Ohio State fans made crazy mistake with College Football Playoff tickets

Nov 17, 2012; Madison, WI, USA; A Ohio State Buckeyes helmet sits on the sidelines during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Ohio State defeated Wisconsin 21-14 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Many Ohio State supporters are expected to travel to Texas to watch their team play in the Cotton Bowl, but at least one group of fans will be cheering on the Buckeyes from the wrong venue.

Johnny McGonigal of PennLive.com on Thursday shared a funny interaction he had with some Ohio State fans at a hotel near Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Fla., which is where the Orange Bowl will be played on Thursday night. Penn State and Notre Dame are squaring off in that College Football Playoff semifinal, while Ohio State will face Texas in the other semifinal game from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

So why, exactly, would Buckeyes fans travel to Miami when their team is playing in Arlington? According to McGonigal, the fans misread the College Football Playoff bracket and purchased tickets to the wrong game.

Just ran into Ohio State fans in the hotel elevator. They misread the bracket and thought Ohio State would be playing in the Orange Bowl. They’ll be at Penn State-Notre Dame tonight.

— Johnny McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) January 9, 2025

McGonigal added that the fans, who appeared to be students, did not specify whether they misread the bracket or incorrectly predicted that Ohio State would be in the Orange Bowl before the bracket was released. Either way, it is quite humorous that they stuck with the plan rather than selling the tickets.

Look at it this way: those Buckeyes fans now have an opportunity to do some scouting of the team that Ohio State could potentially face with a national championship on the line. Maybe Ryan Day will give them a call to ask for some insight.