl with No. 8 Notre Dame. Their only loss came to No. 3 Michigan State on a game-winning Spartan field goal.

Ohio State in the pecking order of one-loss teams behind playoff teams Alabama, Michigan State and Oklahoma, which all lost earlier in the season.

The Road Ahead: As it turns out, Notre Dame’s streak of playing at least one Big Ten team (at the time of the game) every year since 1917 won’t be broken after all this season. The Notre Dame IMG Football Radio Network also will carry the game. “I think … as you look at the first eight (in the final rankings this season), that would be a pretty good playoff”. Instead, they allowed the Cardinal to march down the field for a last-second field goal to end their chances.

Meyer was an assistant coach at Notre Dame from 1996-2000.

What is clear, though, is that these are two deservingly top-10 teams that combine to form one of the better bowl matchups of the 2015 season.

PASADENA, Calif. – Iowa and Stanford barely missed out on the College Football Playoff. Not a bad consolation prize.

Ohio State (11-1, Big Ten) vs. Notre Dame (10-2, Independent), Jan. 1, 1 p.m.

While both teams had their sights set on the College Football Playoffs, a matchup between two tradition-rich programs in the desert should make for compelling TV. Nor is it the Rose Bowl.

McMillan led the Buckeyes in tackles this season with a total of 114 in 12 games. This’ll be a strong test for a Notre Dame defensive line that’s done well this season and appears on track to get redshirt junior Jarron Jones back from a preseason torn MCL. “We’re a different team”, Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said. WR Will Fuller has 56 catches for 1,145 yards and 13 TDs. The schools announced a regular-season series in September 2014.

MS 21, Oklahoma State 7.

SPLIT DUTY: Meyer said outgoing Buckeyes co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash will remain at Ohio State through the Fiesta Bowl. “They were inches away from a victory, so I do think that this very close loss kind of validated the entire body of work for Iowa”.

Ohio State: RB Ezekiel Elliott, 1,672 yards, 19 TDs rushing.

Tennessee 48, Northwestern 28 (Jan. 1, 1997).

Tennessee: Earned consecutive bowl trips under same coach for the first time since 2006-07. Okwara also finished with 13.5 tackles for loss, only one behind first team All-American Sheldon Day.

MI 41, Florida 35 (Jan. 1, 2008).

Notre Dame is 1-3 all-time in the Fiesta Bowl. Barrett has three passing touchdowns in his last three games. Notre Dame’s Tom Zbikowski scooped up the ball and ran it back for a touchdown.

Washington State: The Cougars last played in the Sun Bowl in 2001, beating Purdue 33-27, and they are in a bowl for the second time in the last three seasons under Leach, who is making his return to Texas after leaving Texas Tech after the 2009 season.