Longtime fans of Ohio State football know the Rose Bowl is the ultimate prize. It was the only bowl in which the Big Ten could participate until 1975. It was the apple of every Big Ten team's eye until changes to the postseason (i.e. the BCS and College Football Playoff) supplanted it with crystal footballs and lipstick tube trophies.
And yet, Ohio State has become one of the most successful programs in another marquee bowl game. With a 5-2 record and a bowl record seven appearances after its win over Notre Dame, the Buckeyes are arguably the kings of the desert. Only Penn State (6-0) and Arizona State (5-1) have a better win percentage, though both programs have not appeared in this bowl game since 1997 and 1983.
| Year | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Penn State | L, 31-19 |
| 1984 | Pittsburgh | W, 28-23 |
| 2003 | Miami | W, 31-24 (2 OT) |
| 2004 | Kansas State | W, 35-28 |
| 2006 | Notre Dame | W, 34-20 |
| 2009 | Texas | L, 24-21 |
| 2016 | Notre Dame | W, 44-28 |
Ohio State's 5-2 record in the Fiesta Bowl amounts to its best win-loss record in any bowl in which it has more than three appearances. The Buckeyes are 7-7 in Rose Bowls and 2-2 in Sugar Bowls, an even .500 record. Its record in Citrus Bowls (1-3) and Outback Bowls (0-4) are regrettably far worse than that.
The five games that Ohio State have won in this bowl conjure warm memories too. The 1984 win over Pittsburgh, a team that was 8-2-1 and graduated Dan Marino the year before that, was an all-time classic in all Ohio State postseason history.
Its next appearance 19 years later will always be remembered fondly by Ohio State fans. The Buckeyes beat a Miami dynasty en route to its first national championship since 1968. Next year's win against Kansas State, a game that was much more of a rout than the final score indicates, was a solid send-off for the predominantly junior team that propelled Ohio State to a national championship in 2002.
The next two wins over Notre Dame resonate well too. Every Ohio State fan enjoys seeing Notre Dame suffer. The two wins in 2005 and 2015 add to what is now a four-game win streak against the Irish in a series that dates to 1935.
Only Penn State with its legendary 1986 game against Miami can boast to having such warm memories in this bowl game.
