Deep down inside, John Junker wanted nothing more than the Buckeyes to take the tortilla chip and scoop up the salsa.

OSU did just that on Saturday by beating Michigan 14-9, and in the process earned the Big Ten’s first ever berth in the BCS National Championship game.

Junker, the president and CEO of the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, is a native of Akron and grew up following the Buckeyes. He knew there was no reason to wait in extending the offer to Ohio State.

As approved by the BCS earlier in the week, Junker made the invite despite the final BCS standings being weeks from official.

“It really came down to this very simply,” Junker said. “With Ohio State’s victory, nobody in America can fathom any way, either statistically or ethically, that Ohio State could be left out of the national championship game, as one of two major undefeateds in the nation.

“It was obviously the right decision when you saw the looks on the faces of those players (in the locker room) after going to battle with the Wolverines in the kind of game they did,” he said.

The reaction by the Buckeyes after Junker offered the invite can best be described as joyful.

“We’re honored to be here to have an opportunity to host the Ohio State University, their football team, their fans, their legend, their history and traditions in our game this Jan. 3 for college football’s national championship,” he said.

Junker said the top priority of the committee is to satiate the needs of both teams, to give them the opportunity to be fully prepared to take home college football’s grand prize.

For the fans, however, Junker said the activities are numerous.

On Tuesday, Dec. 31, the Fort McDowell Fiesta Bowl Parade will feature Ohio State’s marching band. The Grand Marshall of the parade is Cal Ripken Jr.

New Year’s Eve can be celebrated at the Tempe Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Block Party. The party has been named by USA Today as one of the top 10 places to be in the nation on New Year’s Eve. Among those performing are the Charlie Daniels Band, the Go-Go’s and Collective Soul. About 100,000 people are expected.

On Thursday, Jan. 2, the Fiesta Bowl presents a BCS first — The National Championship Pep Rally — next to Sun Devil Stadium.

Junker said it was one of the goals of the BCS to create this setting — one that can be compared to practice day at the Final Four.

On game day the bowl presents “College Football’s Biggest Party.”

“We’ve hosted groups upwards of 35-40 thousand for the event, a terrific event prior to the game. We really try to make sure the football teams can prepare for football, but the fans can have tremendous memories and a lot of fun with the events that go along with the national championship game,” Junker said.

Junker said the post game riots were not a concern of the committees.

“The riots are regrettable and obviously they happen in a lot of places across the nation,” he said. “We have no compunction, hesitation or concern about the quality of people who will come to celebrate Ohio State, and seek to enjoy a national championship game being in our community.”

“No community has a monopoly of knuckleheads, and there are a few even in our own community,” Junker said in reference to the Valley of the Sun.

Fans interested in learning more on the 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl have two Internet options.

The official site of the bowl is www.tostitosfiestabowl.com and the bowl’s partner for lodging and accommodations, the Scottsdale Convention and Visitor’s Bureau’s Web site, at www.scottsdalecvb.com.

It is still undecided as to when the Buckeyes will depart for the desert, but OSU athletics spokesman Steve Snapp said the earliest the team would leave for Tempe is Dec. 26.