The Buckeyes were ranked third until a loss at Iowa in late September; they later lost on the road to Illinois and rivalMichigan. This was their second Fiesta Bowl appearance.
The Panthers opened with two wins, but lost two road games at Maryland and West Virginia. They won six straight, then tied rival Penn State. This was Pittsburgh's third Fiesta Bowl appearance.
Game summary
The first game of a tripleheader (Rose, Orange) on NBC, the Fiesta kicked off shortly after 11:30 a.m. MST, as did the Cotton Bowl on CBS.
Ohio State scored first when quarterback Mike Tomczak scored on a three-yard quarterback keeper. Pittsburgh tied the score at seven on a 6-yard pass from John Congemi to wide receiver Clint Wilson. Running back Keith Byars scored on an 11-yard run before halftime, to give Ohio State a 14–7 halftime lead.
After a scoreless third quarter, the action increased in the fourth. Pitt wide receiver Clint Wilson recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown to tie the game at 14. Byars took the kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, and Ohio State reclaimed the lead at 21–14. Congemi then found Dwight Collins for a touchdown, but the two-point conversion attempt failed, and Ohio State held on to a one-point lead. A 37-yard field goal from Tom Everett with 2:39 left, gave Pittsburgh a 23–21 lead. Tomczak threw a 39-yard touchdown strike to Thad Jemison for the game-winning touchdown, with 39 seconds left, and Ohio State escaped with a 28–23 win.[4][6][9][10]
Scoring
First quarter
Ohio State – Mike Tomczak 3-yard run (Rich Spangler kick)
Second quarter
Pittsburgh – Clint Wilson 6-yard pass from John Congemi (Snuffy Everett kick)
Ohio State – Keith Byars 11-yard run (Spangler kick)
Third quarter
No scoring
Fourth quarter
Pittsburgh – Wilson fumble recovery in end zone (Everett kick)
Ohio State – Byars 99-yard kickoff return (Spangler kick)
Pittsburgh – Dwight Collins 11-yard pass from Congemi (pass failed)
Pittsburgh – Everett 37-yard field goal
Ohio State – Thad Jemison 39-yard pass from Tomczak (Spangler kick)