Soon after it was announced that Notre Dame will face Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, oddsmakers deemed the Buckeyes a 6.5-point favorite over the Fighting Irish. Big Bowl lines: Ohio St -6.5 ov Notre Dame Stanford -7 ov Iowa Mississippi -6.5 ov Oklahoma St Florida St -6.5 ov Houston — RJ Bell (@RJinVegas) December 7, 2015 While both teams had their sights set on the College Football Playoffs, a matchup between two tradition-rich programs in the desert should make for compelling TV. The Jan. 1 game is a rematch of the 2006 Fiesta Bowl, in which the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame 34-20. Ohio State leads the all-time series 3-2. The No. 7 Buckeyes, who are coming off a dominating 42-13 win over Michigan, haven’t been particularly good against the spread this season, having compiled a 5-7 record. But they have excelled away from the Horseshoe, where they are 4-1 against the spread. No. 8 Notre Dame, coming off a last-second loss to No. 6 Stanford was 8-4 against the spread during the regular season, but just 3-3 away from home. Most Ohio State fans would have likely preferred a date against Stanford in the Rose Bowl, but the bowl vowed to invite the highest-ranked Big 10 team not in the playoffs, and that’s what it did. …
Continue Reading: Ohio State opens as 6.5 point favorite over Notre Dame
