Notre Dame vs. Oregon State: Scouting report and what to know about Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
After an agonizing waiting period on Selection Sunday, the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl got the best news imaginable when it got the opportunity to pair Notre Dame against Oregon State in the 89th playing, 90th edition of the annual game.
Notre Dame brings a No. 16 national ranking and a national fan base to El Paso, where it was last here in 2010.
Oregon State will be making its third trip to the Sun Bowl.
Who is coming to the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl?
No. 16 Notre Dame will take on Oregon State.
When is the Sun Bowl?
The Dec. 29 game kicks off at noon.
Who is televising the game?
The Sun Bowl's longtime TV partner is CBS.
How much are tickets?
Tickets are available on the Sun Bowl website and start at $22. Premium seats are $65.
How did Notre Dame get here?
After a 9-3 regular season and a No. 16 ranking, three bowls picking ahead of the Sun Bowl passed on the Fighting Irish. The Sun Bowl then won a lottery with the Pinstripe Bowl and Duke's Mayo Bowl for the right to pick Notre Dame.
They beat ranked teams (when they played them) USC and Duke, while losing on the last play to Ohio State and also losing to Louisville and Clemson.
An NCAA independent, they are slotted into an ACC bowl.
How did Oregon State get here?
The Beavers sprinted to a 7-1 start, which ended up being good enough to lose their head coach, Jonathon Smith, to Michigan State. Oregon State immediately promoted defensive coordinator Trent Bay.
Their quarterback DJ Uiagalelei has entered the transfer portal. They continue a long tradition of Pac-12 teams at the Sun Bowl — there has been one every year since 1995 except in 2010 when they didn't have enough teams to fill that slot and it went to Notre Dame — that could be ending this year with a possible dissolution of the Pac-12.
Have they been here before?
Notre Dame beat Miami in the snow in 2010. Oregon State beat Missouri in a 2006 thriller, then beat Pitt 3-0 in a 2008 game mostly remembered for the Sun Bowl crowd setting a world record for most people dancing to YMCA, which was performed by the Village People at halftime.
How many Sun Bowls have there been?
This is the 89th playing of the game that the Sun Bowl is celebrating as its 90th edition. There was no game in 2020. Dating back to 1935, the bowl is the second oldest after the Rose Bowl.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Notre Dame vs. Oregon State: What to know for Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
