Buckeyes likely headed to Alamo Bowl
Announcement could come today. Opponent will come from Big 12
By Tom Reed
Beacon Journal staff writer
The Ohio State football team is expected to receive an invitation to play in the Alamo Bowl, perhaps as soon as today.
Alamo Bowl chairman Jack Rogers said Sunday his selection committee was scheduled to meet today and that either Ohio State (7-4, 4-4) or Purdue (7-4, 4-4) would lock up the Big Ten slot for the Dec. 29 game in San Antonio.
The opponent comes from the Big 12 and figures to be either Texas A&M or Oklahoma State.
Despite losing to Purdue 24-17 two weeks ago, Ohio State is believed to have the inside track for several reasons:
The Buckeyes' 37-21 upset of No. 7 Michigan on Sunday.
The Buckeyes draw well on the road and their games often receive high television ratings.
The Buckeyes never have been to the Alamo Bowl, while Purdue has made two trips in 1997 and 1998.
Rogers has attended the Buckeyes' past two games and was impressed by the large Ohio State turnout for the game at Purdue.
``Ohio State has a long, long history of history and tradition,'' Rogers said when asked why the Buckeyes are appealing. ``We have never had Ohio State before. They are so good they usually don't get a fourth-level bowl.''
The warm weather and picturesque Riverwalk likely will entice many Buckeyes fans to make the trek.
The football program can use the game as a recruiting tool, seeing as it's the only Dec. 29 bowl game. The game is held in the 65,000-seat Alamodome.
The payout for each team is $1.55 million, quite a drop off from the $14 million the Buckeyes collected in each of the past two years by playing in the Fiesta Bowl, part of the Bowl Championship Series. Michigan is headed to the Rose Bowl. Co-Big Ten champion Iowa (9-2, 7-1) and Wisconsin (9-2, 6-2) likely will represent the conference in the Capital One and Outback bowls.
