The defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes missed out on the College Football Playoff this year. But the Fiesta Bowl and a matchup against Notre Dame isn’t a bad consolation prize.
The team will play in Glendale, Ariz., in suburban Phoenix, on New Year’s Day. Many Buckeyes fans will be heading there, too, although some had hoped the team would be chosen for the Rose Bowl.
Other than the playoff, “I think the Rose Bowl, because of the tradition, would have been the first choice with a lot of people,” said Dave Matthews, president of Prime Tours in Dublin.