Chris Petersen first took notice of Ohio State earlier this season.
He was interested in the offense of the Buckeyes’ opponent. But even though he wasn’t focused on Ohio State, its defense still caught his attention. Next-level athletes, he said, on a next-level team.
“There’s a strong argument that they are one of top-four teams in the country,” Petersen said. “And I think if you watch their tapes, everybody would say that.
“That’s the bad news, good news, right? We get to play one of the top teams in the country in one of the coolest bowl games that’s been around for a long, long time.