Whether you love or hate StubHub, the steady rise of our new ticketing overlord is handy for the simple fact that, armed with sufficient data, we can somewhat quantify the matchup value for each game on the Buckeye schedule.
Just looking at home games this season, it's no surprise that USC is far and away the most expensive seat of the year1. In fact, with three months of hype ahead of us, the least-affordable ticket is going for just over $2,800 -- or double the price of the best seats to the 2005 tilt with Texas. What recession?
The average price of all USC tickets is an astounding $662, which is already 50% more than the average cost for a ticket at the Coliseum last September and about the same premium on the typical seat when an undefeated Michigan came to town in 2006.
Looking at the rest of the home schedule, there are a few compelling matchups, but with Penn State and Michigan both being road games, it's clear that Saturdays in the Shoe this fall will consist of the big bang and then varying degrees of meh. The following chart represents the cheapest, average and most expensive seat for home games not involving Song Girls.
Wisconsin is Wisconsin, which basically means there's a great chance of a scare regardless of how hard Bielema is trying to destroying that program. The Illini should feature a dangerous Juice to Benn combo and Iowa rotating onto the schedule for the first time since Gonzo got his zig-zag-on has some novelty, especially since the Hawkeyes coincidentally rose to the upper crust of the conference with the Buckeyes off the schedule again last season.
The other three home games are even less appealing. Navy is the opener, so fans will turn out (and pay to do so), New Mexico State comes to town for Halloween and the Gophers are this year's homecoming entree, but really, the three, along with the three mentioned above aren't so much the draw as it is a chance to come out and see what Terrelle the Great will do.
Though here I am yawning at more than half of the games on the schedule, it really is a testament to the fandom of Buckeye Nation that you still can't get into Ohio Stadium for a game this fall for less than $100. The average seat for the games mentioned above range from $210 for Navy to $279 for the Wisconsin game and those numbers will most certainly swell as kickoff approaches.
While Columbus has weathered the economic downturn better than other Ohio (and Midwestern) towns, people are still cutting back. And when you're substituting Jif for the Kroger brand peanut butter, it really is saying something that there are thousands of fans willing to pay $250 for a chance to see the Mighty Gophers come to town or nearly $700 for a prime seat to see the Aggies.
Ticket prices and aside, here's how I rank the home games:
- USC - Obvs.
- Illinois - If you conveniently forget his debacle in Champaign last season, Juice has played the Buckeyes tough. And with Benn freshly anointed as the Big Ten's best, the game will be a good early season test for the Buckeye secondary. You know, in case the Trojans don't test them out well enough in week two.
- Iowa - Maybe it's because we've only played the Hawkeyes five times this decade. Maybe it's because we're dying to taunt the boys at BHGP. Whatever it is, we like this one early.
- Wisconsin - Clay will be a load to handle, especially with all of the young blood at linebacker.
- Navy - The Midshipmen won't be doing the Buckeyes any prep favors for USC considering they'll throw the ball less than a dozen times on the afternoon. At least we think.
- New Mexico State - Don't know a lot about NMSU, but being Halloween and all, we'll finally get a chance to see Buck I Guy dress up in a silly hat and cape.
- Minnesota - The Gophers should be better this season (doesn't it seem as if we're always saying that) and their new field will be a shot to the program, but the game is in Columbus this year. And Pryor likes to truck their linebackers.
Thoughts?
1 Incidentally, StubHub's 10 top grossing college football games all feature Ohio State or USC.
Comments
[...] the home schedule Jump to Comments Over at Eleven Warriors, Jason has a post up that’s too good not to steal from. So I thought I’d take a similar look at Georgia’s 2009 home schedule through the [...]
Playing Illinios early is going to be a test regardless. We usually face them in the end of October/Early November part of the schedule. It will be a pleasant 75-80 degrees in the Shoe that day probably, which doesnt hurt their pass heavy offense at all. Couple that with the potential let-down factor if we blow it against USC, we could easily start the season 2-2. But here's to starting 4-0. *Cheers*
this is the year....
Linebacker and safety play will again be critical against the Illini. It was average-to-good after the first few quarters against the Illini, so I think Heacock has something figured out.
I have to agree that Illinois is by far the biggest game on the home sched not against a team from Cali. Does everyone forget what happened the last time Rejus and Juice came to the Shoe? I was at that game, hard to watch. If not for a few timely turnovers, we could of had a repeat of that last year in Champaign. Grant it, the "phantom touchdown" did help their cause in '07.
Wisky biggest weapon was Beckum when they came close in '07, and LIC was still learning the ropes last year at Camp Randall. Did Bielema get the memo that the B10 is slow? Why is he still recruiting Rudy Rudiger's that run 4.4 20's? Barring an unforseen 8-4 or better, I would think this is his last year in Madison.
He should prolly just go ahead and get his resume out on the market now, before summer camp even opens up. After that scUM game last year, I dont see him lasting past this season. Lets not even mention the bowl game, huh?
A lot of people forget that when Illi came into town in 07, we COULD NOT defend the spread. Since then I think Heacock, (while not a naturally born defend the spread killer) has gotten better at finding ways to stop it. In other words, about 90% of the time in spring training this year the Bucks were in the nickel formation (4 D-men, 2 LBs, and 5 DBs) lined up man to man. I can only hope that says Heacock is playing these guys without their tails between their legs because man to man coverage is how you normally defend the spread. If you can rush 5 guys and let 6 hang in the back consistently then the offense has a long day.
We defended USC well enough last year for the first half of so. After that our defense got wore out, but they were on the field 90% of the game.
If pryor can keep consistent drives going to let our cornerbacks keep their breath, we'll be allright.
That being said, a spread offense is going to score, even against a good defense, 24 pts or so.
That's true, but I still have nightmares of McKnight cutting up the Silver Bullets.
Whats nice to remember is that TP has had a solid spring and is in his 2nd summer conditioning program. You know he is studying film. I didn't really like the leadership from last years team. I personally thought Hartline was a cancer. Wouldn't it be nice to watch TP doing 7 vs. 7 passing drills. Against USC the team will need people to step up and make plays. The big thing and I mean big is that the coaching staff will have to get their heads out of thier butts and start making smart play calls. Any home game will be exciting with TP running the show.
I don't think LIC gets enough credit for what he did last year. First off, he didn't even show up to school until the fall and trained under the mindset that he would be the backup, playing in spot duty. Then, for him to come in and lead the b10 in passer rating, plus lead us to a comeback win vs. Wisky, played well in two big games vs. PSU and Texas, he's truly remarkable. Now, for him to have that under his belt and a whole off season to work on his game, we could be in for a big surprise.
Also, all the gameplanning in the world won't help when you are overmatched athletically, and we have been. But you are kidding yourself if you think Tress doesn't realize this and has been doing nothing but recruiting to fix this problem. That guy will sit there at every press conference and say nothing but good things about his guys and turn around and recruit your replacement that day. Let all these schools get complacent thinking that Tress is stubborn, they're in for a big wake up call.
Tress is stubborn. I have to add that if you do game plan well despite being over matched athletically then my way of thinking around that is come up with a game plan that makes the defense think. (Yeah like Tress rarely does that) There is nothing more hurtful to a defense who is confused by what the offense is doing. If you can out a guy on defense in the wrong place at the wrong time then it will make you score. Take for example the trick hand off we did against Michigan that Troy pulled off so well. He launched that thing to Ginn and Michigan had no idea what we were doing. LiC can do that kinda stuff. He can be the guy we can use to give defenses more than a headache instead of defending his running ability. It will only get scarier when he starts passing nice balls to his hungry receivers.
Then we were outmatched athletically vs. Fla. and LSU, and we were confused as hell!!! hahaha We didn't have a friggin clue what was going on in those games or at USC. I'll hand it to Heacock in the Texas game, but the hurry-up offense kicked our butts.
I dont think Tress is stubborn, not counting Bellisari, he's had 2 mobile qb's and 2 pocket passers. He's adjusted the offense to accomodate each skill set, including using Krenzel as the main offensive weapon in the Miami game. How ironic is it that the guy who the rest of the world thinks is an offensive genius (Dick Rod) is actually the most stubborn coach in CFB! He wouldnt come out of that wussy spread to go under center on third and one. Idiot.
That's a good point that even coaches like Richrod are stubborn to go away from their spread ways. Imagine Urban Meyer running a system that was a power run or something. How odd and hilarious would that be?
Herban may be doing just that. Evidently he's wooing a pocket QB recruit and said he'd tailor his offense away from the spread. Believe it when I see it, but....
i cannot wait to be at the Shoe for the USC game...ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...gonna be the longest wait ever