This is Game Week: Fiesta Bowl
12/24/2019 8:35:47 PM | Football
THE BASICS
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Clemson • Saturday, Dec. 28 • 8 p.m. • State Farm Stadium; Glendale, AZ
TV: ESPN • Play-by-Play: Chris Fowler • Analyst: Kirk Herbstreit • Sidelines: Tom Rinaldi and Maria Taylor
FIESTA BOWL OFFICIAL TRAILER
Quick Quotes: Fiesta Bowl Media Day
Wyatt Davis, OL
On Clemson’s defensive line:
They rotate a lot of guys and everyone they rotate in, are exceptional players. It’s going to be a huge challenge for us up front and we’re all looking forward to it.
On the team’s opportunity against Clemson:
It’s huge, it’s everything that we’ve worked for. The reason why you go to schools like this is right in front of us. For me, it’s been a dream come true to be in this situation. All we need to do is finish and not let all the hard work we put in the off season go to waste.
BUCKEYES CONTINUE CFP PREP IN ARIZONA
The Ohio State football team spent its Christmas continuing preparations on Saturday’s College Football Playoff semifinal game vs. Clemson. The Buckeyes spent the afternoon by conducting its fourth practice at Notre Dame Prep High School. The media was allowed in for the first 15 minutes to capture more photos and video. And, everyone got to enjoy a little sun. After a rainy morning, the Valley of the Sun lived up its name, producing ideal conditions for the players and coaches.
Buckeye All-Americans
Buckeye Breakdown: Fiesta Bowl Preview
OHIO STATE COMPLETES THIRD PRACTICE IN ARIZONA
The Ohio State Buckeyes continued preparations for Saturday’s College Football Playoff semifinal game vs. Clemson with the team’s third practice in Arizona on Tuesday afternoon under cloudy, rainy and cold conditions. The 13-period workout was moved to the main turf field at Notre Dame Prep because of the rain.
Temperatures in Scottsdale failed to climb out of the 50s under a thick cloud cover as a steady rain fell throughout the day. Winds were out of the south at 10 miles per hour with stronger gusts in the range of 15 to 20 miles per hour. Despite the conditions, the Buckeyes’ practice was spirited and intense. Media members were permitted to view the first 15 minutes for their video and photography needs.
OHIO STATE, CLEMSON BATTLE FOR SPOT IN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
A berth in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game is on the line as Ohio State and Clemson do battle in this year’s PlayStation Fiesta Bowl.
Big Ten Champion Ohio State, 13-0 on the season and winners of 19-straight games dating back to last season, will look to win its 2nd College Football Playoff Semifinal when it meets ACC Champion Clemson (13-0) on Saturday night at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The game features two of the country’s best offenses and defenses: Ohio State is powered the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense (48.7 points/game) and No. 2 scoring defense (12.5 points/game), while Clemson boasts the nation’s No. 4 scoring offense (46.5 points/game) and No. 1 scoring defense (10.6 points/game). Additionally, both teams have combined to rank among the Top 5 nationally in 21 major NCAA statistical rankings.
Fiesta Bowl History
- This will mark Ohio State’s ninth Fiesta Bowl appearance, the most of any bowl game other than the Rose Bowl.
- The Buckeyes are 5-3 all-time in the Fiesta Bowl.
- Including the BCS National Championship Game following the 2006 season, this will be Ohio State’s eighth appearances in Arizona over the last 17 years.
OHIO STATE PRACTICES; PLAYERS THEN SHOP WITH CHILDREN IN NEED
Amid uncommonly overcast skies at the College Football Playoff semifinal site in Scottsdale, Ariz., the Ohio State Buckeyes worked through a physical and spirited practice Monday at Notre Dame Prep. Head coach Ryan Day worked the team through a 13-period practice – the team’s second in Arizona – in 64-degree weather with a 7-mile per hour wind blowing out of the north/northeast with gusts into the teens.
Temperatures are expected to fall into the 50s overnight with a 100-percent chance of rain on Tuesday. The forecast has the Ohio State coaches and operations staff contemplating possible indoor options for Tuesday’s scheduled 1 p.m. practice.
PHOTOS: BUCKEYES GIVE BACK
OHIO STATE TRAVELS TO ARIZONA TO CONTINUE CFP PREP
A three-and-a-half day break for the holidays ended Sunday for the Ohio State Buckeyes as the team traveled to Arizona to reassemble and continue preparations for Saturday’s 8 p.m. EST College Football Playoff semifinal game against unbeaten Clemson at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. ABC will televise the game to a national audience.
Most team members – 64 of 106 – flew out of Rickenbacker at 12:30 p.m. with coaches and support staff on a Boeing 777 or “Triple 7,” a giant of a plane that featured 10 seats across and roomy and extra-roomy accommodations for the players in its first- and business-class sections, respectively. The remainder of the players had scheduled flights from their hometown or home area airports and met up with their teammates at Notre Dame Prep, where the team will practice this week.
PHOTOS: BUCKEYES ARRIVE IN ARIZONA
SUNDAY LOOK AHEAD: OHIO STATE VS. CLEMSON
Ryan Day Press Conference Previewing Clemson
Ryan Day Pre-Fiesta Bowl Presser
Ryan Day Press Conference previewing the Fiesta Bowl, presented by OSUCCC-James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute | #GoBucks
Posted by Ohio State Buckeyes on Monday, December 16, 2019
Fiesta Bowl Flashbacks
2006 Fiesta Bowl: No. 4 Ohio State 34 – No. 5 Notre Dame 20
Led by Troy Smith and Ted Ginn Jr. on offense and All-American A.J. Hawk on defense, Ohio State ran roughshod over Notre Dame, downing the Irish in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated. After Notre Dame opened with a 20-yard run by Darius Walker, it was all Ohio State.
Smith and Ginn hooked up on a 56-yard scoring pass. Then Ginn gave the Buckeyes the lead for good on a dazzling 68-yard reverse. Smith connected with Santonio Holmes on an 85-yard pass that gave the Buckeyes a 21-7 lead at half.
Had it not been for two fumbles and a blocked field goal, the margin might have been greater. A 60-yard TD run by Antonio Pittman sealed the win. A.J. Hawk was the defensive MVP with 12 tackles, including 3.5 TFLs.
Quick Quotes Previewing Clemson
Jonah Jackson, OL
On the keys to playing Clemson :
Be able to execute, be efficient, run the ball, protect the quarterback and score touchdowns. We’re game-planning to win and that’s all we are worried about right now.
On transferring to Ohio State:
If you told me I’d be here doing this right now, I’d probably laugh at you last year. It’s just a blessing to be with these guys and being part of this culture. Starting for this program is incredible.
On Ryan Day:
He seems like a seasoned veteran at what he’s doing. He was under one of the greatest college football coaches of all time. I have not seen an ounce of new-guy or nervousness in him at all. He’s very good.
On being a Buckeye:
I’m enjoying it a lot. Christmas has definitely come early and hopefully we get a couple more presents.
College Football Playoff Central
After claiming the program’s 38th Big Ten Conference title, the Ohio State Buckeyes are bound for the College Football Playoffs.
The Buckeyes own wins in each of the last two years in the Cotton Bowl and the Rose Bowl Game. This is Ohio State’s third appearance in the last six years in the College Football Playoff, which is the fourth most of any school nationally.
Ohio State is no stranger to Arizona or the Fiesta Bowl. This will be the Buckeyes’ ninth Fiesta Bowl appearance and seventh since 2003. Ohio State is 5-3 all-time in the Fiesta Bowl. It will also be the Buckeyes’ fourth bowl game versus Clemson, with the most recent coming in the 2016 College Football Playoff, also in the Fiesta Bowl.
Clemson claimed its fifth consecutive ACC title with a 62-14 win over Virginia. The defending national champion Tigers, 13-0 on the season and on a 28-game winning streak, possess the nation’s No. 4 scoring offense (46.5 points/game) and No. 1 scoring defense (10.6 points/game).
