Spent a good part of Friday night out scouring Columbus the night before Ohio State hosts USC at Ohio Stadium.
Students aren’t yet back, so it was subdued around town. Next to campus, High Street was populated mostly by locals and USC fans. The Arena District, where the rest of the city does its partying, was also less-than-raucous.
Of course, that suits local city officials in charge of security around the stadium just fine. Main postgame unrest prevention this week has been to empty neighborhood dumpsters that could be arson targets. But with frat guy and dorm rat nowhere to be found, I think campus’ most accesible couches should be fire-proof Saturday night.
Hanging out in Columbus Friday night, as I did so often before big games in the ’90s as a radio host at Buckeye flagship WBNS-AM, I didn’t think anything could surprise me. But I was wrong.
Scalpers were out in force outside Ohio Stadium in the early evening hours, so I sidled up to a few to find out what night-befores were going for.
Face value!
You heard me correctly, scalpers were selling OSU-USC tickets at face value the night before the game - at Ohio State! I can almost see that in laissez-faire L.A. on the eve of a USC game. But not in the center of the very soul of college football.
That means that tomorrow, as the game nears, the price will continue to go down. By kickoff tickets should be well below face value. In all my years covering college football’s big games, including several at Ohio State and USC, I’ve never seen tickets scalped at anything close to face value. Let alone the night before an important matchup.
So what gives?
My first thought was that with the economic downturn, discretionary income may be in shorter supply in Central Ohio these days.
But after watching/listening to media here in town and talking to local OSU fans the last two days, I think the general pessimism about the Buckeyes’ chances on Saturday has lead to disinterest in attending the game. Ohio State has been beaten so many times in recent years in big games that Buckeye fans are now afraid to drum up the smallest hope their team can even keep it close - let alone win.
Having covered Ohio State myself in the previous decade, this seems unfathomable - but from my personal experience in the past 48 hours, it’s true.
So to all those folks, I’d like to inform you that Matt Barkley has completed zero pocket passes in his one-game collegiate career. And that he thinks he “won’t be fazed” by the 105,000 strong at the ‘Shoe on Saturday night.
I can’t imagine the Ohio State defense won’t be imaginative enough to stop Barkley and force USC into a run-only offense. I’m picking the Buckeyes, 17-13.
I’ll be Tweeting and posting on SbB leading up to the game, giving you a taste of what it’s like here on gameday. See you Saturday.
2:46 am on September 12th, 2009
This was from my blog which has some of the reasons you asked about the tickets. My Brother has tickets but I couldn’t get out there. Should be a great time!
The Buckeyes got a nice wake up call last week with a scare against Navy. The Columbus faithful have had this game circled since getting buried 35-3 in Los Angeles last year. The Buckeye faithful feel that since USC lost most of it’s defense from last year as well as their starting QB to the NFL, that they’ll be just fine at home with their own seasoned QB running a swanky new offense.
Apparently, Las Vegas doesn’t agree with Columbus. The game originally opened up as USC a -3 point favorite on an early line two months ago raising a few eye-brows that such a young team would be favored in Columbus. The combination of the occurrences from last week in each of their games made the opening line on Monday -7 where it has stayed all week.
USC reloads every year and they showed it last week with Freshman QB Matt Barkley leading the charge with 56 points against San Jose State. The greatest stat of the week involves USC and Pete Carroll in their last nine games against the Big 10 that has seen the Trojans win and cover all nine. In all nine instances, USC won by double digits.
On a positive note for Ohio State, their 12th man, the Fans - all 106,000 of them get to rattle a freshman QB. No matter what Barkley says to shrug off the daunting task of calling plays in front of what is arguably the most hostile crowd in College Football, he’ll still be affected. He may have all the tools and make up to make him great down the road, but not in his first road game as a collegian, and not there.
This is only the third time the Buckeyes have been a home dog under Jim Tressel’s watch and overall, Tressel is 55-8 at home. With the spread being relevant this week getting +7, only two times has a Tressel team been beaten by double-digits (11 and 12).
There lots of reasons why USC should be favored, but I’ll base my choice of Ohio State winning the game on my faith in the crowd to do their job and create easy opportunities for Buckeye scores by letting the Freshman have it.
This game is under the lights which means most of the older alumni and supporters stay home because night games bring out the freakiest of freaks in Columbus. They‘d rather not get caught up I the drunken craze that goes on before and after a big night game in Columbus, so they give them away to younger friends of the family .
Another positive is that the Columbus Fire Department is already on alert with extra staffing for the anticipated Columbus ritual of burning coaches in the streets. Yes, that’s couches, as in what most of us sit in to watch TV. After big wins in games of this magnitude, the entire city goes nuts and they pull coaches off their porches, and sometimes bring out from inside their homes, and set them on fire.
Needless to say, there haven’t been many big wins the last few years for the Buckeyes that have excited Buckeye Nation to get the ritual started again, but if Firemen are standing by for a burn-fest, that’s good enough for me.
Ohio State 24 USC 16
3:36 am on September 12th, 2009
Even if USC does run the whole time, they’ve got six RBs that are studs…McKnight, Johnson, Gable, Bradford, McNeal, and Tyler who unfortunately won’t be able to play. Plus everyone on the OL is back from last year for USC. USC will probably lean more on running anyway this year since the QB is still a bit green. So having to run all the time doesn’t reduce SC’s offensive potency at all.
9:32 am on September 12th, 2009
Not sure who was selling Face Value seats, but I find this hard to believe, as I have was selling tix all day yesterday for $500/pair. Hope you have great seats for $63. Are you even in Columbus this weekend or are you just making this up as you go?
As far as enthused fans out in full force, turn on ESPN this morning. 12 Hours before the game we are out already.
The Buckeyes have nothing to lose. Even though it has been a while since we have won the big one, things will be a little different tonight under the lights with 105,000+ screaming fans. Rest assured there will not be one empty seat!
No matter the spread, or the national perception, Buckeye Fans are Die Hard and know that we will show up tonight.
Are you even in Columbus this weekend or are you just making this up as you go?
Go back to cali…
GO BUCKS!
P.S. Let’s shut Mark May up today!
9:50 am on September 12th, 2009
Oh my — people are giving me a hard time about this — saying it’s impossible to get tickets at face value. I need more info!
9:50 am on September 12th, 2009
Face value??? LOL!! What are you smoking buddy? Those tickets you’re talking about were likely fake. Scalpers were BUYING pairs for $300 to resell for $400-$500. Nowhere will you get face value especially not the night before. This is horrible “journalism” and you don’t know what you’re talking about.
10:00 am on September 12th, 2009
I agree with the last comment by Rick.
Bob, this may be some good constructive criticism for your journalism career. You obviously have not done your research very well. Maybe the street-corner entrepreneurs were selling you some funny smokes instead of face-value tix.
P.S. post phone # for one of these scalpers that are selling face value seats. LOL!
Bob, I hear Ohio State has a good journalism program. Maybe you should enroll.
GO BUCKS!
10:42 am on September 12th, 2009
I was down on campus last night around 7pm, and could have bought a single ticket for $100. Not sure what they are going for on campus today. Any tips on how to know if you are getting a real vs. fake ticket?
11:01 am on September 12th, 2009
What’s the matter with OSU fans? Scalpers rip you off so you hurl insults and call someone a liar? What a bunch of jagholes. OSU is over rated, as usual. If OSU gets whipped again just call it getting what you deserve you bunch of sniveling cowards.
12:49 pm on September 12th, 2009
Am I in Columbus?
http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/im-back-in-columbus-where-cooler-poop-prevails-26022
(Sorry about the bath you took, can always write them off ya know.)