The Fiesta Bowl is a spectrum for Ohio State fans.
From its inception in 1971 and all the way through 2006, the celebrated postseason showdown took place in Tempe, Arizona. The following year, the bowl game shifted 20 miles west to Glendale.
During that span, the Buckeyes have played in eight Fiesta Bowls against some of the most premier programs in the country, including Penn State, Miami, Notre Dame and Texas.
It's been the setting for some of the biggest wins in Ohio State's long and illustrious history. It's also where some of the program's worst losses took place.
With the Buckeyes scheduled to make their ninth appearance in the Fiesta Bowl, this time against Clemson in the College Football Playoff, let's look back at Ohio State's previous trips to the desert.
The Highs
Ohio State's most memorable moment in the Fiesta Bowl happened on January 3, 2003, when the Buckeyes faced off against Miami for the BCS National Championship.
The reigning national champion Hurricanes entered the evening riding a 34-game win streak and were huge favorites over the second-ranked Buckeyes. Ohio State, led by second-year head coach Jim Tressel, had earned its way to the title game after a season of nail-biting victories.
Few gave the Buckeyes a chance, but a stingy defense and tough-nosed offense helped Ohio State seal one of the most iconic wins in college football history.
The Buckeyes have drawn excellent matchups that didn't have a title on the line as well. They've been paired against Notre Dame twice (2006, 2016), winning both matchups by an average of 15 points. Both wins over the Irish launched a season that put Ohio State into contention for a national title (ominous foreshadowing sound).
Other big wins came in 2004, when Ohio State followed its title up with a 35-28 win over Kansas State, and in 1984 when the Buckeyes came from behind in the last minute to beat Pitt 28-23.
The Lows
Before Penn State joined the Big Ten, it played Ohio State sparingly through the years — either in scarcely scheduled regular season games or in the even rarer bowl matchup.
One of those matchups came here in 1980. It was just the eighth time the two teams had faced each other, and the Nittany Lions held a 5-2 record against the Buckeyes. They got their sixth win that night, beating Ohio State 31-19.
Then there was the 2009 matchup against the Colt McCoy-led Texas squad. It was the Buckeyes' third meeting against the Longhorns in the previous four seasons, and McCoy was looking for revenge for the 24-7 loss he suffered during his freshman season.
He got that revenge, throwing a touchdown strike with 16 seconds left to seal a 24-21 win.
Any bowl loss like that stings, but the Arizona site hosted two of the worst defeats in Ohio State history.
The 2007 BCS National Championship between Ohio State and Florida wasn't technically hosted by the Fiesta Bowl, but it went down on the same field. The Buckeyes entered that matchup as big favorites after waltzing through its schedule unscathed. They went up against an Urban Meyer-led Gators team that many overlooked.
The result was a dominant 41-14 Florida win.
The other loss came in the Fiesta Bowl against the same team Ohio State kicks off against this Saturday.
The Buckeyes were making their second trip to the College Football Playoff in 2016, but ran into a buzzsaw in Clemson. Quarterback Deshaun Watson didn't play his best game that season, but he didn't have to as the Tigers defense completely overwhelmed J.T. Barrett and the Ohio State offense.
That 31-0 win catapulted Clemson into the upper echelon of the college football hierarchy, and it's why a lot of people are hesitant to pick the Buckeyes in this year's matchup.
Ohio State has experienced blowout wins and blowout losses in the Fiesta Bowl. They've won nail-biters and lost in the final seconds. It has won and lost national championships on the field it will play on this Saturday.
The Buckeyes' history in the desert is long and ranges from tragic to triumphant. They'll write another chapter at the Fiesta Bowl this weekend, and the past would indicate that every outcome is on the table.
