Ohio State Looks to Beat Colt McCoy's Longhorns for the Second Time

A week from now, the Ohio State Buckeyes will have the opportunity to go two for three against the Texas Longhorns, and two for two against QB Colt McCoy.

The first meeting between the teams was regarded as one of the most anticipated games that season. It was played at the Horseshoe before a record attendance.

Vince Young’s second touchdown and Pino’s kick brought the game to 23-22 late in the fourth, and then Ohio State’s Troy Smith was sacked to give the Longhorns a safety, securing the 25-22 win.

In 2006, Smith passed for 269 yards and two touchdowns to bring home the 24-7 win. The defense played how it is supposed to play in a big game, holding Texas to only one touchdown.  

Mack Brown said it right when he said, “...give Ohio State credit.”

But come Jan. 5, Colt McCoy won’t be a freshman anymore, and he won’t be throwing a rookie-like interception as he did that day. As a matter of fact, the young man was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, with a school record of 3,445 yards passing and the NCAA completion record of 77.6 percent.

Ohio State’s defense is ranked eighth as opposed to the 50th ranked Texas.

Glendale, Arizona, will host for the third time in history the two oldest college football programs.

Ohio State won its fourth consecutive Big 10 title with a 12-2 record this season.

A loss to USC in mid-September had Coach Jim Tressel replacing his QB with Terelle Pryor, who at his turn has gone 8-1, losing only to Penn State.

Ohio State’s first Fiesta Bowl was in 1980, against the Nittany Lions, and the latest was a 34-20 win over Notre Dame in 2005.

Texas was on pace to reach the national title game before the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who scored a last-second touchdown, handed the Longhorns their only loss of the season. A win over the Buckeyes will make the season a little sweeter.

The Buckeyes will be looking to bounce back from their last two bowl games, led by a coach who had an amazing bowl championship record before.

So...

“Let’s come and sing Ohio’s praise…”