I'd take any one of the following over the Buckeyes and the crappy Big-10.
1) Texas Tech
2) Boise
3) TCU
4) Oklahoma St.
5) Georgia Tech
Hell, even Oregon is better than Ohio St. What a joke.
I don't know how long you've been around but Bowls are about money. tOSU will get TV ratings and pack any stadium they are invited to. They'd fill up Aloha Stadium if need be.
It's a no-brainer that they are the at-large bid.
They travel as well as any in the country.
Another example: If ND would have beaten 'Cuse, there was a strong possibility they could have been invited to the Cotton Bowl, over a much better team such as Ole Miss. Why not, if i ran the Cotton I'd tell hotels to raise their rates if ND fans were coming to town more than if Ole Miss fans were, over charge 5% moref or everything, you'd get it.
ND pulls more ratings than an Ole Miss would and they blow.
Bowls have nothing to do with record or ranking.
alot of people do not get this.