Dispatch
Bob Hunter commentary: Rumblings
Friday, December 5, 2008 3:08 AM
By Bob Hunter
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Most know how well Ohio State fans travel. The large, free-spending crowd that follows the Buckeyes to every football game is frequently cited as a reason bowl executives pursue OSU, sometimes over teams that might be more deserving based on performance. But the Fiesta Bowl has another reason for taking a hard look at Ohio State over, say, Utah: TV ratings.
Three of the Fiesta's past four games have been ratings stinkers. The January 2005 game between Utah and Pittsburgh drew a 7.4 rating, the 2007 Boise State-Oklahoma game drew an 8.4 and the 2008 West Virginia-Oklahoma game drew a 7.7. The Fiesta's only big TV draw in recent years was the 2006 Ohio State-Notre Dame game, which drew a 12.9.
The Buckeyes don't always equal ratings. The 2004 Fiesta Bowl between Ohio State and Kansas State drew only an 8.5, but a Texas-OSU game should benefit the Fiesta.
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