Ohio Stadium might be seeing an unexpected splash of orange on Saturday night.
While No. 8 Ohio State is set to host No. 9 Tennessee in the first round of the College Football Playoff, reports suggest that Volunteers fans are making a strong push to fill the iconic venue.
Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork raised concerns last week about Tennessee’s passionate fanbase attempting to “take over” the stadium.
Speaking on 97.1 The Fan’s Morning Juice, Bjork urged Buckeye supporters to hold onto their tickets.
“Don’t sell your tickets,” Bjork said. “Tennessee fans, they’re rabid fans. They are going to invade the Shoe. Let’s make sure we don’t have as much orange in there as people think.”
Despite Bjork’s plea, data from ticket marketplace SeatGeek indicates that over 40 percent of resold tickets have been purchased by buyers with Tennessee addresses.
It’s important to note that these figures only reflect resold tickets, not those directly distributed to Ohio State’s season-ticket holders, students, and faculty.
Even so, experts believe Tennessee fans could make up 20 to 25 percent of the crowd – a noticeable presence in a stadium known for its sea of scarlet and gray.
Interestingly, some analysts suggest this influx of opposing fans might not be entirely detrimental for Ohio State.
During ESPN’s College Football Playoff selection show, college football analyst and former Buckeye quarterback Kirk Herbstreit floated the idea that a more neutral or road-like atmosphere could actually benefit the team, especially following its season-ending loss to Michigan.
“After the way Ohio State’s season ended against Michigan, I don’t know if it wouldn’t have been better to Ohio State to go on the road to get away from their home crowd that will be booing after their third down not converting,” Herbstreit said.
“And if the punter comes out, booing Ryan Day. They’ll have to rally and have a good start to that game, or it could turn sideways with the home crowd, in my opinion.”
Ohio State initially allocated fewer than 4,000 tickets to Tennessee, but it’s clear that Volunteers fans are going above and beyond to maximize their presence.
Vols fans managed to get their hands on special presale codes meant only for loyal Ohio State fans.
Whether or not Tennessee fans succeed in creating a home-away-from-home atmosphere remains to be seen.
One thing is for sure, Vols players are going to be playing in much colder temperatures than they’re used to. That surely counts for something.
Kickoff between Ohio State (10–2) and Tennessee (10–2) is scheduled for 8pm EST on Saturday, with the game airing live on ABC.
What are your thoughts on the wild ticket situation? … What percentage of the crowd will be wearing orange?
More importantly, what’s your prediction for the game???
