Fiesta Bowl Preview: No Lack of Motivation for Longhorns or Buckeyes

Neither team has played in more than a month, Phoenix-area hotels are bemoaning the lack of tourism, but that doesn't mean the Texas Longhorns or the Ohio State Buckeyes are lacking in motivation heading into tonight's Fiesta Bowl.

Tenth-ranked Ohio State (10-2) comes in after winning a share of the Big 10 title and is looking for the opportunity to showcase freshman quarterback Terelle Pryor and their offense of the future. Texas (11-1) enters the game ranked No. 3 in the country and a chance to show BCS voters that they should be considered among the top teams in the country.

Tonight's game could also be looked at as the deciding game in a three-game series that began in 2005. That season, the Longhorns went into Columbus and came away with a close victory on their way to the national championship. The following season, the Buckeyes came to Austin and handed Texas a 24-7 loss in Colt McCoy's second start.

McCoy has come a long way since then, setting school records for career passing yards and touchdowns, as well as compiling a record 31 wins as the starting quarterback. He'll face a sturdy Buckeye defense led by two of the top individual players in the country.

Senior linebacker James Laurinaitis is a three-time All-American who leads Ohio State in tackles (121), which includes four sacks and two interceptions. Senior cornerback Malcolm Jenkins has been a starter since his freshman year and is expected to be a top NFL draft pick.

Local businesses in the Phoenix area have reported lukewarm interest in travel packages, partially because of the weak economy and partially because of the date of the game (following the traditional end of the holiday season).