OSU to face Notre Dame in Fiesta Bowl

Using the momentum of a five-game winning streak and losses by Louisiana State and Viriginia Tech in their respective conference championship games, Ohio State earned an automatic berth into this year's Fiesta Bowl. The Buckeyes will play Notre Dame in just the fifth-ever meeting between the two schools.

Both teams take 9-2 records into the game, which will kickoff at approximately 5:12 p.m. EST, Jan. 2, in Sun Devil Stadium.

This will be OSU's third appearance in four years in the Fiesta Bowl. The Buckeyes won the 2002 National Championship with a 31-24 double overtime victory over Miami in their initial trip to the desert. OSU returned to Tempe the following year and defeated Kansas State 35-28 in the 2004 Fiesta Bowl.

The

series between the Buckeyes and Irish is even at 2-2. Notre Dame won the first two, recording an 18-13 win in 1935 in Columbus and a 7-2 victory in South Bend in 1936. The two teams did not play again until 1995, when Ohio State won 45-26 in Ohio Stadium. OSU also won in 1996 with a 29-16 vicotory at Notre Dame.

Ohio State will be playing in its 37th bowl game and fifth straight since Tressel took over in 2001. The Buckeyes have won their last three bowl games and are now 17-19 overall in postseason play, including a 3-0 mark in BCS bowl games.