Sugar Bowl 2011: Everything You Need To Know About Ohio State vs. Arkansas

Sugar Bowl 2011 will be played Tuesday night in New Orleans, Louisiana between the No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes and eighth-ranked Arkansas.

Recent news of Ohio State players earning NCAA suspensions to start next season will surely be one of the main topics of conversations in this highly anticipated game. Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor was one of the players earning suspensions.

This will be Arkansas' first BCS bowl game.

Coaching Matchup

Ohio State's Jim Tressel leads the 11-1 Buckeyes, while Bobby Petrino leads the 10-2 Razorbacks. 

Players to Watch

Ohio State: QB Terrelle Pryor (2,551 yards, 25 TD); RB Dan Herron (1,068 yards, 15 TD); WR Dane Sanzenbacher (889 yards, 10 TD) 

Arkansas: QB Ryan Mallett (3,592 yards, 30 TD); RB Knile Davis (1,183 yards, 13 TD); WR Jarius Wright (718 yards, 4 TD)

Offensive Matchup

The Buckeyes rank 11th in the FBS, averaging 39.4 points per game, while the Razorbacks enter the Sugar Bowl ranked No. 14 with 37.3 points per game.

Defensive Matchup

Arkansas is No. 42, having allowed an average of 22.8 points per game, while Ohio State ranks third in the nation with 13.3 points against per game.

Strength of Schedule

This will be Ohio State's fourth game against a ranked opponent, having beaten then-No. 12 Miami and 20th-ranked Iowa and lost to then-No. 18 Wisconsin. Arkansas lost to then-No. 1 Alabama and the current top-ranked Auburn Tigers. Wins over No. 19 South Carolina, No. 21 Mississippi State and No. 5 LSU could tip the strength of schedule scale.

Bowl Game History

Ohio State is 19-22 in bowl games, including seven national championships. This will be the Buckeyes' fourth Sugar Bowl appearance and 11th straight bowl appearance. Ohio State defeated Oregon in last year's Rose Bowl.

The Razorbacks are 12-22-3 in postseason bowl games. The Razorbacks will make their third straight bowl appearance.

Venue

Tuesday's Sugar Bowl will be played at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. With a capacity of 72,968, the Superdome has hosted many important games since 1975, including the Sugar Bowl, BCS national championships and Super Bowls.