SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — This is not the bowl game in which either team wanted to play.
Both Notre Dame and especially Ohio State had higher aspirations than today’s Fiesta Bowl.
“I’ll be honest, it is maybe a little bit of a letdown,” Buckeyes receiver Michael Thomas acknowledged on Tuesday.
Ohio State (11-1) blew its chance to defend its College Football Playoff title when the offense was a no-show against Michigan State. Notre Dame (10-2) fell out of contention with wrenching two-point losses to Clemson and Stanford.
In this new era of college football, elite programs — or at least their fans — have a playoff-or-bust mentality.