Brian Kelly has already said that a Fiesta Bowl victory would be the team’s biggest win of the season. But on Wednesday, he put into context what a victory over Ohio State would mean to his program, three seasons removed from its BCS title game drubbing against Alabama.
“I think every bowl game, it’s a playoff game now. Somebody is going to finish fifth in the final polls. That’s a springboard for next year,” Kelly said Wednesday morning. “These are important games, you’re also measuring yourself in this game. ‘Where are we?’
“We measured ourselves in 2012, found out we were a little short.