Newly hired Athletic Director Brad Bates made his first big splash today, announcing a series between Boston College and The Ohio State University Buckeyes.

BC will play Ohio State in football, two-game series; 2020 in Columbus, 2021 at BC. Great opportunity for our team, fans.

— Brad Bates (@BCBradBates) October 31, 2012

The Eagles and Buckeyes will meet in Columbus on Sept. 19, 2020, and in Chestnut Hill on Sept. 18, 2021. Rumors have been swirling that BC would be trying to schedule this series for a while now, but it's good to see that Bates pulled the trigger. With Notre Dame scheduling into the ACC, BC needed to go out and find other out of conference programs to begin to fill their schedule. This is a win-win situation for the Eagles, because they will get to play a historic program, they also will be playing in Ohio which historically has been a pipeline for BC recruits. That could be a huge selling point for future recruiting pitches. Also Ohio State has a huge fan base, so you know Alumni Stadium will be packed.

It's hard to imagine what this team will look like in 8-9 years, but you have to think the Eagles will be in much better shape than they are right now. Frank Spaziani will be long gone, and hopefully Bates will have someone in place that will give the Buckeyes a run for their money. Will Urban Meyer still be with Ohio State? Great move for the Eagles, and definitely something to get excited for looking ahead.