Fiesta Bowl First Look: Ohio State vs. Notre Dame

The 2016 BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl will feature a matchup between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl Broadcast Info

Date: Friday, January 1
Time: 1:00 pm ET
Network: ESPN
Venue: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ

Notre Dame Will Be Healthier

Yeah, the Fighting Irish might be two plays away from being unbeaten and in the college football playoff, but they didn’t get it done and have to settle for a very, very good bowl. It might not be the playoff game the program was hoping for going into the showdown at Stanford, but now there’s a chance to show off just how good the team really is. Getting a month off isn’t going heal up all the injured parts of the puzzle, but the team should be in better shape – just like last year. The Irish were decimated by injuries in the second half of 2014, but came back roaring to beat LSU in the Music City Bowl, in what turned out to be a bit of a launching pad going into 2015. It’s possible history could repeat itself.

Ohio State, Learn From TCU

This will be one of the toughest teams to figure out. Everything was all hunky-dory after whacking Michigan, but it’s a long time before the bowl game. This is a Buckeye team and a season built around defending the national title, and that’s not going to happen. Why should Ohio State care? Why will Ezekiel Elliott play if his NFL future is waiting? Can the team get fired up while four other teams are off having the real fun? TCU came out jacked for last year’s Peach Bowl against Ole Miss, and finished up with a 42-3 win and a 12-1 season. OSU has the talent to do the same thing – if it wants to.

For complete College Football Playoff coverage, visit our CFP home.