Ohio State is making its ninth-straight bowl and record seventh BCS appearance

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Buckeyes are back in a BCS bowl game for the fourth-straight year and the sixth time under head coach Jim Tressel. Ohio State finished No. 10 in the final BCS standings and will play No. 3 Texas in the Fiesta Bowl at 8 p.m. ET, Monday, Jan. 5 2009 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

The Buckeyes finished 10-2 and 7-1 in the Big Ten, winning a share of its fourth-consecutive Big Ten title. Texas finished 11-1 and 7-1 in the Big 12 South in a three-way tie with Oklahoma and Texas Tech.

Ohio State has now qualified for seven BCS games in the 11-year history of the system, which is tied with USC and Oklahoma for the lead among all programs.

The game will mark just the third meeting all-time between the Buckeyes and Longhorns after the two teams faced each other in 2005 and 2006. Texas won, 25-22, in 2005 in Columbus and Ohio State, 24-7, the next year in Austin.

This is the ninth-straight bowl appearance for the Buckeyes, the eighth overall for the Buckeyes under Tressel and the 40th in program history – the most of any Big Ten school. Ohio State is 4-2 all-time in BCS games, winning the Sugar Bowl in 1999 and the Fiesta in 2003, 2004 and 2006.

Tickets are on sale now and will be available until 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 8 for all qualified season ticket holders. Season ticket holders were sent a letter with details, prices and potential bowl sites. Faculty/staff and students will have the opportunity to order online beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9 and ending at noon Friday Dec. 12.

All orders must be placed online at OhioStateBuckeyes.com. A public sale will take place at a later date if the entire allotment is not ordered by season ticket holders, faculty/staff and students.

Ohio State’s BCS Bowl History:
1999 Sugar Bowl: Ohio State 24, Texas A&M 14
2003 Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State 31, Miami, Fla. 24 (2OT) – National Championship
2004 Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State 35, Kansas State 28
2006 Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State 34, Notre Dame 20
2007 BCS Championship: Florida 41, Ohio State 14
2008 BCS Championship: LSU 38, Ohio State 24