FIESTA BOWL 2006 OHIO STATE 34, NOTRE DAME 20
Editor's note: Part of a series reviewing the Arizona bowl histories of Ohio State and Clemson heading toward Saturday's College Football Playoff semifinal.
The 35th Fiesta Bowl was the final one to be played at Sun Devil Stadium, fittingly between college football blue bloods Ohio State and Notre Dame meeting for only the fifth time.
The Buckeyes broke on top 21-7 thanks to three explosive plays — a 56-yard pass from Troy Smith to Ted Ginn Jr., Ginn's 68-yard end around run and Santonio Holmes' 85-yard hook up with Smith.
"Notre Dame is a fast defense, but when they're chasing one way and Teddy's running the other, they've got a problem," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said.
The Irish still were close, 27-20, late in the fourth quarter when Ohio State hit on another big play — Antonio Pittman's 60-yard touchdown run with 1:46 left — for its third Fiesta win in four years.
Ginn had 167 receiving yards and
Holmes 124 before announcing after the game he was leaving early for the NFL. But Smith was chosen as the offensive Player of the Game, throwing for a career high 342 yards and rushing for 66.
Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk constantly harassed Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, his girlfriend's brother, and was defensive Player of the Game, an award he also won two years before.
The Buckeyes (10-2) celebrated the New Year (Jan. 2 actually) with 617 yards total offense, maintaining their No. 4 ranking in the final AP poll. Notre Dame (9-3) dropped from No. 5 to No. 9.
For the Fiesta, the game was a fitting send off from its home since 1971 to the bowl's new digs at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.