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Game 68: #23 Michigan State @ #16 Northwestern

Out of respect for those who perished in the September 11th attacks and due to safety concerns, college football games were cancelled on the 15th of September. Some games resumed on the 22nd, but everything was back to full momentum on September 29. Entering the stadium, each fan received an embroidered stick-on flag to proudly wear. A lengthy moment of silence preceded the game and I knew that every stadium in the country was performing the same tribute.

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Game 51: #11 Wisconsin @ Northwestern

Sellout crowds in Evanston are not common unless the road team travels well and Wisconsin fans would trek to Russia if the end result involved Badger football. Since Ryan Field is merely an hour from the Wisconsin border, the stadium had a distinct red tinge. The presence of the Badger band transformed the venue into Chicagoland’s personal Camp Randall Stadium.

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Game 39: Northwestern @ #14 Wisconsin

Starting a game with an onside kick raises questions. Northwestern coach Gary Barnett has stamped his program with moves like these and it has led him to back-to-back Big Ten championships. However the magic that “took the purple to Pasadena” has been flickering and his bag of tricks has become less ingenious and more a means of survival. He must have known that his Wildcats were outmatched.

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Game 32: Wisconsin @ Northwestern

If only everything we learned in college would come in this handy. The lessons learned from the Boise State game four weeks ago about finishing games strongly would be put into action again in Evanston. The game was part of ESPN’s night lineup. At the time, Big Ten games at night were somewhat of a rarity. Therefore, the energy in the stadium was naturally overflowing. Half of the stadium was purple and the other half was red, which is the typical way Ryan Field reaches a sellout. Both bands were there and it offered a bowl game-like atmosphere.

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Game 24: #6 Michigan @ #22 Northwestern

Up to this point, I had seen every Big Ten team – except Michigan. Without question, I was looking very forward to seeing the famous maize and blue with their historical winged helmets. On top of that, I was excited that this was my first game that did not involve Wisconsin. I felt like I was broadening my horizons a bit. Last year, during Northwestern’s unbelievable Rose Bowl run, I was unable to attend any of their games. So, I was completely clad in purple looking forward to seeing the new and improved Wildcat team.

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Game 11: #24 Wisconsin @ Northwestern

I never knew how much I liked purple – not that there was a lot of it in the stands on this day. I figured the low attendance was a result of the cold rain that dampened Dyche Stadium. But, I soon learned that Northwestern has had an unfortunate athletic history.  1949 marked their last Rose Bowl experience – or any bowl expereince for that matter. So, even though Wisconsin lost to Michigan State the week before, I felt confident that the Badgers would win with ease.

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Game 5: Northwestern @ #21 Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s glory season was underway as they entered this contest 4-0 and nationally ranked for the first season in years.  A crazy Camp Randall made things difficult for the Wildcats and they lost 53-14.  Quarterback Darrell Bevell completed his first 14 passes, and Wisconsin accumulated more points than they had in a single game in ten years – all this in front of a sellout crowd of over 77,000, a number that included a few bowl scouts.

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