Scarlet Sunrise: Peach Bowl CEO expects CFP semifinal to break Mercedes-Benz Stadium attendance record

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Peach Bowl CEO expects CFP semifinal to break Mercedes-Benz Stadium attendance record

During Ohio State’s official Peach Bowl press conference in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center Tuesday, Peach Bowl CEO Gary Stokan said that the College Football Playoff semifinal matchup between the No. 4 Buckeyes and top-ranked Georgia will probably break the Mercedes-Benz Stadium attendance record.

Stokan said they’re expecting between 78-79,000 fans on New Year’s Eve. The stadium, which is the home of the Atlanta Falcons, has a current attendance record of 78,347 that was set during the 2019 Peach Bowl — that was a showdown between Joe Burrow’s No. 1 LSU and Jalen Hurts’ No. 4 Oklahoma. Mercedes-Benz Stadium also hosted Super Bowl LIII, but that had only 70,081 fans for a low-scoring, 13-3 New England Patriots victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

Stokan said that they’ve had to add 2,000 standing-room-only “seats” for this year’s matchup. He noted that Ohio State sold out its tickets in a three-day span. It’s the Buckeyes’ first trip to the Peach Bowl, and it’s something that’s been in the works. Stokan mentioned that Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith and him spoke during the Wisconsin game on Sept. 24 about the Buckeyes getting out to Atlanta this holiday season.

Of course, Ohio State had to hold up its end of the bargain with an 11-win season. Plus, the Buckeyes needed some help on Conference Championship Weekend.

“We’re excited about the opportunity,” Smith said. “It’s a place we haven’t been and a place we wanted to go.”

Buckeyes RB TreVeyon Henderson out for CFP, will have surgery on foot

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said Tuesday that he’d have an update on sophomore running back TreVeyon Henderson in a few days. Henderson — who has been dealing with a nagging foot injury since the Toledo game on Sept. 17 — provided that update hours later, announcing that his season is over via Twitter.

Henderson confirmed to Lettermen Row that he’s set to have surgery on his foot Friday. Henderson missed three of the final four games of the regular season. He returned for the Maryland game but was clearly far from 100%, rushing for just 19 yards on 11 carries. Henderson tweeted after the Michigan loss, during which he was sidelined with a boot, that he had been playing through “torn ligaments and a broken bone” in his foot.

Henderson managed to record back-to-back 100-yard games against Wisconsin and Michigan State in the weeks following his injury against Toledo. He’s still second on the team with 517 rushing yards on 107 carries (5.3 yards per attempt). Henderson also posted seven total touchdowns in an abbreviated 2022 (six rushing, one receiving).

Henderson, a former five star and the No. 1 running back in the 2021 class according to On3, led the Buckeyes with 1,248 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground as a true freshman.

READ: TreVeyon Henderson will miss College Football Playoff with foot injury

Tim May Podcast: Excitement building for epic Peach Bowl clash between Buckeyes, Bulldogs

The Tim May Podcast has returned for another Peach Bowl-themed episode. Tim co-pilots the front and backend of the episode with new Lettermen Row reporter Andy Backstrom, who discusses his experience of changing beats within the Power Five midseason and what it’s like to cover Ohio State.

Then Tim welcomes Peach Bowl CEO Gary Stokan on the show to talk about the Buckeyes finally getting a chance to participate in the Peach Bowl against top-ranked Georgia in a CFP semifinal matchup. Stokan is a former college basketball player and shoe executive who has been at the helm of the Peach Bowl since 1998. Stokan shares stories from his career and explains how the Peach Bowl made its climb to the New Year’s Six series.

The discussion makes this episode a must-listen for fans of both Georgia and Ohio State as the CFP semifinal approaches.

Check it out in the link below and find more episodes — and all Lettermen Row video content — on our YouTube channel.

Practice Report: Buckeyes juggling NIL, transfer portal, recruiting on top of Peach Bowl prep

Ohio State is preparing for the No. 1 team in the country and a chance to play for a spot in the national title game. Meanwhile, however, the Buckeyes coaching staff has to juggle NIL, the transfer portal and the home stretch of the 2023 recruiting cycle.

It makes for a chaotic December for Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and Co.

Lettermen Row staffers Tim May, Spencer Holbrook and Andy Backstrom are back to break it all down after Day met with the media for his official Peach Bowl invitation press conference Tuesday.

Day said it himself. A CFP bid has given the Buckeyes a second lease on life. How are they handling that opportunity so far? What challenges does Georgia pose? And what are the advantages of playing in the Peach Bowl for Ohio State? The trio of Lettermen Row insiders give their thoughts, just a few weeks out from their trip to Atlanta for the CFP semifinal matchup.

Counting down

Peach Bowl: 17 days away

Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 346 days

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