The Colorado Buffaloes and Ohio State Buckeyes are working on a deal to play in 2011, DailyCamera.com has reported. The game would be played at Ohio Stadium, also known as “The Horseshoe.”
This would be a single game rather than a home-and-home series, meaning Ohio State would not play in Boulder. The payout that Colorado would receive is reported to be around $2 million.
Ohio State leads the overall series against Colorado 3-1. The two schools have played twice in Columbus, once in Boulder and once in the 1977 Orange Bowl.
A possible date for the game is October 15, 2011, which is currently an open date on Ohio State’s 2011 football schedule. The Buckeyes also have September 24 open, but would prefer to leave that week for rest after playing at Miami (FL) the week prior. The Buckeyes open the 2011 season with Akron and Toledo at home.
The deal with Ohio State is one of several options according to Colorado AD Mike Bohn:
“Ohio State is one of a dozen scenarios,” CU athletic director Mike Bohn said Saturday night. “We are working on numerous scenarios associated with our scheduling. They have a lot to do with opportunities that exist with us being in the Big 12 until 2012 or joining the Pac-10 in 2011.”
As Bohn stated, the game with Ohio State can only happen if the Buffaloes are able to negotiate their exit from the Big 12 to join the Pac-10 in 2011. It’s a common belief that Colorado will join their new conference next year, but it is still not official.
The Buffaloes’ open 2011 at Hawaii, return home to face California (which could become a Pac-10 game), face Colorado State in Denver and then host Fresno State.
Football Schedules: