The 2015 Sugar Bowl was a
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
game that was played on January 1, 2015 at the
Mercedes-Benz Superdome
The Caesars Superdome, commonly known as the Superdome (formerly known as Mercedes-Benz Superdome), is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the home stadium of the New Orleans Saints ...
in
. It was the 81st
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed onl ...
, and a semifinal game in the
College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff (CFP) is an annual postseason knockout invitational tournament to determine a national champion for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the highest level ...
. It was one of the
2014–15 bowl games that concluded the
2014 FBS football season. Sponsored by the
Allstate
The Allstate Corporation is an American insurance company, headquartered in Northfield Township, Illinois, near Northbrook since 1967. Founded in 1931 as part of Sears, Roebuck and Co., it was spun off in 1993 but still partially owned by S ...
insurance company, the game was officially known as the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
In the game, the fourth-ranked
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree ...
defeated the top-ranked
Alabama Crimson Tide
The Alabama Crimson Tide refers to the intercollegiate athletic varsity teams that represent the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I as a mem ...
by a score of 42–35. The Buckeyes advanced to the
College Football Playoff Championship Game against the
Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Oregon, located in Eugene. The Ducks compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Pac-12 Conferenc ...
, which was played January 12 at
AT&T Stadium
AT&T Stadium, formerly Cowboys Stadium, is a retractable roof, retractable-roof stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States. It serves as the home of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL), and was completed on May 27, 2009. I ...
in
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Tarrant County. It forms part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal city of the metropolis and region. ...
.
The contest was televised on
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
and
ESPN Deportes
ESPN Deportes (, ''ESPN Sports'') is an American multinational Spanish-language pay television sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (whi ...
, with a radio broadcast on
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio, which is alternately platform-agnostically branded as ESPN Audio, is an American sports radio network and extension of the ESPN television network. It was launched on January 1, 1992, under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN". ...
and
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio (XM) was one of the three satellite radio (SDARS) and online radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Holdings. It provided pay-for-service radio, analogous to subscription cable television. Its s ...
. Kickoff time was set for 8:30 PM, Eastern Standard Time, but was delayed until after the end of the
Rose Bowl.
Teams
The participants were announced on December 7, 2014, based on the final rankings by the College Football Playoff selection committee. The
Rose Bowl hosted the other College Football Playoff semifinal game between No. 3
Florida State
Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
and No. 2
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
. When not hosting the semifinals of the new CFP system (once every three years), the Sugar Bowl typically features the
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities of ...
(SEC) and
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...
champions, or the highest ranked remaining team from the respective conferences if one or both champions are selected for the CFP semifinals.
Alabama
The Alabama Crimson Tide entered the season ranked 2nd in the AP and Coaches polls behind defending National Champions
Florida State
Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
. Along with Ohio State, the Crimson Tide were considered a preseason favorite for a berth in the inaugural College Football playoff. After losing offensive coordinator
Doug Nussmeier
Douglas Keith Nussmeier (born December 11, 1970) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the quarterbacks coach for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach at Florid ...
to
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, the Crimson Tide added former Oakland Raiders, Tennessee, and USC head football coach
Lane Kiffin
Lane Monte Kiffin (born May 9, 1975) is an American football coach who is currently the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. Kiffin formerly was the offensive coordinator for the USC Trojans football team from 2005 to 2006, head coach of the Nati ...
as their offensive coordinator. Among other changes came a change at quarterback with a controversy between
Blake Sims
Blake Sims (born January 3, 1992) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Alabama and was the Crimson Tide's starting quarterback in 2014.
Early years
Sims attended Gainesville High School in Gainesville, Georg ...
and Florida State transfer
Jacob Coker
Bryant Jacob "Jake" Coker (born August 4, 1992) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Florida State and Alabama. He won the national championship with the Alabama Crimson Tide in his senior year in 2015.
Early ...
. Initially, Coker was considered to be the favorite for the starting job; however, Sims, a more mobile quarterback, was named the starter shortly before the season began. Alabama played its first game of the season in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
in the
Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game
The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game is an annual series of college football games played on the opening weekend of the NCAA Division I FBS season in Atlanta, Georgia. Organized by the Peach Bowl, the event coincides with Labor Day weekend in the United ...
against the
West Virginia Mountaineers
The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams that represent West Virginia University, an American university located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I. The Moun ...
, pulling away late to win 33–23. After two easy wins against
Florida Atlantic and
Southern Miss
The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...
, Alabama played Florida, a rival from the SEC East Division. Florida took an early 14–7 lead but the Crimson Tide eventually took control behind strong performances by Blake Sims and wide receiver
Amari Cooper
Amari Cooper (born June 17, 1994) is an American football wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama, where he was the Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation's top receiv ...
. In the next game, Alabama played fellow SEC West Division foe
Ole Miss. In that game, which was played in Oxford, Mississippi, Ole Miss upset the #3 Crimson Tide 23–17 after a shaky performance by Blake Sims. At this point in the season, Alabama's playoff hopes were in doubt as three SEC teams (
Mississippi State
Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univers ...
, Ole Miss, and
Auburn
Auburn may refer to:
Places Australia
* Auburn, New South Wales
* City of Auburn, the local government area
*Electoral district of Auburn
*Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region
*Auburn, South Australia
*Auburn, Tasmania
*Aub ...
) were ranked in the initial College Football Playoff rankings ahead of the #5 Crimson Tide. In their next four games, the Tide handily beat
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
and
Texas A&M
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
but struggled against last place
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
and West Division rivals
LSU
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
, winning 14–13 against the Razorbacks and 20–13 in overtime versus the Tigers. Through these games, Sims struggled while Amari Cooper's success propelled the Tide offense to narrow wins. At this point in the season, speculation rose whether Jakob Coker would be moved into the starting role for the struggling Sims.
Alabama entered its annual contest against #1 Mississippi State as the #5 team in the College Football Playoff standings. The Bulldogs were having a season like no other in their history, winning decisively against then-highly ranked Texas A&M and Auburn, respectively.
Dak Prescott
Rayne Dakota Prescott (born July 29, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Mississippi State, where he twice received first-team All- SEC honors, a ...
, the senior quarterback for the Bulldogs, was thriving under
Dan Mullen
Dan Mullen (born April 27, 1972) is a former college football player and coach, and current television analyst with the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) and ESPN.
He served as the head football coach at Mississippi State University from ...
's system and was at the time a top
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
candidate. In the game, the Crimson Tide came out strong, building an early 19–0 lead on Mississippi State. The Bulldogs brought the score to 19–13 before Alabama scored one last touchdown to effectively end the game. The final score was 25–20 after a late Mississippi State touchdown. In the game, the Crimson Tide's stifling defense overwhelmed Dak Prescott and forced him into the worst game of his 2014 season. Following the game, the Crimson Tide jumped to #1 in the standings while the Bulldogs dropped to #4. After a routine win against Western Carolina, the Crimson Tide then looked on to the Auburn Tigers. In the previous season, the Tigers won one of the most thrilling games in the history of college football 34–28 in the
Iron Bowl
The Alabama–Auburn football rivalry, better known as the Iron Bowl, is an American college football rivalry game between the Auburn University Tigers and University of Alabama Crimson Tide, both charter members of the Southeastern Conferenc ...
with a late field goal return for a touchdown (now dubbed the "Kick Six"). In this edition of the Iron Bowl, Auburn jumped on multiple interceptions by Blake Sims to stay ahead of the Crimson Tide; however, a second half turnaround by Sims saw Alabama win the highest scoring edition of the Iron Bowl, 55–44. The next week, the #1 ranked Crimson Tide routed the SEC East Division champion
Missouri Tigers
The Missouri Tigers intercollegiate athletics programs represent the University of Missouri, located in Columbia. The name comes from a band of armed Union Home Guards called the Fighting Tigers of Columbia who, in 1864, protected Columbia fro ...
, 42–13, in the
SEC Championship
The SEC Championship Game is an annual American football game that has determined the Southeastern Conference's season champion since 1992. The championship game pits the SEC East Division regular season champion against the West Division regula ...
, all but securing a #1 seed in the playoff and a Sugar Bowl berth the following morning.
Ohio State
The Ohio State Buckeyes entered the 2014 season ranked #5 in both the AP and Coaches polls. They were an early favorite, along with Alabama, to make it to inaugural College Football Playoff. Two weeks before the season started, two-time Big Ten Offensive player of the year and
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
candidate
Braxton Miller
Braxton Marcellus Miller (born November 30, 1992) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was their starting quarterback from 2011 to 2013, before moving to the wide receiver posit ...
was injured in practice. It was determined that Miller had a torn labrum which required surgery, and the Buckeyes looked to
J. T. Barrett
Joe Thomas Barrett IV (born January 23, 1995) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is currently an offensive assistant for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State ...
, an unproven redshirt freshman. The Buckeyes were underwhelming in their opener against
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
, winning 34–17 after trailing for a majority of the game. The next week, the Buckeyes played
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
at home and, surprisingly, lost the decision 35–21. Barrett's inexperience along with the inexperience of the offensive line proved costly in the Buckeyes' defeat to the Hokies. After the loss, the Buckeyes coasted through their next four games, scoring over 50 points in each matchup versus Kent State, Cincinnati, Maryland, and Rutgers, respectively. Following a 31–24 overtime victory against
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
in Happy Valley, the Buckeyes were ranked No. 16 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings. The Buckeyes jumped to 14th in the CFP rankings following a 55–14 dismantling of rival
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
and were ready for a primetime matchup against the #8
Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic teams that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 23 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and wh ...
.
Ever since the Spartans defeated the Buckeyes by a score of 34–24 in the
2013 Big Ten Football Championship Game, the 2014 edition was highly anticipated. Due to Ohio State's loss to Virginia Tech and Braxton Miller's injury, the game lost a bit of its luster. Regardless, College Gameday made the trip to East Lansing as the Spartans were two-point favorites over the Buckeyes. In a show of their offensive strength, J. T. Barrett and the Buckeyes handily defeated the Spartans 49–37. Following the win, Ohio State was back in the Playoff hunt and Barrett was an established Heisman Trophy candidate. Following close wins against the
Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Minnesota Golden Gophers (commonly shortened to Gophers) are the college sports teams of the University of Minnesota. The university fields a total of 25 (12 men's, 13 women's) teams in both men's and women's sports and competes in the Big Te ...
and the
Indiana Hoosiers
The Indiana Hoosiers are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of Indiana University Bloomington, named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Indiana. The Hoosiers participate in NCAA Division I, Division I of the Nationa ...
, the Buckeyes entered their rivalry game against
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
ranked #6 and just outside a playoff spot. In the game, Ohio State struggled early before pulling away to a 42–28 victory against their rivals. The win came at a cost, however, as J. T. Barrett was injured in the fourth quarter with a broken ankle.
[Ridenour, Marla. "Ohio State notebook: Injured quarterback J.T Barrett enjoys championship, looks forward to starting rehab." Akron Beacon Journal (OH) 14 Jan. 2015: Newspaper Source. Web. 13 Feb. 2015.
]
Following Barrett's injury during the Michigan Game, Ohio State turned to their third-string quarterback, Cardale Jones, for the Big Ten Championship game against 2014 Wisconsin Badgers football team, Wisconsin. Because #4
Mississippi State
Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univers ...
lost in the
Egg Bowl
The Egg Bowl (traditionally named the “Battle for the Golden Egg”) is the name given to the Mississippi State–Ole Miss football rivalry. It is an American college football rivalry game played annually between Southeastern Conference memb ...
, Ohio State moved from #6 to #5 despite the loss of Barrett. Due to the game being Jones' first collegiate start, the Buckeyes entered as a 4.5 point underdog to the West Division champion Badgers. Ohio State, however, proved the oddsmakers wrong as Jones shined in a 59–0 rout of Wisconsin to capture the program's 35th Big Ten Championship and a potential College Football Playoff berth. The next morning, it was announced that Ohio State's win had propelled them to #4 in the final College Football Playoff rankings, securing their spot in the Sugar Bowl against #1 Alabama. This move proved to be controversial, as TCU had been ranked #3 but fell to #6 in favor of Ohio State despite the Horned Frogs also winning their last game.
Game summary
The game began with Ohio State winning the coin flip and deferring to the second half, so Alabama got the ball to begin the game. The opening kickoff resulted in a touchback that came out to the 20. Alabama was forced to punt on their first drive, going 3 and out. The Buckeyes began their first drive of the night from their own 15 yard line. The Buckeyes drove down the field into the redzone, but failed to get a touchdown, and were forced to kick a field goal, giving them a 3–0 lead. The drive involved a 54-yard run by Ezekiel Elliott in which it saw him break tackles and hurdle another tackler. Alabama was forced to punt on their next drive. However, on the first play of Ohio State's next drive, Elliott lost the first fumble of his career, which was recovered by
Landon Collins
Landon Alexander Collins (born January 10, 1994) is an American football safety and linebacker for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama, where he was a part of the team that won the 20 ...
at the Ohio State 32 yard line. Two plays into Alabama's next drive, Derrick Henry ran 25 yards untouched into the endzone for a touchdown, giving the Crimson Tide their first lead of the game, 7–3. Ohio State drove into the Alabama redzone, but once again had to settle for a field goal, cutting the Alabama lead to 7–6. However, the Crimson Tide responded with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Blake Sims to Amari Cooper, increasing the Tide's lead to 14–6. After back-to-back punts by each team, Cardale Jones threw an interception to
Cyrus Jones
Cyrus Diego Jones Jr. (born November 29, 1993) is a former American football cornerback and return specialist of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Alabama. He was drafted by the New England Pat ...
that was returned to the Ohio State 15 yard line. From there, Alabama cashed in with a 2-yard touchdown run by T.J. Yeldon to make the score 21-6 Crimson Tide. The next drive for the Buckeyes started with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by Alabama on the succeeding kickoff, giving them the ball at their own 29 yard line. With several big plays during the drive, Ohio State scored a touchdown with Elliott taking it in from 3 yards out to cut the Tide lead to 21–13. After Alabama punted on their next possession, Ohio State took over with 1:32 remaining in the half. With several big plays, including a big run by Jones which set up the Buckeyes in the redzone, Ohio State scored right before the half on an end around touchdown completed with Wide receiver Evan Spencer throwing to wide receiver Michael Thomas in the endzone. Replays showed Thomas making an unbelievable catch along the sidelines by keeping his foot in bounds while maintaining possession of the ball. The touchdown was reviewed and upheld on replay, and Alabama's lead was cut to 21–20 at halftime. Despite trailing by 1 at the half, Ohio State dominated the statsheet, outgaining Alabama 348-139 and being 7/10 on 3rd downs and Alabama being only 1/7. Out of Ohio State's 7 3rd down conversions in the first half, 6 of them were conversions of 8+ yards, the most allowed by Alabama in a decade.
In the second half, Ohio State got the ball first to begin quarter 3. The drive was completed with Cardale Jones throwing a 47-yard touchdown pass to Devin Smith to give Ohio State a 27–21 lead. After back-to-back punts by each team, Blake Sims threw an interception that was returned by Steve Miller 36 yards for a touchdown, increasing the Buckeyes lead to 34–21. Sims' pick 6 was the first pick 6 thrown by an Alabama quarterback since 2007. The Crimson Tide, however, were able to go down the field and score a touchdown of their own, cutting the lead to 34–28, which was the score heading into the final quarter. After a long scoring hiatus that saw the 2 teams punt back and forth to each other, Ohio State managed to increase its lead with an 85-yard touchdown run by Ezekiel Elliott, the longest play from scrimmage Alabama had allowed all season. This play earned the game the nickname “85 Yards Through the Heart of the South.” The 2 point conversion was successful, giving the Buckeyes a 42–28 lead. However, the Crimson Tide did not go quietly, scoring quickly to cut the lead to 42–35. After Ohio State was forced to punt on their next drive, the Tide got the ball back with no timeouts, needing to score a touchdown to force overtime. However, it was not to be, as Blake Sims last second hail mary pass was intercepted in the endzone by Tyvis Powell, ending the game and sending Ohio State to the national championship game for the first time since 2008. Sims finished with a career high 3 interceptions.
Source:
[Stats](_blank)
/ref>
Statistics
Aftermath
With the huge win, the Buckeyes advanced to their first national championship game since 2007, and played the Rose Bowl champion Oregon Ducks, whom they defeated 42-20 for their eighth national championship. This was Ohio State's first win over Alabama in four tries. The loss by Alabama was the Southeastern Conference's second straight loss in a major bowl game to the Buckeyes, along with Arkansas's loss in the 2011 Sugar Bowl. Alabama's loss meant that 2015 was the first national championship to not feature an SEC team since 2005, when USC and Texas played in that season's Rose Bowl. The loss also assured the Crimson Tide a second straight season without appearing in the national championship, the first time that Alabama has missed the national championship in back to back seasons since 2007 and 2008. Ohio State's 15-point comeback over the Tide is the largest ever comeback against a Nick Saban-led team in a bowl game and the second largest comeback against the Crimson Tide under Saban all time, with the largest being Auburn's 24-0 comeback in 2010. The loss by Alabama also dropped them to 0-3 under Saban in Sugar Bowls. However, they would eventually win a Sugar Bowl in 2018, beating Clemson 24–6. This was the third time in the Saban era that Alabama had blown a lead of 14 or more points, with each of the other losses to Auburn in 2010 and 2013. Alabama would return to the playoffs the next year, and would win the Cotton Bowl over another Big 10 team, Michigan State, 38–0, and championship over Clemson, 45–40. As of 2020, Alabama appeared in the playoffs in each season from 2014 to 2018, until missing it in the 2019 season after losing to LSU and Auburn, and has been to five national championships, winning three and losing two. The last championship over Ohio State in the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship. Ohio State would return to the playoffs again in 2016, 2019, losing to Clemson 0-31 and 23-29, with both meetings occurring in the Fiesta Bowl, and again in 2020, beating Clemson 49-28 in the Sugar Bowl. To conclude the 2020 season, Ohio State would fall to Alabama in the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship. These teams next scheduled meeting is a home and home series scheduled for 2027 and 2028, with the 2027 game being in Columbus and the 2028 one in Tuscaloosa.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sugar Bowl, 2015
2014–15 NCAA football bowl games
2014–15 College Football Playoff
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
2015 in sports in Louisiana
21st century in New Orleans
January 2015 sports events in the United States