Description
The 2014 Orange Bowl was a college football bowl game played on Friday, January 3, 2014, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.[2] The 80th annual Orange Bowl, featured the Clemson Tigers from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Ohio State Buckeyes from the Big Ten Conference. The game was broadcast live on ESPN at 8:30 PM EST. It was one of the 2013–14 bowl games that concluded the 2013 FBS football season. It was sponsored by Discover Financial Services and was officially known as the Discover Orange Bowl.
The game was organized by the Orange Bowl committeeand was a part of the final year of the Bowl Championship Series.
Clemson was selected to participate in the Orange Bowl after a 10-2 season. Ohio State was picked as the other half of the matchup following a 12-1 campaign. The game marked the first time Ohio State had been in the Orange Bowl since the 1977 Orange Bowl. Clemson last played in the Orange Bowl game in 2012, losing to West Virginia 33-70.
The Tigers defeated the Buckeyes 40-35. Wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who set an Orange Bowl record with 227 receiving yards, was named the game’s most valuable player
The Orange Bowl matched the Clemson Tigers from the ACC and the Ohio State Buckeyes from the Big Ten. Both teams were BCS at-large selections, announced on December 8th, 2013. Traditionally the Orange Bowl has been host to the ACC champion; however, since the Florida State Seminoles, the 2013 ACC champion, were selected for the 2014 BCS National Championship Game, the #2 ranked ACC team took place of Florida State’s Orange Bowl berth.
The game was a rematch of the infamous 1978 Gator Bowl. During Ohio State’s final drive, Clemson linebacker Charlie Bauman intercepted a pass thrown down the middle by OSU’s Art Schlichter as time expired, giving Clemson the victory. Bauman ran towards the OSU sideline and was punched by OSU coach Woody Hayes. Clemson won 17–15, and Hayes was fired the next day, ending a long coaching career spent mostly with the Buckeyes. Ironically, Clemson won the 2014 Orange Bowl in a similar fashion as the 1978 Gator Bowl: in the final play of the game Clemson linebacker Stephone Anthony intercepted a pass thrown down the middle by OSU quarterback Braxton Miller as time expired, clinching the victory for Clemson.
