Ohio State Fans Guide To Attending The 2022 Peach Bowl

The Ohio State Buckeyes are back in the College Football Playoff, and rumor has it Atlanta is beautiful this time of year.

The Buckeyes received a second life when USC lost in the Pac-12 title game, and the College Football Playoff Committee moved the Buckeyes to No. 4. That means a third trip to the CFP in four years and a matchup with No. 1 Georgia, the defending national champions, in the Peach Bowl.

The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Dec. 31 at Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Stadium, and will air on ESPN.

For those inspired to head south to watch the game in person, we have you covered with a visitor’s guide to the Peach Bowl.

Peach Bowl tickets

The Peach Bowl is a hot ticket, as it’s essentially a home game for Georgia.

While the official Peach Bowl site says the game is sold out, there are plenty of resale tickets available for sale on TicketMaster.

But they aren’t cheap. Get-in price are between $300 and $400, and the best seats are listed over $2,500.

Flights from Ohio to Atlanta

Driving to Atlanta is a possibility, and it can be done in 10 ½ hours from the Cleveland area, or right around 7 hours from Cincinnati.

But if you’d rather travel by air, there are plenty of flights into Atlanta during the holiday season.

A non-stop flight from Columbus is less than 2 hours, as are those from Cincinnati. A flight out of Cleveland is right near the 2-hour mark.

Cost varies wildly, of course, depending on which airline you choose to fly, but you can expect the least expensive round-trip ticket to come in at more than $400, and likely closer to $500. This is based on a post-Christmas flight that returns to Ohio on Jan. 1 or 2.

Atlanta hotels

The Ohio State team hotel is the Omni Atlanta at CNN Center, located in Downtown Atlanta a short walk from the stadium.

That, however, is fully booked on the weekend of the game.

You can book a room at another hotel, however, through the Peach Bowl site. There are three options: Holiday Inn ($199 average nightly rate), Sheraton ($179) and SpringHill Suites ($259-$279).

There are nearly 100 hotels listed for Downtown Atlanta if you want to book yourself. Several of them are advertising an average nightly rate below $200 for the timeframe around the Peach Bowl.

How to get to Mercedes Benz Stadium

Mercedes Benz Stadium is located at 1 AMB Dr. NW in the heart of downtown.

Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority — more commonly referred to as MARTA — can get you there from any direction around the city. The rail and bus system has two stops at the stadium, but the preferred arrival and departure station is GWCC/Philips Arena/CNN Center.

MARTA is $2.50 each way, and also requires a single purchase of a Breeze Card for $2.

There are also two rideshare pick-up and drop-off locations at Mercedes Benz Stadium.

Zone 1 is on Northside Drive, in front of Georgia World Congress Center Building C.

Zone 2 is on the Centennial Olympic Park Drive sidewalk near State Farm Arena.

If you’re driving yourself, Mercedes Benz Stadium recommends using Waze as your GPS program, as it includes event-day traffic plans and road closures.

Parking at Mercedes Benz Stadium

There are several options for parking around the stadium, and a full list of recommended lots is available online.

It is recommended that you purchase parking beforehand, which can also be done online.

Cost ranges from $34.90 to $102.70 for gameday. About half of the available lots are less than $50.

Mercedes Benz Stadium rules

Mercedes Benz Stadium has plenty of rules and regulations, and offers an A-Z guide on its site.

Here’s a select few policies:

Mercedes Benz Stadium bag policy

Any non-clear bag must be no bigger than 4.5 x 6.5 inches. Clear bags can be no bigger than 12 x 12 x 6.

There are two bag check locations for non-compliant bags at Gate 1 and Gate 2.

Mercedes Benz Stadium is cashless

Like most major stadiums around the country, Mercedes Benz Stadium only accepts card or mobile payments. That goes for all mobile vendors, concession stands, bars and retail locations.

There are “cash-to-card” stations in the stadium that can convert your cash to a pre-paid debit card.

Meeting up with Ohio State fans in Atlanta

If you’re going to be in Atlanta but not attending the game, there is an OSU Alumni Club in the city that holds watch parties at Hudson Grille in Sandy Springs, Ga.

The sports bar and restaurant is located at 6317 Roswell Road NE.

Chances are you can also gather there to boo That Team Up North in its College Football Playoff Semifinal against TCU, which starts at 4 p.m.

Visit the College Football Hall of Fame

If you have some downtime while in Atlanta, you can head to the College Football Hall of Fame, which is located at 250 Marietta St. NW, about a half mile from the stadium.

The Hall is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Tickets are $30.25 for adults, $23 for seniors 65 and older and students with a valid college ID, and $22.75 for kids 3-12. Active and retired military, with valid ID, and kids under 3 get in for free.

Here’s a list of the Ohio State players and coaches who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.