Heading into home opener, Buckeyes by the numbers

RUSTY MILLER
AP Sports Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A numerical look at the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes, who host Virginia Tech Saturday night in their 125th home opener:

— 34,923,376 — Total fans viewing Buckeyes home games at Ohio Stadium since the dedication game against Michigan on Oct. 21, 1922.

— $4.45 million — Ohio State coach Urban Meyer’s 2014 salary, not counting some benefits and bonuses.

— 1,191,436 — Total attendance at Ohio State’s 14 games last season, from a low of 44,095 at Illinois to a high of 113,511 at Michigan.

— 104,944 — Expanded capacity at Ohio Stadium, up from 102,329 a year ago thanks to an $8.9-million project that added 2,6115 seats — coming within a few feet of totally enclosing The Horseshoe. The record crowd at the old structure on the banks of the Olentangy River is 106,102 for Nebraska (a 63-38 win) on Oct. 6, 2012.

— 92,739– Largest crowd ever for a Virginia Tech game, at LSU in 2007.

— 9,922– Miles (or, if you prefer, 15,968 kilometers) from Ohio State punter Cameron Johnston’s home in Geelong, Australia, to Columbus, Ohio.

— 850 — All-time victories by the Ohio State program, with 318 defeats and 53 ties; Virginia Tech comes in at 706-445-46 in 121 seasons.

— 426 — Offensive plays on which he ran or passed last season by three-year Buckeyes starting quarterback Braxton Miller, who will sit out the 2014 season after surgery to repair a torn cartilage in his throwing (right) shoulder. His replacement, redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett, debuted by completing 12 of 15 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, running for 50 yards on nine carries in his first appearance in a college game as the Buckeyes beat Navy 34-17 on Saturday in Baltimore.

— 175 — The difference, in pounds, between the heaviest Buckeye, 345-pound OL Marcelys Jones and the lightest, 170-pound CB Devonte Butler.

— $110 — Face value of a ticket to the Virginia Tech game. Ohio State is selling tickets to the Michigan game for $150. The other five home games are $79 apiece.

— 79 — Height in inches of the tallest Ohio State player, 6-foot-7 starting LT Taylor Decker. The shortest Buckeyes are 5-7 (67 inches) RB Jeffie Johnson and Butler.

— 74 — Victories for the Buckeyes in their last 81 games at Ohio Stadium, dating to the start of the 2002 season.

— 28 — Years since Urban Meyer graduated from the University of Cincinnati and number of years Frank Beamer (225-109-2) has been the Hokies’ coach.

— 14– Schools now official members of the Big Ten, including newcomers Maryland and Rutgers. Ohio State will be the Terrapins’ first home Big Ten opponent, on Oct. 4 at Byrd Stadium. The Scarlet Knights of Rutgers open conference play on Sept. 13 on their home field in Piscataway, N.J., against Penn State, then make their first road trip in the Big Ten to Ohio State on Oct. 18.

— 13– Number of people on the College Football Playoff selection committee, which will begin releasing a weekly Top 25 of its own on Oct. 28. The top four teams in the committee’s final vote will advance to semifinal games on Jan. 1 at the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl.

— 11½ — Points Ohio State is favored to win by against Virginia Tech, in the first meeting ever between the teams.

— 11– Starters returning for the Buckeyes, four on offense (not counting Miller) and seven on defense.

— 7 — Freshmen who are listed as possible starters for the Buckeyes against the Hokies. The depth chart also includes six sophomores, five juniors and nine seniors on the first team — with three positions listed as “or,” meaning without a set starter.

— 5– Night games — a school record — for Ohio State in 2014. Three are at home (Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, Cincinnati at 6 p.m. on Sept. 27 and Illinois at 8 p.m. on Nov. 1) and two on the road (at Penn State on Oct. 25 and at Michigan State on Nov. 15, both at 8 p.m.). That number could increase, too, since start times have not been determined yet for the games at Maryland, at Minnesota on Nov. 15, and at home against Indiana on Nov. 22 and Michigan on Nov. 29.

— 2 — Bye weeks for the Buckeyes, including the Saturdays on Sept. 20 and Oct. 11.; also, Barrett is just the second freshman to start at quarterback for the Buckeyes since 1950, joining Art Schlichter in 1979.

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Follow Rusty Miller on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/RustyMillerAP

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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