Bowl Games

Record: 27-27*

Discover Orange Bowl vs Clemson – Jan. 3, 2014
Sun Life Stadium – Miami Gardens, FL
#12 Tigers 40, #7 Buckeyes 35

Despite a valiant effort from quarterback Braxton Miller (No. 5), who suffered a cracked rib and partially torn labrum in his throwing shoulder during the game, Ohio State was unable to overcome a record-setting evening from Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins (No. 2), who caught 16 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns.

Allstate Sugar Bowl vs Alabama – Jan. 1, 2015
Mercedes-Benz Superdome – New Orleans, LA
#4 Buckeyes 42, #1 Crimson Tide 35

Running back Ezekiel Elliott (No. 15) rushed for 230 yards – 85 of which came through the heart of the South – to lead Ohio State to an upset win over top-ranked Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinal. Both teams wore special Nike Diamond Quest uniforms, with the Buckeyes giving a nod to their 1968 national championship team, and a playoff trophy decal on their helmets.

CFP National Championship vs Oregon – Jan. 12, 2015
AT&T Stadium – Arlington, TX
#4 Buckeyes 42, #2 Ducks 20

Elliott continued his late-season tear with 246 yards and four touchdowns in Ohio State’s national championship win over Oregon. The Buckeyes wore the home version of their Diamond Quest alternate uniforms despite being the lower-ranked team.

BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl vs Notre Dame – Jan. 1, 2016
University of Phoenix Stadium – Glendale, AZ
#7 Buckeyes 44, #8 Fighting Irish 28

Quarterback J.T. Barrett (No. 16) threw for 211 yards and a touchdown with 96 yards rushing to help the Buckeyes throttle Notre Dame in the BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl. Barrett was subsequently named game’s most valuable offensive player.

PlayStation Fiesta Bowl vs Clemson – Dec. 31, 2016
University of Phoenix Stadium – Glendale, AZ
#2 Tigers 31, #3 Buckeyes 0

Heisman runner-up Deshaun Watson (No. 4) rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another as eventual national champion Clemson shut out Ohio State, with both teams once again donning Nike’s Diamond Quest uniforms. The Tigers contained the Buckeyes’ offensive attack and limited running back Curtis Samuel (No. 4) to just 67 total yards.

Goodyear Cotton Bowl vs USC – Dec. 29, 2017
AT&T Stadium – Arlington, TX
#5 Buckeyes 24, #8 Trojans 7

Safety Damon Webb (No. 7) recovered a fumble to set up an early score and then returned an interception for a touchdown to give Ohio State – which just missed out on a berth in the College Football Playoff – its first win over USC in seven tries dating back to the 1973 Rose Bowl.

Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual – Jan. 1, 2019
Rose Bowl Stadium – Pasadena, CA
#6 Ohio State 28, #9 Washington 23

Heisman Trophy finalist Dwayne Haskins (No. 7) became just the sixth player in college football history to throw 50 touchdown passes or more in a single season as Ohio State dispatched Washington in Urban Meyer’s final game at the helm. The Buckeyes notably replaced their B1G helmet bumper with a three-dimensional Rose Bowl logo.

PlayStation Fiesta Bowl vs Clemson – Dec. 28, 2019
State Farm Stadium – Glendale, AZ
#3 Tigers 29, #2 Buckeyes 23

Running back J.K. Dobbins (No. 2) rushed for 142 of his 174 yards and a score in the first half as Ohio State raced out to a 16-0 lead in the College Football Playoff semifinal. But aided by several controversial calls, Clemson came back to win and advance to the national championship. Dobbins finished the season with 2,003 yards, breaking Eddie George‘s single-season school record set in 1995.

Allstate Sugar Bowl vs Clemson – Jan. 1, 2021
Mercedes-Benz Superdome – New Orleans, LA
#3 Buckeyes 49, #3 Tigers 28

Quarterback Justin Fields (No. 1) set a Sugar Bowl record with six touchdown passes to lead Ohio State to a resounding win over Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Buckeyes slightly modified their 1968 throwback uniforms by replacing the Block “O” on the collar with the athletics logo, making it reminiscent of the uniforms worn by the 2002 national championship team. Ohio State also wore a CFP logo with a white background on its helmet, though the background was black during the Buckeyes’ first three trips to the playoff. 

CFP National Championship vs Alabama – Jan. 11, 2021
Hard Rock Stadium – Miami Gardens, FL
#1 Crimson Tide 52, #3 Buckeyes 24

Playing in place of an injured Trey Sermon, running back Master Teague (No. 33) rushed for 65 yards and two touchdowns. However, the Buckeyes were unable to stop Alabama wide receiver and Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith (No. 6), who finished with a national championship game-record 12 receptions for 215 yards and three scores in the Crimson Tide’s blowout victory.

Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One Venture X vs Utah – Jan. 1, 2022
Rose Bowl Stadium – Pasadena, CA
#6 Buckeyes 48, #11 Utes 45

Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (No. 11) tied his own school record with 15 catches for 347 yards – the most ever in a single game in school or bowl history – as Ohio State came from behind to beat Utah in the Rose Bowl. He finished the year with 95 catches for 1,606 yards – both single-season school records – and nine touchdowns.

*Includes vacated 2011 Sugar Bowl win vs Arkansas