Ohio State has a treacherous road ahead of it if it wants to take home its first national championship since 2003. But if the Buckeyes somehow manage to defeat Alabama in the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff and then take down the winner of Oregon-Florida State, one statewide furniture store will be in big trouble.
According to the Dayton Daily News, if the state's beloved Buckeyes win the national championship, an Ohio furniture store will refund all the money paid by customers on purchases of $1,999 or more on furniture, mattresses or accessories.
But there's a catch -- Ohio State must win the national championship by seven points or more. So all the Buckeyes have to do is beat the most dominant program of the past five years and then take down a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback by at least a touchdown. And, in case you forgot, the Buckeyes are down to Cardale Jones, who has started one game this year and began the season as the team's third-string quarterback.
The promotion is sponsored by Morris Home Furniture Store and Ashley’s Furniture Home Store and is underwritten by a third-party company which will pay the money if Ohio State does the unthinkable.
Rob Klaben, vice president of marketing and advertising at Morris Home Furniture Store, told the Daily News that the promotion is paying off, and with the holidays coming up more than 700 people have shopped at one of the stores because of the deal.
“Right before Christmas, most people aren’t thinking of buying furniture,” Klaben said. “They’re thinking of buying little things to go under the Christmas tree.”
This isn't the first time a company has bet big on a local team, and most of the time it pays off for the company. But in rare cases, like in 2012 when Alabama shut out Auburn, the bet backfires big time.
Ohio State, the fourth-ranked team in the College Football Playoff, will take on Alabama on Jan. 1 in New Orleans.
