Ohio State’s best bowl games since 2000

#5 2011 Sugar Bowl

The 2011 Sugar Bowl against Arkansas occurred at one of the more pivotal times in Ohio State football history. In the weeks leading up to the game, Ohio State found itself under investigation by the NCAA in a scenario that eventually found players Terrelle Pryor, Boom Herron, Solomon Thomas, Devier Posey and Mike Adams guilty of trading memorabilia for tattoos.

All of the players were cleared for the upcoming bowl game, but would have to serve five-game suspensions to begin the following season after promising to return to college. The controversial NCAA decision proved to be beneficial, at least for the Sugar Bowl.

Terrelle Pryor was the game’s MVP and threw two touchdown passes. Solomon Thomas had a game-saving interception that bailed out the Buckeyes who had just lost a blocked punt.

This game was significant not only because it was Jim Tressel’s last game as head coach, but also because was the first Ohio State bowl win against an SEC team. Although the game was officially vacated after tattoo-gate, it is still fresh in the minds of many Buckeye fans.

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