Sweet! Ohio State vs. Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/6/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State, 11-1 and champion of the Big Ten Conference for a record-tying sixth consecutive season, will play Arkansas, 10-2 and from the Southeastern Conference, in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Tuesday, Jan. 4 at 8:30 p.m. (EST). ESPN will televise the game from the Louisiana Superdome (cap. 72,000).
“The Buckeyes are excited to be going to the Sugar Bowl,” coach Jim Tressel, who has taken Ohio State to a bowl game in each of his 10 seasons including eight BCS games, said. “The things I remember the most about the Sugar Bowl are the people [of New Orleans] and how excited they are to host the game, and the great pride they have in their city and in the history of the Sugar Bowl. When you think of the games that have been played in the Sugar Bowl, it’s neat to be a part of this long history.”
This marks the 11th consecutive season Ohio State will be playing in a bowl game – the longest streak in the Big Ten – and even more impressively, the game represents a national record ninth Bowl Championship Series (BCS) game and sixth consecutive for Ohio State. The Buckeyes are 5-3 in BCS games, which is tied with Florida for the second-most BCS wins behind USC’s six.
More on the Game
Ohio State, No. 6 in the final BCS poll released Sunday, and No. 8 Arkansas have never met on the gridiron and this first matchup features two hot teams. The Buckeyes have won five consecutive games since an Oct. 16 loss at Wisconsin, including November wins over Penn State, at Iowa and Michigan that clinched the Big Ten championship.
Arkansas, second in the SEC West to unbeaten Auburn, has won six in a row since last losing Oct. 16 at Auburn. The Razorbacks’ streak includes wins at SEC East champion South Carolina, and a win over LSU in its last game of the regular season.
“I think the game will be exciting for everyone,” Tressel said. “An Ohio State/Arkansas match will capture the interest of everyone. I don’t know too much about them other than the fact they had two losses to Alabama and Auburn and they are two of the best teams in the country. Arkansas is a great football team.
“Ohio State vs. Arkansas…that’s an exciting thought.”
###OhioStateBuckeyes.com###
