Scarlet Sunrise: Ranking Ohio State travel distances on new-look 2024 schedule

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Ranking Ohio State travel distances on new-look 2024 schedule

A showdown between a mentee and mentor. Ryan Day’s Ohio State is scheduled to take on Chip Kelly’s UCLA next year in Pasadena. Kelly, of course, was Day’s offensive coordinator when Day was quarterbacking University of New Hampshire. About a decade and a half later, Day served as Kelly’s quarterbacks coach with both the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers.

Now, the duo is slated to face off as premier college football head coaches. The opportunity is afforded by UCLA, along with USC, joining the Big Ten in 2024.

The Big Ten revealed its new “Flex Protect Plus” scheduling model this week. It’s designed so that each conference member can play every league opponent at least twice — home and away — during a four-year period. Cycling opponents is all the more important with 16 teams in the league.

No non-LA Big Ten team will have to play more than one conference game per year out west. That said, the geographic footprint of the league is still markedly wider. Taking that into account — as well as the Big Ten’s abandonment of “East” and “West” divisions — Lettermen Row is ranking the Ohio State travel distances for the Buckeyes’ new-look 2024 schedule.

1. at UCLA: 2,237.3 miles
2. at Minnesota: 767.1 miles
3. at Penn State: 340.2 miles
4. at Michigan State: 248.6 miles

That puts Ohio State’s total distance traveled at approximately 3,593.2 miles for the 2024 season, and that’s across only four road games (as opposed to the six road games the Buckeyes are playing in 2023).

Ohio State’s trip to UCLA covers nearly three times as much distance as its second-most intensive trek of the season, a date with Minnesota. The Golden Gophers’ Huntington Bank Stadium is located 767.1 miles from Ohio Stadium.

When the 2024 season rolls around, fan attendance from visiting teams at UCLA and USC will be critical to track. UCLA plays its home games at Rose Bowl Stadium. The Buckeyes have participated in 16 Rose Bowls, posting a 9-7 record in those contests. But, in 2021, the last time Ohio State made the “Granddaddy of them all,” approximately 7,000 of its 20,000 allotted tickets were returned to the Rose Bowl. Granted, when the Buckeyes clinched a spot in the Rose Bowl three years earlier, they reportedly sold close to 20,000 tickets, but that was also Urban Meyer’s final game as head coach.

How many Ohio State fans will fly west for the team’s 2024 meeting with UCLA? That remains to be seen. It will be the programs’ first meeting since 2001 — that game was in Pasadena, too.

Here is Ohio State’s complete 2024 schedule (dates will be announced this fall):

NON-CONFERENCE SLATE

• Aug. 31 vs. Southern Mississippi
• Sept. 7 vs. Western Michigan
• Sept. 14 OFF
• Sept. 21 vs. Marshall

BIG TEN HOME GAMES

• Illinois
• Iowa
• Michigan
• Northwestern
• Rutgers

BIG TEN AWAY GAMES

• Michigan State
• Minnesota
• Penn State
• UCLA

Relationships, Justin Frye and peer recruiting: Ohio State commit Ian Moore ready for official visit

Four-star New Palestine (Indiana) offensive tackle Ian Moore is Ohio State’s longest-tenured commit in the 2024 class. He’s been committed to the Buckeyes since Oct. 20 of last year.

Moore — a four-star recruit who is the No. 119 overall prospect this cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking — isn’t wavering, either.

Moore was on hand for the Buckeyes’ first recruiting camp of the summer Thursday, and he’s one of 16 recruits taking an official visit with Ohio State this weekend. The 6-foot-6, 295-pound Moore is locked in.

To read about his relationship with Justin Frye, as well as Moore’s peer recruiting efforts, head here.

RELATED

• Ohio State commit Marc Nave going to be key for a successful official visit weekend

Making three predictions for Buckeyes running backs

Lettermen Row’s “Running Backs Week” is wrapping up. But, before we turn the page, we have three predictions for the Buckeyes’ backfield.

The first centers around the 1-2 punch of TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams. In a league that also features Michigan running backs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, not to mention Penn State’s tandem of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, Henderson and Williams have a chance to be the best duo.

Just how dynamic will they be in 2023, though?

We put a number on it in this prediction piece. Check it out here.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 84 days

Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 168 days

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