Distance not keeping Buckeye fans from Ducks game

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — The Ohio State Buckeyes play the Oregon Ducks Saturday at Autzen Stadium in one of the most-anticipated games of the regular season.

The Buckeyes look to redeem themselves after a loss at Ohio Stadium to the Ducks back in 2021.

The distance between Ohio and Oregon isn’t stopping fans like Bill McGreehan from watching the matchup in person. He said he is sure about Saturday’s outcome.

“I’m confident that we’ll come out on top,” he said.

McGreehan is the full trifecta: an Ohio State graduate, a die-hard football fan, and now works for the university.

Jake Stretar is also a die-hard fan. His Buckeye roots go deep, even proposing  to his wife at the Buckeye’s 2010 spring game.

“I’m excited to actually go out there and watch our Buckeyes put a beating on the Ducks,” Stretar said.

He said this matchup is extra special, though. The high school football coach has three former players on the team.

“I always like following the kids and seeing their progress in the scarlet and gray,” Stretar said.

Stretar’s friend Troy Gunnoe is also going to Eugene to watch the crucial Big Ten clash.

“I got tickets and an Airbnb as soon as they announced the schedule, so before the prices started increasing,” Gunnoe said.

For season ticket holder Rick Harr, attending the games is a tradition. He is a part of Buckeye Road Trip Club, which started as a group of high school friends with one love in common — Ohio State football.

“We set aside one weekend every year that we’re going to go to an away game and it just happens to be the Oregon game this year,” Harr said.

According to fans, being a Buckeye fan is a part of their DNA and a title they wear proudly.

“It’s just something that’s in your blood, I think, from the time you were born,” Harr said.

“The one thing you can cling on to is the tradition and the excellence at Ohio State,” Stretar said.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. EST Saturday at Autzen Stadium. The game will air on NBC4, the first time in 31 years that NBC has aired a top-three college football game.

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