The Cotton Bowl is a battle of the heavyweights.
Texas and Ohio State are set to square off in Jerry’s World, with a trip to the national championship game on the line, and one team may just have the upper hand due to the location of the game.
The location being Arlington, Texas.
Arlington is about 200 miles from where the Longhorns reside, giving them a presumed home-field advantage.
However, don’t tell Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian that.
He isn’t buying that notion.
“I think both schools get the same number of tickets,” Sarkisian said, via a press conference ahead of the Cotton Bowl.
“I’m not certain. But I think everybody gets the same number of tickets. From that point, who’s going to buy the rest?
“I know we’ve got a great fan base that travels. I know Ohio State’s got a great fan base that travels.
Coy statements from the head coach.
He is right, that both fan bases travel well and are as passionate as any in the country.
It’s just that one is only a couple hundred miles away, making it for an easy drive, while the other is located over a thousand miles away.
Advantage Longhorns.
Whether Sarkisian believes it or not, it’s true.
In theory, Jerry’s World should be covered in burnt orange.
But don’t doubt the rabid fanbase that is traveling from Columbus, Ohio.
They will show out, they always do.
It’s a battle of the titans, proximity be damned.