CINCINNATI — It’s no secret Buckeye Nation travels well, but it’s also well-known that Buckeye fans live all over the country, including Texas. For Buckeye fans that live in the Lone Star State, they’re looking forward to seeing their team play in their home state.
There are plenty of Buckeye fans in Texas, and they’re thrilled to make a quick trip to see the scarlet and gray.
“We were like jumping up and down and already planning our trip as soon as they won," Tori Hoperich an OSU fan with the alumni club of Houston said.
“We were looking at the calendar to see the tournament and seeing when they could come here," Zachary Taylor, an OSU fan who lives in Dallas, said. "That was sort of the plan if they came here, we were going to buy tickets no matter what.”
The alumni club of Houston even making the nearly four hour drive to North Texas, hoping to see lots of Buckeye fans in the stands at AT&T Stadium.
“I feel like we passed a lot of Ohio State cars actually coming down here," Hoperich said. "And anytime we passed a Texas car on the way here it was funny we saw a few. We did horns down to them by their window as we were driving by so it was funny. But I think Ohio State travels well and will show up good.”
And for Texans, they’re getting used to seeing Ohio State play close to home. This is the fifth time in 10 seasons the team has played here, including the last National Championship. Many fans taking advantage of a short drive to see their team.
“The first time was in 2015 for the Oregon for the National Championship when we won that one, it was absolutely incredible," John Hart, the president of the OSU alumni club of Houston, said. "And then we came up for the Cotton Bowl two or three years ago. So it’s been a fantastic trip and very happy to be back here.”
And while it’s the College Football semifinals this time around, Buckeye fans here in the Lone Star State are glad to have them close to home.
“It’s fantastic to be here in Texas," Hart said. "I really wish the National Championship was here.”