PHOENIX, Ariz. — When Dabo Swinney looks at Ohio State, he sees one of the best programs in the country.
When Swinney’s second-ranked Clemson Tigers take on the third-ranked Buckeyes on Saturday in the 46th Fiesta Bowl, it will be Ohio State’s 47th bowl appearance, which ranks ninth all-time.
Overall, the Buckeyes’ program ranks fourth all-time in terms of wins with 875, including an all-time win percentage of .722. Ohio State has also won eight national championships, which also ranks fourth all-time.
“I think that their brand speaks for themselves. They’ve earned that,” Swinney said after his team arrived in Phoenix on Monday. “I think percentage-wise, they’re the winningest team in the country since, like, 1950.
“So program-wise, they’re right there at the top. And then their coaching staff is tremendous. I know several of those guys and got a lot of respect for Coach (Urban) Meyer. He rarely ever loses.”
Swinney is right. Meyer does not lose much. In fact, his Ohio State teams have lost just five times in the past five years he has been the head coach and are 61-5 during that span.
“We were joking back at Clemson it’s like Knute Rockne and Meyer are the two winningest coaches ever,” the Clemson coach said. “So they’re where everybody wants to be from a brand standpoint and some of the achievements that they’ve had.”
But don’t let Swinney full you, right now he has the Clemson program right there with Meyer’s Ohio State program. In the same time span Meyer’s teams have won 61 games, the Tigers are 58-9. Only Alabama has won more games in the last six seasons than Clemson’s 68 wins.
Also, let’s not forget Clemson beat Meyer and the Buckeyes just three years ago in the 2014 Orange Bowl – the last time an Ohio State team lost a bowl game or any postseason game.
“We’re a program that’s very proud of what we’ve been able to do and the consistency especially the last six-plus years,” Swinney said. “But we want to get to the top of the mountain. And nobody gives you that. You’ve got to go and earn it and you’ve got to beat the best, and they certainly represent that.”
Ohio State won the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship in 2014, while the Tigers finished second to Alabama in the 2016 College Football Playoff Championship Game.