Snow was the last thing I expected this week. I had hoped that today’s game would have been fall football at its best – a lively homecoming crowd, a 3:30 game with lots of tailgating, a good Big Ten contest against a decent team, Minnesota. It should be sweatshirt weather, not long underwear and winter outerwear. The height of fall foliage was expected, including Mount Nittany in all its brilliant autumn glory. Instead, we have to figure out basics – like how to get to the game.
Yesterday morning, we got an emergency text message on my cell phone from Penn State stating that all grass parking lots, including ours, will be closed for tomorrow’s game. Go online to get more info at www.live.psu.edu. Easier said than done!
We had no power in our house. No Internet access as a result. It was darn cold. I started writing this yesterday under a few blankets. I had about an hour left of battery on my laptop. Normally I work from home on Fridays. But I went to the office to check the Internet, recharge my laptop, and find out about bus locations. And stay warm.
Emailed our friend from Allentown who’s supposed to meet us at our tailgate spot and told him we’ll see him at the seats. Did some work I was planning to do from home. Got out of the parking garage before the Homecoming parade started. Deferred the laundry until the power came back, expected by 6 p.m. Saturday! Stopped by Wal-Mart to buy batteries, perhaps a lantern, and other things to prepare for another 24 hours at least of a power outage and was unsuccessful. Everything was sold out. Decided we had to get by with what we already had at home – plenty of candles and two flashlights. No heat. Lots of tree branches down in our yard. Fortunately none hit our house. Will have to deal with those later.
Bought subs at Subway for dinner. And ice for cocktails – we didn’t want to open the freezer. It had been a long day, and a martini would taste good. Prepared for an evening by candlelight.
It’s October. This isn’t supposed to happen in Pennsylvania in October!
We should count our blessings. At least we live close by. Our friends who travel from the Allentown area have to cope with getting here first, then figuring out where to park.
Later yesterday, Penn State announced free shuttle busses from a variety of new locations. No tents allowed for tailgating. If you have reserved parking in a paved lot, you have to be there before 11 a.m. and you may not park in your usual spot. After 11 a.m. the general public will be allowed to park in those lots. Called or emailed a few more long distance friends with reserved parking and let them know about the situation.
Guess we’ll take a bus tomorrow from some retailer’s parking lot in State College. The forecast is for another inch of snow – a mix of rain and snow. This is ridiculous, but Penn State is doing the best they can. They are concerned about safety and this is a crisis.
I don’t want to park in a muddy parking lot anyhow. Been there, done that. After a very rainy Temple game in November 2006, I wound up with a sprained ankle and a six-week recovery after sliding down a slight hill in mud to get to my parking space. Maneuvered around campus to my classes in a motorized cart because I couldn’t walk for six weeks. Discovered how many handicapped access doors on campus don’t really work very well. Penn State is definitely doing the right thing by closing the grass lots.
We will dress for late November, not mid October! But we will be okay. I wasn’t so sure last night. But our power was restored about 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Our internet access wasn't restored until this morning, but that wasn't a major problem.
The last time we had a “Snow Bowl” was November 18, 1995. It was a key game against Michigan. Our situation was different then. We were living in Easton, PA, 185 miles from Beaver Stadium. We had reserved parking in a paved lot, but there was 16 inches of snow on the ground, and ALL parking lots were closed. Terry and I had just bought a new car, picked it up that week. Our usual plan was to leave early Saturday a.m. to get to the game. We were worried about driving to that game in our brand new car – where the heck would we park? We were seriously thinking about staying home.
Joe Paterno had come on TV encouraging people to come to the game even with no parking. So over dinner at a restaurant Thursday night, I said to Terry, “As soon as we get home, let’s call the Penn Stater Hotel. Let’s see if there are some cancellations. See if they have shuttles to the game. If we can get a room for Friday and Saturday, our car will be safe, and we can take a shuttle. Worst case is we walk to the game from there– it’s not that far.”
So that’s what we did. Sure enough, there were cancellations. We both left work early, drove to State College on Friday rather than Saturday, and the shuttle busses from the Penn Stater worked extremely well. In fact, we were very impressed. It was smoother and quicker than driving to the game and parking in our normal space.
There was about 8 inches of snow packed at our seats. Not much room. It was very cold. But we had our L.L. Bean hunting boots with one-inch thick felt liners and lots of other warm clothes. And we also had two extra tickets that gave us a bit of extra space – they were selling for $10 at the game so we kept them. The game itself was a great deal of fun. We won 27-17. We were very glad that we went! 80,000 people also braved the elements to attend that game.
Somehow we’ll cope with the weather. So will everyone else.
The Penn State spirit will prevail. After all, we’re part of an historic event. The last time it snowed close to this much in State College on this date was in 1901, according to the Weather Channel on Friday.
So instead of complaining about no parking, we should just get into the spirit of the event. It will be different – no tents for tailgating – but it will still be fun. It will be something to talk about for years to come.
This isn’t supposed to happen in October. But that’s the way it is. It’s just another glitch that will make an interesting story. Sometimes, that’s the way it is if you’re an avid Penn State football fan.
Enjoy the game! And let’s get a win!
Photo panorama - View From Our Seats - Penn State vs Iowa 2011 - by Carolyn M. Todd
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Half-Time Stole the Show At Yesterday’s Game!
There was no tension about whether or not we would win yesterday’s game. Despite the fact that Eastern Illinois is a good team in its division, it’s a simple fact that they would have had to play a perfect game to beat Penn State. That wasn’t likely to happen. We simply have more depth of talent.
Besides, playing before a crowd of somewhere between 90-100,000 people is a bit intimidating when your own stadium has only 10,000 seats. Even though our crowd wasn’t especially intimidating by our normal standards. We were relatively subdued –dare I say bored? –when it came to the competition on the field.
The game was about money for both teams: a $450,000 payout for Eastern Illinois if they showed up at Beaver Stadium, and a few million dollars for Penn State in ticket and concession revenues for scheduling an extra home game.
How sad. It wasn’t destined to be a competitive game from the moment the game was scheduled. A lot of people stayed home as a result. As of Saturday morning, there were 1749 tickets for sale for this game on the Nittany Lion Ticket Exchange. Even 50-yard line seats were available at face value plus a processing fee and not sold. At a face value of $55 apiece, that’s about $96,000 worth of unused tickets – lost value to the season ticket holders who had already paid for those tickets!
The fans who did come to the game today were expecting a “laugher”, and Penn State did indeed deliver. We scored 38 first half points. For the sixth time this season, Penn State’s defense didn’t allow a touchdown in the first half. Our second string was deployed in the middle of the third quarter, and we wound up winning 52-3.
It looked like Eastern Illinois would in fact be the first team this season to score a touchdown in the first half against our defense. Eastern Illinois was driving and in touchdown territory, but a fumble by Eastern Illinois on the 9-yard line resulted in Navarro Bowman’s 91-yard return for a touchdown. It was a pleasant surprise and loads of fun to watch that return. It was clearly the highlight of the game.
This game was an offensive clinic against a team that appeared to have no defense. We achieved 553 yards of offense – 285 rushing, 268 passing. Our defense was awesome. They held Eastern Illinois to one field goal.
Another good part of the game was the fact that Kevin Newsome, our backup freshman quarterback, had the opportunity to do more than mop-up duty. He showed some explosiveness in his ability to run, and he ran for a touchdown. But he also fumbled twice. Not good! Luckily the fumbles were recovered by Penn State, and we hope he learned a lesson about holding on to the ball. He needs more game experience and needs to improve. Today’s game helped Newsome and other second string talent gain some valuable playing experience.
In the meantime, the Penn State Blue Band went “over the top” in their half-time performance yesterday. It was one of the best performances we’ve ever seen them produce, a musical review of themes from various classic movies. Very creative touches, whether they were the “Touch of Blue” majorettes in bat costumes for the “Batman” tribute, or Blue Sapphire P.J. Maierhofer doing a “Rocky” routine with the Nittany Lion. The band formations related to “Star Roars” and “Superman” were superb. Kudos to them! We loved every moment of it.
Following that outstanding musical revue, there was the Parade of Champions – reminding us all that Penn State Athletics is not just about football. Other team sports are extremely competitive, and it was nice to take a moment to celebrate their achievements.
It’s football that helps to pay the bills so that these athletes can compete in non-revenue producing sports. The Parade of Champions perhaps was intended to serve as a subtle reminder to the audience that extra games like this one – the extra few millions gained by playing teams like Eastern Illinois - matter in funding the 28 other Penn State sports, only one of which is revenue-producing (men's basketball).
But I doubt that anyone really made that connection or got that message.
Besides, playing before a crowd of somewhere between 90-100,000 people is a bit intimidating when your own stadium has only 10,000 seats. Even though our crowd wasn’t especially intimidating by our normal standards. We were relatively subdued –dare I say bored? –when it came to the competition on the field.
The game was about money for both teams: a $450,000 payout for Eastern Illinois if they showed up at Beaver Stadium, and a few million dollars for Penn State in ticket and concession revenues for scheduling an extra home game.
How sad. It wasn’t destined to be a competitive game from the moment the game was scheduled. A lot of people stayed home as a result. As of Saturday morning, there were 1749 tickets for sale for this game on the Nittany Lion Ticket Exchange. Even 50-yard line seats were available at face value plus a processing fee and not sold. At a face value of $55 apiece, that’s about $96,000 worth of unused tickets – lost value to the season ticket holders who had already paid for those tickets!
The fans who did come to the game today were expecting a “laugher”, and Penn State did indeed deliver. We scored 38 first half points. For the sixth time this season, Penn State’s defense didn’t allow a touchdown in the first half. Our second string was deployed in the middle of the third quarter, and we wound up winning 52-3.
It looked like Eastern Illinois would in fact be the first team this season to score a touchdown in the first half against our defense. Eastern Illinois was driving and in touchdown territory, but a fumble by Eastern Illinois on the 9-yard line resulted in Navarro Bowman’s 91-yard return for a touchdown. It was a pleasant surprise and loads of fun to watch that return. It was clearly the highlight of the game.
This game was an offensive clinic against a team that appeared to have no defense. We achieved 553 yards of offense – 285 rushing, 268 passing. Our defense was awesome. They held Eastern Illinois to one field goal.
Another good part of the game was the fact that Kevin Newsome, our backup freshman quarterback, had the opportunity to do more than mop-up duty. He showed some explosiveness in his ability to run, and he ran for a touchdown. But he also fumbled twice. Not good! Luckily the fumbles were recovered by Penn State, and we hope he learned a lesson about holding on to the ball. He needs more game experience and needs to improve. Today’s game helped Newsome and other second string talent gain some valuable playing experience.
In the meantime, the Penn State Blue Band went “over the top” in their half-time performance yesterday. It was one of the best performances we’ve ever seen them produce, a musical review of themes from various classic movies. Very creative touches, whether they were the “Touch of Blue” majorettes in bat costumes for the “Batman” tribute, or Blue Sapphire P.J. Maierhofer doing a “Rocky” routine with the Nittany Lion. The band formations related to “Star Roars” and “Superman” were superb. Kudos to them! We loved every moment of it.
Following that outstanding musical revue, there was the Parade of Champions – reminding us all that Penn State Athletics is not just about football. Other team sports are extremely competitive, and it was nice to take a moment to celebrate their achievements.
It’s football that helps to pay the bills so that these athletes can compete in non-revenue producing sports. The Parade of Champions perhaps was intended to serve as a subtle reminder to the audience that extra games like this one – the extra few millions gained by playing teams like Eastern Illinois - matter in funding the 28 other Penn State sports, only one of which is revenue-producing (men's basketball).
But I doubt that anyone really made that connection or got that message.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The Educators, The Frat Guy, The Grad Student, and the Preacher
Last Friday, there was “unscheduled maintenance” on our plane out of Detroit to Champaign. Originally scheduled to leave at 3:45 p.m., the plane didn’t actually leave the gate until about 5:15 p.m. – a 90 minute delay. As air travel goes it wasn’t a horrible delay, but it did involve changing gates at Detroit twice, and it was one of those situations where announcements of delays were made in ten-minute increments. So you couldn’t leave the gate because at any moment the plane could be boarded or another gate change would be announced.
There’s a natural inclination in these circumstances for strangers to start talking to each other. Not much else to do, and it eliminates the boredom of waiting for the flight. Since there was a big game in Champaign involving Penn State and Illinois, it was easy to identify which passengers were going to the game by the clothing they were wearing.
Thus we talked with a couple from the Harrisburg area – avid Penn State fans and season ticket holders who had chosen Illinois for an away game trip this year. They were a retired school principal and a speech therapist. Their reason for going to the game at Illinois? Their cousins live in Champaign and they were going to enjoy this match-up with family who were Illinois fans. They were going to sit in the Illinois section.
Then there was the fraternity brother – a 2001 graduate from Penn State – who was anxious to join his frat friends in Champaign for their annual football reunion. This fraternity group chooses one away game to attend each year. This year’s reunion was the Illinois-Penn State game.
He was kicking himself for not skipping a work meeting late afternoon on Thursday, causing him to leave Philadelphia on Friday morning. His frat friends were already doing the rounds of bars in downtown Champaign while he was stuck waiting for this connection. He was afraid he would miss most of the partying. He kept texting his friends to find out where they were.
A young woman who was a grad student at Penn State was wearing Illinois clothes. She completed her undergrad work at Illinois, and she was looking forward to a reunion with her Illinois classmates. She told me she had been an Illinois football fan since she was five years old. Despite current affiliations with Penn State, her Illinois sentiments understandably dominated. She too was excited about getting there to start the partying with her friends.
Terry and I weren’t connecting with anyone in Champaign. We were just going to the game as we always do, and it just happened to be my 100th game in a row and Terry’s 236th. People are always fascinated by how we manage to do that. So we told our story again and again to these folks, and I passed out cards that announced my blog to anyone who seemed interested.
As we engaged in conversation about the prospects for Saturday’s game, a gentleman wearing an Eastern Illinois sweatshirt approached us. His name is Happy Leman, and he was travelling home to Champaign with his wife Dianne. Happy Leman is the Senior Pastor of the Vineyard Church in Urbana, Illinois.
“Don’t beat up on us too badly next Saturday,” Happy said. “My son plays for Eastern Illinois.” We asked if Happy was coming to Happy Valley next weekend. “Would love to, but we’re a bit tied up on Sundays,” he stated. He’s a preacher, of course, and Sundays are a workday for him. So he can’t travel to watch his son play. “Watch out for Cory for us - #8 – he’s a linebacker.” He wrote his son’s name down on a business card and gave it to us.
“But my other son – J –is going to the game. He’s in Philadelphia now, playing on the practice squad for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was an outstanding linebacker for Illinois. All Big Ten, just like Paul Posluzny.” J’s name and #47 were also on the business card.
Happy then went on to discuss J’s accomplishments as a football player at Illinois. “Look him up – he was good. Sports bloggers were especially impressed with him.” I promised Happy I would write about J this week.
Terry and I didn’t have to look him up. We remembered his name. Leman was a key contributor to the Penn State 27-20 loss in 2007. He took away any momentum Penn State could muster.
According to the University of Illinois website, J. Leman “Led Illinois with 10 tackles, including four solos, an interception, a PBU (pass broken up) and 0.5 TFLs (tackles for loss) against No. 21 Penn State ... His PBU and INT vs. PSU came on first and third downs, respectively, of the same drive, with Leman breaking up a would-be TD pass on first down and intercepting the third-down pass at the Illinois 3.” At the time of that interception by Leman, the score was 24-20 Illinois. Because of J, our touchdown drive stalled. We weren’t too happy!
J was a true leader on an Illinois team that achieved a Rose Bowl bid that year. He was a 2008 Consensus All-American, First Team All-America (by numerous sources), First Team All-Big Ten (by coaches and media), a Semifinalist for numerous awards including Butkus, Danny Weurffel, Chuck Bednarik, etc., a 2007 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete, and a Draddy Award Finalist.
And now we were talking to his proud father. Who was thrilled that J was able to do so well at Illinois – and that Cory is now at Eastern Illinois on a team that is ranked nationally. Once again, a son was playing close enough to Champaign that they could attend the home games, and they were looking forward to an Ohio Valley Conference battle – probably for the championship - on Saturday against Eastern Kentucky, Unfortunately for the Lemans, Eastern Illinois lost that game 36-31. But Eastern Illinois is still ranked nationally at #25 in their division, and there are still plenty of games to be played in the season.
So this Saturday, we should see Cory Leman, #8, a sophomore, starting at linebacker, and also as a starter on special teams. In 2008, he appeared in all 12 games. He ranked third on the team with 61 tackles. He should be a significant contributor at Beaver Stadium on Saturday for Eastern Illinois.
In any case, this chance encounter with a preacher at Detroit airport has sparked our interest in Saturday’s game!
We hope that Eastern Illinois plays a good game against us and that they walk away from Beaver Stadium with their heads held high for a strong and valiant effort against a Penn State team with much more talent. Of course, we don’t wish them too much luck – Penn State definitely needs to win this game! But we do hope – for Cory’s sake and his parents – that it’s an injury-free game for Eastern Illinois.
There’s a natural inclination in these circumstances for strangers to start talking to each other. Not much else to do, and it eliminates the boredom of waiting for the flight. Since there was a big game in Champaign involving Penn State and Illinois, it was easy to identify which passengers were going to the game by the clothing they were wearing.
Thus we talked with a couple from the Harrisburg area – avid Penn State fans and season ticket holders who had chosen Illinois for an away game trip this year. They were a retired school principal and a speech therapist. Their reason for going to the game at Illinois? Their cousins live in Champaign and they were going to enjoy this match-up with family who were Illinois fans. They were going to sit in the Illinois section.
Then there was the fraternity brother – a 2001 graduate from Penn State – who was anxious to join his frat friends in Champaign for their annual football reunion. This fraternity group chooses one away game to attend each year. This year’s reunion was the Illinois-Penn State game.
He was kicking himself for not skipping a work meeting late afternoon on Thursday, causing him to leave Philadelphia on Friday morning. His frat friends were already doing the rounds of bars in downtown Champaign while he was stuck waiting for this connection. He was afraid he would miss most of the partying. He kept texting his friends to find out where they were.
A young woman who was a grad student at Penn State was wearing Illinois clothes. She completed her undergrad work at Illinois, and she was looking forward to a reunion with her Illinois classmates. She told me she had been an Illinois football fan since she was five years old. Despite current affiliations with Penn State, her Illinois sentiments understandably dominated. She too was excited about getting there to start the partying with her friends.
Terry and I weren’t connecting with anyone in Champaign. We were just going to the game as we always do, and it just happened to be my 100th game in a row and Terry’s 236th. People are always fascinated by how we manage to do that. So we told our story again and again to these folks, and I passed out cards that announced my blog to anyone who seemed interested.
As we engaged in conversation about the prospects for Saturday’s game, a gentleman wearing an Eastern Illinois sweatshirt approached us. His name is Happy Leman, and he was travelling home to Champaign with his wife Dianne. Happy Leman is the Senior Pastor of the Vineyard Church in Urbana, Illinois.
“Don’t beat up on us too badly next Saturday,” Happy said. “My son plays for Eastern Illinois.” We asked if Happy was coming to Happy Valley next weekend. “Would love to, but we’re a bit tied up on Sundays,” he stated. He’s a preacher, of course, and Sundays are a workday for him. So he can’t travel to watch his son play. “Watch out for Cory for us - #8 – he’s a linebacker.” He wrote his son’s name down on a business card and gave it to us.
“But my other son – J –is going to the game. He’s in Philadelphia now, playing on the practice squad for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was an outstanding linebacker for Illinois. All Big Ten, just like Paul Posluzny.” J’s name and #47 were also on the business card.
Happy then went on to discuss J’s accomplishments as a football player at Illinois. “Look him up – he was good. Sports bloggers were especially impressed with him.” I promised Happy I would write about J this week.
Terry and I didn’t have to look him up. We remembered his name. Leman was a key contributor to the Penn State 27-20 loss in 2007. He took away any momentum Penn State could muster.
According to the University of Illinois website, J. Leman “Led Illinois with 10 tackles, including four solos, an interception, a PBU (pass broken up) and 0.5 TFLs (tackles for loss) against No. 21 Penn State ... His PBU and INT vs. PSU came on first and third downs, respectively, of the same drive, with Leman breaking up a would-be TD pass on first down and intercepting the third-down pass at the Illinois 3.” At the time of that interception by Leman, the score was 24-20 Illinois. Because of J, our touchdown drive stalled. We weren’t too happy!
J was a true leader on an Illinois team that achieved a Rose Bowl bid that year. He was a 2008 Consensus All-American, First Team All-America (by numerous sources), First Team All-Big Ten (by coaches and media), a Semifinalist for numerous awards including Butkus, Danny Weurffel, Chuck Bednarik, etc., a 2007 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete, and a Draddy Award Finalist.
And now we were talking to his proud father. Who was thrilled that J was able to do so well at Illinois – and that Cory is now at Eastern Illinois on a team that is ranked nationally. Once again, a son was playing close enough to Champaign that they could attend the home games, and they were looking forward to an Ohio Valley Conference battle – probably for the championship - on Saturday against Eastern Kentucky, Unfortunately for the Lemans, Eastern Illinois lost that game 36-31. But Eastern Illinois is still ranked nationally at #25 in their division, and there are still plenty of games to be played in the season.
So this Saturday, we should see Cory Leman, #8, a sophomore, starting at linebacker, and also as a starter on special teams. In 2008, he appeared in all 12 games. He ranked third on the team with 61 tackles. He should be a significant contributor at Beaver Stadium on Saturday for Eastern Illinois.
In any case, this chance encounter with a preacher at Detroit airport has sparked our interest in Saturday’s game!
We hope that Eastern Illinois plays a good game against us and that they walk away from Beaver Stadium with their heads held high for a strong and valiant effort against a Penn State team with much more talent. Of course, we don’t wish them too much luck – Penn State definitely needs to win this game! But we do hope – for Cory’s sake and his parents – that it’s an injury-free game for Eastern Illinois.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
A Satisfying Win in Champaign
“The game’s not over yet!” Terry proclaimed with 10 minutes left in the 4th quarter and an 18-point Penn State advantage. “Why are people leaving???” At that point Illini fans were rushing to exit the stadium after Penn State scored again.
I was pretty sure that we had nailed the win. I didn’t see any evidence that Illinois could make a comeback against Penn State’s defense. But I also didn’t want to eat my words later if Terry was right. Stranger things than overcoming an 18-point deficit have happened in football games with ten minutes left. So I kept quiet.
The reason Terry was concerned was the possibility of quick strikes by Illinois – the Juice Williams-Arrelious Benn powerhouse connection had established itself at several points in the game to achieve significant yardage, albeit mostly between the 20’s. And any time that Juice Williams takes a snap, his ability to run can be a grave threat. We’ve also been burnt before by Arrelious Benn’s return capability. They are both excellent players. If somehow Illinois could score 8 points quickly, then it would motivate the Illini and make the end of the game – well – interesting. But fortunately that didn’t happen.
When Penn State scored another touchdown to make the score 35-10, even Terry could relax. This was a satisfying win. The game was much closer than the final score of 35-17 indicated. At halftime we were hanging on to a 7-3 lead, and Terry and I couldn’t figure out what had happened to our offense.
In the second half, Penn State was able to get the offense going, especially our running game. We scored 4 touchdowns. I found myself cheering “Go Clock!!!” in the 4th quarter as Illinois started running out of time to make things happen.
Also most importantly the defense held off Illinois all day. They couldn’t obliterate the Williams-Benn connection, but they could contain them. And they did that admirably well.
Probably the key plays of the game were the stops the defense made against an Illinois drive late in the first half. A grounding penalty by Williams caused by Penn State defensive pressure took Illinois out of field goal range, then an interception by Stephon Morris on a hail mary pass ended the half without an Illinois score. It was a momentum-buster for Illinois. The game might have had a different outcome had they scored a touchdown and been ahead 10-7 at the half.
For the 5th game in a row, Penn State’s defense has not allowed a touchdown in the 1st half of play! The offense started a bit slowly, but the offensive line showed remarkable improvement over prior weeks. There were few mistakes. The one fumble by Derek Moye after his pass reception was a phenomenal play by Illinois’ defense, something that’s hard to guard against.
Overall, we’re feeling much better about this win! Perhaps Penn State is on its way to a good – if not great – season after all.
I was pretty sure that we had nailed the win. I didn’t see any evidence that Illinois could make a comeback against Penn State’s defense. But I also didn’t want to eat my words later if Terry was right. Stranger things than overcoming an 18-point deficit have happened in football games with ten minutes left. So I kept quiet.
The reason Terry was concerned was the possibility of quick strikes by Illinois – the Juice Williams-Arrelious Benn powerhouse connection had established itself at several points in the game to achieve significant yardage, albeit mostly between the 20’s. And any time that Juice Williams takes a snap, his ability to run can be a grave threat. We’ve also been burnt before by Arrelious Benn’s return capability. They are both excellent players. If somehow Illinois could score 8 points quickly, then it would motivate the Illini and make the end of the game – well – interesting. But fortunately that didn’t happen.
When Penn State scored another touchdown to make the score 35-10, even Terry could relax. This was a satisfying win. The game was much closer than the final score of 35-17 indicated. At halftime we were hanging on to a 7-3 lead, and Terry and I couldn’t figure out what had happened to our offense.
In the second half, Penn State was able to get the offense going, especially our running game. We scored 4 touchdowns. I found myself cheering “Go Clock!!!” in the 4th quarter as Illinois started running out of time to make things happen.
Also most importantly the defense held off Illinois all day. They couldn’t obliterate the Williams-Benn connection, but they could contain them. And they did that admirably well.
Probably the key plays of the game were the stops the defense made against an Illinois drive late in the first half. A grounding penalty by Williams caused by Penn State defensive pressure took Illinois out of field goal range, then an interception by Stephon Morris on a hail mary pass ended the half without an Illinois score. It was a momentum-buster for Illinois. The game might have had a different outcome had they scored a touchdown and been ahead 10-7 at the half.
For the 5th game in a row, Penn State’s defense has not allowed a touchdown in the 1st half of play! The offense started a bit slowly, but the offensive line showed remarkable improvement over prior weeks. There were few mistakes. The one fumble by Derek Moye after his pass reception was a phenomenal play by Illinois’ defense, something that’s hard to guard against.
Overall, we’re feeling much better about this win! Perhaps Penn State is on its way to a good – if not great – season after all.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Reflections on Today's Game in Champaign
There’s an old saying in football attributed to Joe Paterno, Earl Weaver, and others: “You’re never as good as you look when you win, nor as bad as you look when you lose.” As Penn State fans, we’ve certainly experienced both sides of that quote this month.
We had three solid wins, but the lopsided scores didn’t tell us how good our team was. We had one miserable loss last weekend. Had there been a few less Penn State turnovers in the game, one or two more completed passes, or more friendly officiating, perhaps the result would have different. But it wasn’t. We were clearly not the better team last weekend, Iowa was. But that doesn’t mean that we’re bad!
Here in Champaign, the impression we have from a few Illini fans, as well as from reading the paper, is that people are a bit down on the Illini this year. Understandably. With a 1-2 record, including a 30-0 loss to Ohio State last week, Illini fans have grave reason to be concerned about this year’s team.
Loren Tate, of the News-Gazette in Champaign, wrote a column yesterday where he stated, “Here is a fair analysis. Illini talent is midrange to good, comparable to our slightly better than most midrange teams but shy of conference leaders. If they avoid turnovers and penalties, if they take advantage of scoring opportunities and play with inspiration, they should reach the fourth quarter of most games with a chance to win. But the Illini do not now nor have they ever possessed some overwhelming physical advantage within the conference.”
This week, Terry watched a fair amount of Big Ten Network coverage on last weekend’s game, including the game between Illinois and Ohio State. Terry’s reaction? Illinois is not as bad a team as their record would indicate. They’ve got some good talent and can make some solid plays. Illinois could have a "break-out" game against Penn State, or they could continue to under-perform in the Big Ten.
Personally I’m hoping that Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn continue to struggle, that they don’t have a “break-out” game against Penn State. I’m hoping that Penn State’s defense steps up even more than they already have. They’ve allowed only 3 touchdowns all season. Wouldn’t it be nice if they allowed none in this game?
And finally I’m hoping that the offensive line gives Darryl Clark a chance, that the special teams do what they need to do to prevent things like blocked punts and breakaway returns.
I'm hoping for a solid win, but my guess is that it will be a close game, even a nail-biter.
So here we are…in Champaign finally! The weather will be a high of 52, cloudy, perhaps a few sprinkles, and 10-20 mph winds. There will be an “Orange Out” at the sold out stadium.
We’ll do our best to bring home a win!
We had three solid wins, but the lopsided scores didn’t tell us how good our team was. We had one miserable loss last weekend. Had there been a few less Penn State turnovers in the game, one or two more completed passes, or more friendly officiating, perhaps the result would have different. But it wasn’t. We were clearly not the better team last weekend, Iowa was. But that doesn’t mean that we’re bad!
Here in Champaign, the impression we have from a few Illini fans, as well as from reading the paper, is that people are a bit down on the Illini this year. Understandably. With a 1-2 record, including a 30-0 loss to Ohio State last week, Illini fans have grave reason to be concerned about this year’s team.
Loren Tate, of the News-Gazette in Champaign, wrote a column yesterday where he stated, “Here is a fair analysis. Illini talent is midrange to good, comparable to our slightly better than most midrange teams but shy of conference leaders. If they avoid turnovers and penalties, if they take advantage of scoring opportunities and play with inspiration, they should reach the fourth quarter of most games with a chance to win. But the Illini do not now nor have they ever possessed some overwhelming physical advantage within the conference.”
This week, Terry watched a fair amount of Big Ten Network coverage on last weekend’s game, including the game between Illinois and Ohio State. Terry’s reaction? Illinois is not as bad a team as their record would indicate. They’ve got some good talent and can make some solid plays. Illinois could have a "break-out" game against Penn State, or they could continue to under-perform in the Big Ten.
Personally I’m hoping that Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn continue to struggle, that they don’t have a “break-out” game against Penn State. I’m hoping that Penn State’s defense steps up even more than they already have. They’ve allowed only 3 touchdowns all season. Wouldn’t it be nice if they allowed none in this game?
And finally I’m hoping that the offensive line gives Darryl Clark a chance, that the special teams do what they need to do to prevent things like blocked punts and breakaway returns.
I'm hoping for a solid win, but my guess is that it will be a close game, even a nail-biter.
So here we are…in Champaign finally! The weather will be a high of 52, cloudy, perhaps a few sprinkles, and 10-20 mph winds. There will be an “Orange Out” at the sold out stadium.
We’ll do our best to bring home a win!
Friday, October 2, 2009
A Roller Coaster Week Facing A Trip to Champaign Illinois
“It’s only a football game”, I told people on Wednesday when I stated matter-of-factly that I was going to stay home this weekend. I had taken two days off from teaching on Monday and Tuesday – cancelled 3 classes on Monday, found coverage for 3 classes on Tuesday, and cancelled a Tuesday night class. The crud in my chest wasn’t getting any better despite medication, and I’m sure last Saturday’s Iowa game in the relentless rain didn’t help either. Nor did the loss.
First thing Monday morning I had an emergency call with my physician’s assistant at the medical center, who knows of my streak and my football passion. She changed my medication to a much more aggressive treatment, and it seemed to be working, but still, I wasn’t 100% on Wednesday.
“What???” my colleagues said. “It’s your 100th game in a row! You CAN’T miss that! This isn’t just a football game. It’s an important event in your life! A significant milestone!”
“No,” I said, “It really IS only a football game. I can’t afford to expend my limited energy going to Champaign, get a relapse of this crud, and cancel more classes. My job’s more important than the football game, and so is my health. Besides, I don’t want to be thought of as someone who frivolously flies to a football game on a weekend and then calls in sick for classes.” I’m not tenured. My contract with Penn State gets signed one year at a time.
I was also thinking of the cost of cancelling one class (about $80-100 per class hour per student), and the fact that if I cancelled any more, I wouldn’t be able to stay on schedule. I was okay so far in the semester because I had actually built in some flexibility this fall due to the flu epidemic, but any more cancellations would be disruptive.
“No your job is NOT more important this weekend!” my colleagues argued. “It’s NOT just a game. Your entire life – what you live for - is Penn State football. You can’t do this.”
So then they asked me what was going on in class on Monday. “An exam,” I said. “We’ll cover you!” they proclaimed. “We’re both free. You don’t need to be there to proctor an exam.” These two colleagues – both tenured professors with loads on their plate – were giving me a day of rest if I truly needed to recover from the strenuous weekend trip to Illinois and had a relapse. And the exam would go on. Tuesday and Wednesday classes had guest speakers, so there was already coverage there. That was also comforting.
“Well, let’s see how it goes,” I said. “I might just take you up on your offer.” It was a glimmer of hope that perhaps if I felt better by Thursday, I could in fact go to Illinois. I was very grateful and told them so. Even more grateful because one of these colleagues will soon be my boss. He’s about to take over as chair of the department. It was good to know that he understands and supports this crazy passion.
Then, I got home that night. Terry had a fever and was just coming down with a lot of crud. So now I had another worry. He had told me earlier that day he would tough it out if I could go, but the fever was a show-stopper. He might have the flu.
Ran out to the drugstore, bought a new thermometer and some Tylenol, and said “First thing in the morning, you’re going to the doctor. Whether or not the fever is still there.” His temp was 99.8. Terry usually deals with colds by toughing it out. He’s on other medication that makes most cold medicine dangerous for him, but I said, “Perhaps there is something that would work with your current medication.” But I wasn’t optimistic. Our long attendance streaks would be over this weekend.
“It’s only a game,” I reminded my colleagues in an email Wednesday night. “I can’t abandon Terry if his condition worsens. It doesn’t look good. I’m really okay with this. 99 games in a row is good enough. Terry’s streak was bound to end sooner or later. It doesn’t diminish what we’ve accomplished or what we will do in the future. There are MUCH worse things in life than breaking an attendance streak at football games.”
On Thursday morning I felt quite good. Terry was miserable, but I asked, “Terry, would it be okay if I went to the game, even if you stay home?” I guess I realized that perhaps 100 games in a row IS important to me. More importantly, Illinois is the first away game trip for which I am posting blogs. I wanted to be there to take pictures, to truly reflect the “view from the stands” rather than from my TV set.
Terry of course agreed. So on Wednesday morning he was going and I wasn’t. On Thursday morning it was the reverse. The doctor visit resulted in some medication to relieve Terry of his crud, and a “pass” to fly to the game as long as his fever was below 100 degrees. So hope for him. His fever has reduced.
One final setback today. On the way to class today about noon, experienced something that sounded an awful lot like a side effect of one of the meds I’m taking. Looked it up online and sure enough the message was “call your doctor right away if…” So a tense few hours waiting for a callback, reassuring me that it didn’t sound that way to them, and have fun at the game – please bring home a win.
So here I am, writing this at midnight on Thursday night. Pardon me if I haven’t even thought about Saturday’s battle at Illinois. It’s been too much of an emotional roller coaster – like plucking petals from a daisy – I’m going – I’m not going – I’m going.
Many thanks to Leanne, Pat, Julie, Bill, Meg, Steph, Terra, and all my students who rode this roller coaster with me in the last few days!
On to Champaign…as long as something else doesn’t get in our way!
First thing Monday morning I had an emergency call with my physician’s assistant at the medical center, who knows of my streak and my football passion. She changed my medication to a much more aggressive treatment, and it seemed to be working, but still, I wasn’t 100% on Wednesday.
“What???” my colleagues said. “It’s your 100th game in a row! You CAN’T miss that! This isn’t just a football game. It’s an important event in your life! A significant milestone!”
“No,” I said, “It really IS only a football game. I can’t afford to expend my limited energy going to Champaign, get a relapse of this crud, and cancel more classes. My job’s more important than the football game, and so is my health. Besides, I don’t want to be thought of as someone who frivolously flies to a football game on a weekend and then calls in sick for classes.” I’m not tenured. My contract with Penn State gets signed one year at a time.
I was also thinking of the cost of cancelling one class (about $80-100 per class hour per student), and the fact that if I cancelled any more, I wouldn’t be able to stay on schedule. I was okay so far in the semester because I had actually built in some flexibility this fall due to the flu epidemic, but any more cancellations would be disruptive.
“No your job is NOT more important this weekend!” my colleagues argued. “It’s NOT just a game. Your entire life – what you live for - is Penn State football. You can’t do this.”
So then they asked me what was going on in class on Monday. “An exam,” I said. “We’ll cover you!” they proclaimed. “We’re both free. You don’t need to be there to proctor an exam.” These two colleagues – both tenured professors with loads on their plate – were giving me a day of rest if I truly needed to recover from the strenuous weekend trip to Illinois and had a relapse. And the exam would go on. Tuesday and Wednesday classes had guest speakers, so there was already coverage there. That was also comforting.
“Well, let’s see how it goes,” I said. “I might just take you up on your offer.” It was a glimmer of hope that perhaps if I felt better by Thursday, I could in fact go to Illinois. I was very grateful and told them so. Even more grateful because one of these colleagues will soon be my boss. He’s about to take over as chair of the department. It was good to know that he understands and supports this crazy passion.
Then, I got home that night. Terry had a fever and was just coming down with a lot of crud. So now I had another worry. He had told me earlier that day he would tough it out if I could go, but the fever was a show-stopper. He might have the flu.
Ran out to the drugstore, bought a new thermometer and some Tylenol, and said “First thing in the morning, you’re going to the doctor. Whether or not the fever is still there.” His temp was 99.8. Terry usually deals with colds by toughing it out. He’s on other medication that makes most cold medicine dangerous for him, but I said, “Perhaps there is something that would work with your current medication.” But I wasn’t optimistic. Our long attendance streaks would be over this weekend.
“It’s only a game,” I reminded my colleagues in an email Wednesday night. “I can’t abandon Terry if his condition worsens. It doesn’t look good. I’m really okay with this. 99 games in a row is good enough. Terry’s streak was bound to end sooner or later. It doesn’t diminish what we’ve accomplished or what we will do in the future. There are MUCH worse things in life than breaking an attendance streak at football games.”
On Thursday morning I felt quite good. Terry was miserable, but I asked, “Terry, would it be okay if I went to the game, even if you stay home?” I guess I realized that perhaps 100 games in a row IS important to me. More importantly, Illinois is the first away game trip for which I am posting blogs. I wanted to be there to take pictures, to truly reflect the “view from the stands” rather than from my TV set.
Terry of course agreed. So on Wednesday morning he was going and I wasn’t. On Thursday morning it was the reverse. The doctor visit resulted in some medication to relieve Terry of his crud, and a “pass” to fly to the game as long as his fever was below 100 degrees. So hope for him. His fever has reduced.
One final setback today. On the way to class today about noon, experienced something that sounded an awful lot like a side effect of one of the meds I’m taking. Looked it up online and sure enough the message was “call your doctor right away if…” So a tense few hours waiting for a callback, reassuring me that it didn’t sound that way to them, and have fun at the game – please bring home a win.
So here I am, writing this at midnight on Thursday night. Pardon me if I haven’t even thought about Saturday’s battle at Illinois. It’s been too much of an emotional roller coaster – like plucking petals from a daisy – I’m going – I’m not going – I’m going.
Many thanks to Leanne, Pat, Julie, Bill, Meg, Steph, Terra, and all my students who rode this roller coaster with me in the last few days!
On to Champaign…as long as something else doesn’t get in our way!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Good teams find a way to win. Iowa was good, we weren’t
I’ll leave it to the sports pundits to figure out what went wrong in last night’s 21-10 loss to Iowa. There seem to be plenty of candidates for bad plays and poor performance on the part of Penn State. Joe Paterno was right – it was a team loss, no one individual was responsible for the performance.
But we should also credit Iowa. Iowa took advantage of opportunities and found a way to win. I was worried about the game, I figured it would be close, but I also figured that the White House atmosphere would give Penn State a slight winning advantage. Wrong. Iowa is simply a better team than Penn State is right now. Even though, theoretically, Penn State might have more talent. But it wasn’t talent that mattered. It was the ability to execute.
Last night was one of those nights when it was very tempting to just stay home. But I have this attendance streak, right? I had even announced it in the Centre Daily Times Penn State Memories column that it would be 99 games in a row. I wrote that article in the summer, and was afraid I might have jinxed myself.
I was feeling “under the weather” (no pun intended) so I bundled up really warmly – several layers of warmth – under my Goretex rain suit. We didn’t really tailgate before the game, we arrived late and sat in the car or under golf umbrellas until it was time to go into the stadium. No parties for us. Go to the game, tough out the weather, and hopefully witness a win.
I did stay dry, and it wasn’t too cold after all. But it was miserably wet, and my camera had to stay out of the relentless rain for most of the game. The one thing I didn’t plan for was my feet – they were soaked. And walking back to our parking spot on the grass was a bit treacherous as well. In a number of areas the grass had turned to mud. I have already had one sprained ankle due to that muddy grass, back in 2006. So we were very careful to avoid even the slightest hill on our route back to the car.
It would have all been worth it had we pulled off a win. We had plenty of time after Iowa scored that touchdown on a blocked punt, and then didn’t make the two-point conversion. The score was only 11-10 in favor of Iowa.
So I turned to Terry and said, “Now we’ll see what this Penn State team can do.” Can they come from behind? Like they did in 2005 at Northwestern? I was thinking of Michael Robinson’s 4th down pass to Derrick Williams to keep a drive alive that turned out to be the key play of the 2005 season.
Even after the score was 18-10, there were still opportunities. Turns out, Penn State couldn’t do much. They faced adversity for the first time this season and failed.
So on to our first road trip at Illinois. How Penn State will bounce back from this loss will tell us what sort of team they will be this season.
But we should also credit Iowa. Iowa took advantage of opportunities and found a way to win. I was worried about the game, I figured it would be close, but I also figured that the White House atmosphere would give Penn State a slight winning advantage. Wrong. Iowa is simply a better team than Penn State is right now. Even though, theoretically, Penn State might have more talent. But it wasn’t talent that mattered. It was the ability to execute.
Last night was one of those nights when it was very tempting to just stay home. But I have this attendance streak, right? I had even announced it in the Centre Daily Times Penn State Memories column that it would be 99 games in a row. I wrote that article in the summer, and was afraid I might have jinxed myself.
I was feeling “under the weather” (no pun intended) so I bundled up really warmly – several layers of warmth – under my Goretex rain suit. We didn’t really tailgate before the game, we arrived late and sat in the car or under golf umbrellas until it was time to go into the stadium. No parties for us. Go to the game, tough out the weather, and hopefully witness a win.
I did stay dry, and it wasn’t too cold after all. But it was miserably wet, and my camera had to stay out of the relentless rain for most of the game. The one thing I didn’t plan for was my feet – they were soaked. And walking back to our parking spot on the grass was a bit treacherous as well. In a number of areas the grass had turned to mud. I have already had one sprained ankle due to that muddy grass, back in 2006. So we were very careful to avoid even the slightest hill on our route back to the car.
It would have all been worth it had we pulled off a win. We had plenty of time after Iowa scored that touchdown on a blocked punt, and then didn’t make the two-point conversion. The score was only 11-10 in favor of Iowa.
So I turned to Terry and said, “Now we’ll see what this Penn State team can do.” Can they come from behind? Like they did in 2005 at Northwestern? I was thinking of Michael Robinson’s 4th down pass to Derrick Williams to keep a drive alive that turned out to be the key play of the 2005 season.
Even after the score was 18-10, there were still opportunities. Turns out, Penn State couldn’t do much. They faced adversity for the first time this season and failed.
So on to our first road trip at Illinois. How Penn State will bounce back from this loss will tell us what sort of team they will be this season.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
College Football Venues: Our Top Ten List
In today’s “Penn State Memories” column in the Centre Daily Times, I discuss our top ten list of college football venues. Each of our top 10 venues has built a memorable fan experience that commands our respect, even a sense of awe.
As a follow-up to that column, here are the reasons why each is on our list.
#10 Nebraska. Nebraska prides itself in having “college football’s friendliest fans”, and our experience was that Nebraska fans are certainly fun. The stadium, although a bit old, has a great atmosphere. The tailgating environment is one of the best in the nation. We enjoyed superb hospitality at two different tailgates and we were treated very well by the Nebraska fans who hosted us.
#9 Michigan State. Michigan State has one of the prettiest campuses in the Big Ten. It’s worth a walk through campus on the way to the stadium. Spartan Stadium is a very decent place to watch a football game. Penn State fans are given high seats, which we like because it’s better to see the game. Michigan State fans have always been pleasant to us.
#8 Brigham Young. We played Brigham Young only once in Provo, Utah, and it was a miserable loss. But the stadium itself is immaculate – the cleanest stadium we’ve ever seen. It also has the prettiest scenery – snow-covered mountains – surrounding it. The tailgating scene is pretty mellow. No alcohol is allowed, so it’s a very family-oriented environment. Caffeine-free Coke products are offered in the stadium, something that we’ve never seen anywhere else.
#7 Iowa. Kinnick Stadium is always a favorite away game trip. Their recent stadium renovation has made the stadium itself even better. It’s a very spirited atmosphere. We’re lucky to have access to Iowa reserved parking through connections in Iowa City, so we’re always Penn State clad fans among Iowa fans. People are gracious and welcoming. You can walk across the street from the Kinnick Stadium plaza and partake of all sorts of food and beer stands.
#6 Texas. Texas is an amazing experience. First, the entire stadium stands for every play. Second, there’s “Hook ‘Em Horns”. Then there’s Bevo, their incredible mascot. Finally, we were there during Homecoming, and the Texas Alumni Band was 900 strong, all in uniform!
#5 Ohio State. When we first joined the Big Ten, Ohio Stadium was one of our biggest disappointments. The South End zone consisted of semi-permanent open bleachers that were almost dangerous. That’s where opposing team fans sat. You could only access porta-potties; there was no access to rest rooms in the Horseshoe. But a complete renovation of the South End Zone has made visiting Ohio State an awesome experience. A recent campaign by Ohio State to treat opposing team fans well is making a noticeable difference in the fan atmosphere. Plus, there’s TBDBITL – The Best Damn Band In The Land. It’s really true. Their “Script Ohio” routine is the best band routine in college football.
#4 Michigan. When you walk up to The Big House, it’s hard to believe you’re looking at the largest stadium in college football. From the outside, it has a very low profile. It’s a bowl dug into the ground, so you enter the stadium from near the top and walk down to find your seats. It’s easy in, easy out. The plaza surrounding the stadium is pleasant, with a variety of food vendors. Once inside, the atmosphere is electric and tough. Tailgating on the golf course across from the stadium on a sunny fall day is a top-notch experience, and the fans are always pleasant and cordial.
#3 Wisconsin. Beer. Brats. Cheese curds. Frat parties across the street from the stadium. That’s what you find around Camp Randall Stadium. What you won’t find is parking. You can pay someone in the neighborhood to park in their yard, or you can park at a distant lot on Lake Mendota and take an efficient shuttle bus to the game. No matter. Wisconsin fans are a great deal of fun, and the 5th quarter – where the band plays, win or lose – is a great tradition in college football. So is their song “Varsity” where the entire stadium links arms to sing. It’s a tough environment in the stadium, but we’ve always had very decent seats. Win or lose, Wisconsin fans have treated us with respect.
#2 Alabama. We played Alabama at Tuscaloosa at a homecoming game. Shut them out for the first time in 50 years on three Craig Fayak field goals. The stands were going nuts throughout the game. Everyone was waving pompoms. It’s an incredible atmosphere. But what impressed us the most was the fact that the fans came up to us after such a tough loss for them, congratulated us on winning, and expressed sincere regret that the Penn State-Alabama series was ending. Bama fans have a true affection for Penn State. We’re glad to see them back on our schedule!
#1 Penn State. Beaver Stadium is one of the best designed stadiums around. A walk around the mezzanine pre-game has an incredible view of the surrounding tailgating scene. There isn’t a bad seat in the house, and the atmosphere for a big game is beyond comparison. A lot of stadiums don’t have the luxury of land surrounding the stadium for parking and tailgating. Beaver Stadium is the best tailgating atmosphere we’ve seen – anywhere.
Some might ask why Notre Dame isn’t on our list. We struggled between Nebraska and Notre Dame for #10. Both have stadiums that could use renovations. Notre Dame has amazing football traditions and a rich tailgating environment, but we’ve often been disappointed with the seats we’ve had at their stadium. Some of which were so bad it was hard to see the game. The edge for #10 went to Nebraska, primarily because we had a great experience with their fans. Notre Dame would be #11 on our list.
For those of you who have been to some of these venues, I would welcome your thoughts and reactions. What has your experience been at away games?
As a follow-up to that column, here are the reasons why each is on our list.
#10 Nebraska. Nebraska prides itself in having “college football’s friendliest fans”, and our experience was that Nebraska fans are certainly fun. The stadium, although a bit old, has a great atmosphere. The tailgating environment is one of the best in the nation. We enjoyed superb hospitality at two different tailgates and we were treated very well by the Nebraska fans who hosted us.
#9 Michigan State. Michigan State has one of the prettiest campuses in the Big Ten. It’s worth a walk through campus on the way to the stadium. Spartan Stadium is a very decent place to watch a football game. Penn State fans are given high seats, which we like because it’s better to see the game. Michigan State fans have always been pleasant to us.
#8 Brigham Young. We played Brigham Young only once in Provo, Utah, and it was a miserable loss. But the stadium itself is immaculate – the cleanest stadium we’ve ever seen. It also has the prettiest scenery – snow-covered mountains – surrounding it. The tailgating scene is pretty mellow. No alcohol is allowed, so it’s a very family-oriented environment. Caffeine-free Coke products are offered in the stadium, something that we’ve never seen anywhere else.
#7 Iowa. Kinnick Stadium is always a favorite away game trip. Their recent stadium renovation has made the stadium itself even better. It’s a very spirited atmosphere. We’re lucky to have access to Iowa reserved parking through connections in Iowa City, so we’re always Penn State clad fans among Iowa fans. People are gracious and welcoming. You can walk across the street from the Kinnick Stadium plaza and partake of all sorts of food and beer stands.
#6 Texas. Texas is an amazing experience. First, the entire stadium stands for every play. Second, there’s “Hook ‘Em Horns”. Then there’s Bevo, their incredible mascot. Finally, we were there during Homecoming, and the Texas Alumni Band was 900 strong, all in uniform!
#5 Ohio State. When we first joined the Big Ten, Ohio Stadium was one of our biggest disappointments. The South End zone consisted of semi-permanent open bleachers that were almost dangerous. That’s where opposing team fans sat. You could only access porta-potties; there was no access to rest rooms in the Horseshoe. But a complete renovation of the South End Zone has made visiting Ohio State an awesome experience. A recent campaign by Ohio State to treat opposing team fans well is making a noticeable difference in the fan atmosphere. Plus, there’s TBDBITL – The Best Damn Band In The Land. It’s really true. Their “Script Ohio” routine is the best band routine in college football.
#4 Michigan. When you walk up to The Big House, it’s hard to believe you’re looking at the largest stadium in college football. From the outside, it has a very low profile. It’s a bowl dug into the ground, so you enter the stadium from near the top and walk down to find your seats. It’s easy in, easy out. The plaza surrounding the stadium is pleasant, with a variety of food vendors. Once inside, the atmosphere is electric and tough. Tailgating on the golf course across from the stadium on a sunny fall day is a top-notch experience, and the fans are always pleasant and cordial.
#3 Wisconsin. Beer. Brats. Cheese curds. Frat parties across the street from the stadium. That’s what you find around Camp Randall Stadium. What you won’t find is parking. You can pay someone in the neighborhood to park in their yard, or you can park at a distant lot on Lake Mendota and take an efficient shuttle bus to the game. No matter. Wisconsin fans are a great deal of fun, and the 5th quarter – where the band plays, win or lose – is a great tradition in college football. So is their song “Varsity” where the entire stadium links arms to sing. It’s a tough environment in the stadium, but we’ve always had very decent seats. Win or lose, Wisconsin fans have treated us with respect.
#2 Alabama. We played Alabama at Tuscaloosa at a homecoming game. Shut them out for the first time in 50 years on three Craig Fayak field goals. The stands were going nuts throughout the game. Everyone was waving pompoms. It’s an incredible atmosphere. But what impressed us the most was the fact that the fans came up to us after such a tough loss for them, congratulated us on winning, and expressed sincere regret that the Penn State-Alabama series was ending. Bama fans have a true affection for Penn State. We’re glad to see them back on our schedule!
#1 Penn State. Beaver Stadium is one of the best designed stadiums around. A walk around the mezzanine pre-game has an incredible view of the surrounding tailgating scene. There isn’t a bad seat in the house, and the atmosphere for a big game is beyond comparison. A lot of stadiums don’t have the luxury of land surrounding the stadium for parking and tailgating. Beaver Stadium is the best tailgating atmosphere we’ve seen – anywhere.
Some might ask why Notre Dame isn’t on our list. We struggled between Nebraska and Notre Dame for #10. Both have stadiums that could use renovations. Notre Dame has amazing football traditions and a rich tailgating environment, but we’ve often been disappointed with the seats we’ve had at their stadium. Some of which were so bad it was hard to see the game. The edge for #10 went to Nebraska, primarily because we had a great experience with their fans. Notre Dame would be #11 on our list.
For those of you who have been to some of these venues, I would welcome your thoughts and reactions. What has your experience been at away games?
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