Goal: To thoroughly experience gameday at every FBS college football stadium. STADIUM COUNT: 108/134
This was the final rendition of the War on I-4. With UCF moving up to the Big 12 for the 2023 season, these two rivals separated by 2 hours of interstate have no future games scheduled. UCF comes in ranked #22 and by contrast, USF only has one win to flaunt this season. But, rivalries traditionally weaken the expectations – anything can happen.
Continue reading “Game 329: #22 UCF @ USF”
Tallahassee is the state capitol of Florida and home to a college football hotspot. Doak Campbell Stadium is a stunning brick structure constructed with an empirical nature. The south entrance welcomes fans with the Unconquered Statue, which embodies the spirit of Seminole Nation. Florida State has cultivated a harmonious relationship with the Seminole Tribe and ensured that the courage and pride they possess are on full display during gamedays.
Continue reading “FLORIDA STATE – DOAK CAMPBELL STADIUM”
The Sunshine Showdown caught fire in the 1990s when both teams combined for three national championships in a six year span. The Spurrier and Bowden years firmly planted the Gators and Seminoles into the upper crust of the college football planet. While there have been a flurry of ups and downs for both squads, these two teams have not lost their powerhouse status. This season, Florida State has surged back into the top 25, thus dropping their cloak of irrelevancy.
Continue reading “Game 328: Florida @ #16 Florida State”
Pageantry and tradition ooze from every angle around Memorial Stadium on Clemson football Saturdays. Orange and purple provide the color palette for the day as tailgating tents are popped in massive numbers. Located in the northwest tip of South Carolina, Clemson University has carved its own nook out of America and become highly regarded in the world of college football. Nicknamed Death Valley, Memorial Stadium lives up to the moniker. Tiger fans are a passionate bunch, and with Clemson’s resurgence into championship relevancy, this southern campus town has become a hotspot for college football fanatics.
Continue reading “CLEMSON – MEMORIAL STADIUM”
This was supposed to be a preview of the ACC championship game. Then, Miami disintegrated. Clemson is a Notre Dame meltdown from being undefeated, but their ACC title hopes and national title hopes (while faint) are still pulsating.
Continue reading “Game 327: Miami @ #9 Clemson”
Blustery conditions in Evanston became the best defense for Northwestern. It stifled the Buckeye passing game. The Wildcats took advantage of the home weather and with the wind behind their backs, they managed to score first thus stunning every onlooker. Along with struggles in the passing game, Ohio State also stumbled when working to move the ball on the ground. The 21-7 Buckeye victory urged many critics to ask the question, “What’s wrong with Ohio State?”
The answer is – nothing. The question is flawed because the Buckeyes are unfairly being compared to the juggernaut that they have created.
Friendliness comes to mind when mentioning Penn State and Beaver Stadium. Happy Valley is a joyous place for the home team, and outside of a few conference rivals, it’s a welcoming spot for visiting fans, as well. Perhaps it’s because Nittany Lion fans know that wherever these fans came from, they must have traveled a tremendous distance. State College, Pennsylvania is hidden in a valley amongst the Allegheny Mountains and the famous Mount Nittany. Lion fans arrive days before kickoff parking their RVs in the many open grass lots around the 100,000+ seat arena. Tailgating at Penn State is tops in the Big Ten conference. Fans start early and celebrate late.
Continue reading “PENN STATE – BEAVER STADIUM”
Known as the greatest show in sports, the white out at Penn State is a dizzying display of school spirit. Typically, invites are reserved for traditional powerhouses such as Michigan or Ohio State. On this night, Minnesota would be making its first trip into the lion’s den for the famed white out. As it often has in the past, the decibels reached such deafening digits in Beaver Stadium that the Gophers were unable to get the snap off on their first offensive possession. Being forced to function with a backup quarterback set the Gophers with an additional disadvantage.
Continue reading “Game 325: Minnesota @ #14 Penn State”
Denton, Texas is situated just 40 miles from Dallas – home of the North Texas Eagles – better known as the North Texas Mean Green. UNT is relatively new to the major college football scene, and they have adapted remarkably. They joined FBS in 1996 and a few years later came a sparking new stadium. The traditions that color gameday in Denton are phenomenal making the home of the Mean Green a colorful thread in the fabric of college football.
Continue reading “NORTH TEXAS – APOGEE STADIUM”
The pregame Mean Green March that welcomed the team into Apogee Stadium ignited a fantastic day of scoring and celebration for the home team. The Green Brigade was provided many opportunities to strike up the fight song as North Texas won its eighth straight Conference-USA game and surged to 3-0 in league play.
Continue reading “Game 324: Louisiana Tech @ North Texas”