Another bowl in Arizona -- but this one's sweeter for Irish
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame cashed in Sunday on its turnaround season under first-year coach Charlie Weis, accepting an invitation worth at least $14 million to play Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.
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The fourth-ranked Buckeyes (9-2) clinched an automatic berth by finishing fourth in the Bowl Championship Series standings, while the Fighting Irish (9-2) clinched an automatic berth by finishing sixth.
It will be the first time the fifth-ranked Irish have face the Buckeyes since a 29-16 loss in 1996, when the Irish were also ranked No. 5 and Ohio State was also No. 4. The teams have played four times. Notre Dame won the first two games in 1935-36 and the Buckeyes won in 1995-96.
The No. 5 ranking is Notre Dame's highest to end the regular season since being No. 4 with a 10-1 record in 1993. The Irish beat No. 7 Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl that season and finished ranked No. 2 behind Florida State.
That was the last time the Irish finished a season ranked in the top 10 and the last time they won a bowl game.
Since then, the Irish have lost seven straight bowl games: the Fiesta Bowl to end the 1994 and 2000 seasons, the Orange Bowl to end the 1995 season, the Independence Bowl to end the 1997 season, the Gator Bowl to end the 1998 and 2002 seasons, and the Insight Bowl in Phoenix last year.
But the Irish head back to Arizona this year under drastically different circumstances. Two days after accepting the Insight Bowl invitation last year, Notre Dame fired coach Tyrone Willingham. Players said they weren't sure they wanted to play in the game, but ultimately voted to play and try to win in honor of Willingham. They lost 38-21 to Oregon State, with the offense struggling as it had for three straight years under Willingham.
A year later, the Irish are thrilled to be heading back to Arizona. Instead of heading to the bowl with an interim coach -- as they did last year under Kent Baer -- the Irish have a coach who in October signed a 10-year contract extension and promises the Irish won't be one-year wonders.
During the announcement of the BCS matchups, Weis was asked whether he expected the Irish to be so good so fast.
"We hoped that to be the case," he said. "I think it's a great tribute to our coaching staff and our players that they were able to turn it around that fast."
The Irish will receive at least $14 million for earning the Fiesta Bowl berth -- their last time receiving the same amount a conference earns for having a BCS team. Starting next year, the Irish will receive the same amount a conference receives for placing a second team in the BCS -- about $4.5 million.
Under the agreement, though, the Irish also will receive about $1.3 million from the BCS even if it doesn't advance to a BCS game. Under the current rules, the Irish received no money from the BCS in years it didn't advance to a BCS game.
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