The state of Ohio will make its sixth all-time appearance at the Sugar Bowl when playing Clemson in next week’s College Football Playoff semifinals at the New Orleans Superdome.
After losing its first two appearances in the Sugar Bowl, the state of Ohio won its last three, including College Football Playoff’s first semifinal in the Sugar Bowl on January 1, 2015. (The Buckeyes also played LSU in the BCS National Championship Game at the Superdome at the end of the 2007 season, which he lost 38-24, but that game was not considered a Sugar Bowl.)
As we look at this year’s Sugar Bowl clash between the Buckeyes and Tigers (January 1, 8 pm, ESPN) at Big Easy, let’s take a look at Ohio State’s previous appearances in the game – starting with the latest games and winning .
January 1, 2015: Ohio State 42, Alabama 35 (College football playoff)
If Ohio State goes to the Sugar Bowl as an underdog in a College Football Playoff game against a team that has never been defeated it seems like a family story, it is.
The Buckeyes had been in the same position for six years as number 4 in College Football’s inaugural Playoff. The first Alabama champion, who scored 3-0 of all time against Ohio State entering the 2015 Sugar Bowl, was the favorite to win the game by more than a touchdown on the Buckeyes, who made it to the playoff after one season 2014 on a roller coaster.
That did not stop Ohio State from achieving one of the most iconic victories in the program’s history.
Led by third-quarter quarterback Cardale Jones passing 243 yards and a touchdown and superstar running back Ezekiel Elliott running 230 yards and two touchdowns, the Buckeyes returned from a 21-6 handicap to win 42-35, with an emphasis on Elliott’s 85 – yard runs through the heart of the south. The game was full of spectacular moves, including a 13-yard touchdown pass from Evan Spencer to another wide receiver Michael Thomas and a 41-yard interception touchdown by Steve Miller, culminating in Tyvis Powell intercepting an attempt at ave maria second to seal Ohio’s seven-point victory.
Although Ohio State had yet to win another game against Oregon to win the first CFP, it was the game that defined the 2014 Buckeye National Championship season, and a game that is now firmly rooted in the Buckeye tradition as a of the Ohio state games most memorable victories of all time.
January 4, 2011: Ohio State 31, Arkansas 26
This victory technically doesn’t count anymore, but a trip to YouTube – or to your own memory – is enough to confirm that the game really happened. And while the game was overshadowed by the “Tattoo-Gate” scandal that surfaced in the weeks leading up to the game and the sanctions – including vacating the Sugar Bowl win and all the other victories of the 2010 season – that came later, it was a fun game at the time.
While Ohio State reached a 28-7 lead in the first half, Arkansas recovered, scoring 19 of the game’s 22 points before Solomon Thomas sealed the 31-26 victory by intercepting a Ryan Mallett pass 58 seconds from time. the clock.
Terrelle Pryor, in what would be her last game as a Buckeye, took Ohio State to victory by launching for 221 yards and two touchdowns, while also running for 115 yards.
The victory was Ohio’s first bowl victory against a SEC team, taking place in what would end up being Jim Tressel’s last game as Buckeyes coach.
January 1, 1999: Ohio State 24, Texas A&M 14
After missing out on the first BCS National Championship Game, the 1998 Ohio State Buckeyes, ranked third, were selected to play Texas A&M (which was not an SEC team at the time) in the Sugar Bowl. While the Buckeyes felt they should be playing for a national title – they lost a regular season game to Michigan State, but No. 2 Florida State had lost a game too – they at least managed to end the season with the consolation prize for winning Ohio’s first Sugar Bowl victory.
Most of the game’s scoring came in the first quarter, with Ohio State responding to an opening touchdown by the Aggies scoring three consecutive touchdowns in less than seven minutes. The third of those touchdowns came when Derek Ross blocked a punt from Texas A&M’s Shane Lechler, and Kevin Griffin took the ball and walked 16 yards to the end zone.
From there, the game became a defensive slugfest, as the Buckeyes would only score one field goal in the final three quarters, but Texas A&M scored just one more touchdown, leading to a 10-point victory in Ohio.
In his final game as Buckeyes, Joe Germaine launched for 222 yards and a touchdown, while David Boston took 11 passes for 105 yards.
January 1, 1998: Florida State 31, Ohio State 14
Ohio State’s victory over Texas A&M was their second trip to the Sugar Bowl in so many years, as the Buckeyes also ended their 1997 season in New Orleans against the team that would keep them out of the national championship game a year later.
The game was not very good for the Buckeyes, as Florida State took a 21-3 lead before the break and Ohio State scored just one touchdown in the entire game. Seminoles quarterback Thad Busby shot for 334 yards, while Ohio State quarterbacks Joe Germaine and Stanley Jackson combined three interceptions, and Ohio State kicker Dan Stultz hit just 2 to 4 in the field goals.
Florida State, who has not played at Ohio State since, improved their all-time record against the Buckeyes to 3-0 with a 31-14 Superdome victory.
January 2, 1978: Alabama 35, Ohio State 6
As mentioned earlier, Alabama won its first three games of all time against Ohio State, and the first of those wins came on Ohio State’s first trip to the Sugar Bowl to complete its 1977 season.
The first encounter between the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide was unbalanced in favor of Alabama, as Crimson Tide ran the ball an impressive 68 times for 280 yards and three touchdowns and Jeff Rutledge added another 109 yards and two touchdowns through the air to lead the Alabama for a 35-6 victory.
The Ohio state’s only touchdown of the day came with a 38-yard pass to Jim Harrell from Rod Gerald, who completed just seven of his 17 passing attempts for 103 yards with three interceptions.
The 29-point loss was the most uneven loss in the state of Ohio in a bowl game until the 31-0 loss to Clemson in the 2016 College Football Playoff semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl.