Interesting read on toughest places to play:

Aug 11, 2006, 3:15 PM

Per the Sporting News:
I want to start this blog by saying that I have been to almost all of the stadiums in the Big Ten, but outside of that I do not have first hand experience with other stadiums. Therefore I relied on the opinions of A) the people I work with from schools around the country who have been to big games at all the big stadiums, B) The opinions of coaches, players and media members who have been there and C) TSN members first hand experiences

That being said I can say that 3 games really stick out in my mind as far as the craziest game environments I've ever witnessed. #3 The OSU-Michigan game in Columus in 2002. OSU beat the Wolverines and everyone stormed the field...it was pandamonium. #2 Last season OSU @ Penn State for the 'white out' game. That atmosphere was something special. I was so impressed with PSU's student section, I was in the press box for alot of the game and they had it shaking...literally. And at #1 by far the loudest, most electric sporting event I've ever been too, and ever heard of was the OSU-Texas game at the Shoe. After 3 years of home games in Columbus, I had never seen, felt or heard anything like the Horseshoe that Saturday night. I really think anyone who was there, no matter where they went to school or who they think has the toughest stadium, would agree with me that they had never witnessed anything quite like it.

Since I couldn't tolerate Matt Hayes rankings what-so-ever, I did my own rankings, and unlike Hayes mine aren't just meant to #### off as many people as possible to stir up the posting, although you should feel free to tell me where I screwed up or what I got right. So after a lot of research here it is...the toughest and most intimidating college football stadiums in America!

#1 LSU – Tiger Stadium- Baton Rouge, LA
“Death Valley”
-Built 1924
-Attendance: 91,209; Largest: 92,664 vs. Auburn 2005
-LSU home record: 347-138-18 (.708 ); Since 1990: 70-35; Since 2000: 35-6
-Rivals ’05 rank: #2
-NCAA Football 07 rank: #3
-What Rivals said: "Once inside the stadium, LSU fans don't sit on their hands. With the seats wrapping completely around the field, 'Death Valley' is arguably the loudest venue in college football."
-Legendary 'Bama coach Bear Bryant once remarked that Tiger Stadium is the worst place in the world to be a visiting team because playing there is "like playing inside of a drum."
-During a nationally televised game against Auburn in 2003, ESPN recorded a noise level of 117 decibels.
-"It was like being in the Colliseum in Rome and we were the Christians." -long time Georgia Tech coach Bobby Dowd.
-“The Earthquake Game:” Crowds reaction to a game winning TD against Auburn in 1988 registered on a seismograph in the LSU Geology Department.
-ESPN sideline reporter Adrian Karsten said in 2001, "Death Valley in Baton Rouge is the loudest stadium I've ever been in. There are very few stadiums in America worth a touchdown, but the Bayou Bengals certainly have that advantage in Tiger Stadium"
-What you said: “I can vouch for the Saturday night game at LSU... you may call it a myth - BUT I witnessed my undefeated #1 ranked Gators who had beaten 25 straight SEC opponents come in to LSU in 1997 for a Saturday night game and completely lose it. Sure it wasn't the stadium that won, but I was there and it was loud and nuts... after the win my date (he went to LSU) stormed the field and broke his arm, I sat alone in the stands crying. Good times. But you can't tell me that it's only a myth - that stadium and those Saturday night games are REALLY tough on opponents.” – TSN member Krisearl

#2. Ohio State- Ohio Stadium- Columbus, OH
“The Horseshoe”
-Built 1922
-Attendance: 102, 329; Largest: 105,565 vs. Texas 2005
-OSU home record: 334-101-20
-Rivals ’05 rank: #3
-NCAA Football 07 rank: #2
-What Rivals said: “Gamedays at Ohio State have it all – the tailgating, The Best #### Band in the Land and the tens of thousands of frenzied fans build one of the richest traditions in American sports. And when it all comes together inside the stadium, the Buckeyes' have one of the largest and most intimidating home crowds in college football.”
-TBDBITL: "There is nothing that beats when the Ohio State Marching Band and the sousaphone player dots the 'i' for ###### Ohio.” – Beano Cook, college football historian.
-Iowa coach Hayden Fry complained after a 1985 loss that the fans were too loud for his quarterback, Chuck Long, to call plays and suggested sound meters be used to gauge the noise level, penalizing home teams if there was too much noise.
-What Vince Young said: When asked "How loud was the Rose Bowl game and how tough was it to play there" he responded with, "It wasn't that bad. Ohio State, man, Ohio State was the loudest place I've ever played. The Rose Bowl is wider and more open, but Ohio State is more closed in and everyone is so loud and on top of you. You could hear all the little things people said about you. Man, that was the toughest place I've ever played."
-What you said: "Ohio State is a rocking atmosphere that combines tradition and rowdy fans. I was there for Bowling Green (BOWLING GREEN!!!) In 2003 and it was Jumping!!! Then I was at the Ohio State-Texas Game and I told my friend "Every UVA Game I go to now is going to be a letdown." It was purely Insane!" -TSN member cavsfan4life.

#3 Florida- Ben Hill Griffin Stadium- Gainesville, FL
“The Swamp”
-Built 1930
-Attendance: 88,548; Largest: 90,707 vs. Wyoming 2005
-Florida home record: 262-90-13 (.717); Since 1990: 81-11-0
-Rivals ’05 rank: #4
-NCAA Football 07 rank: #1
-What Rivals said: “It's possible that no college football venue is more intimidating than the house that Steve Spurrier built… the stadium has seen more home victories since 1990 than has any other stadium in the SEC. In fact, the Florida Gators rank third in the nation with a .880 home winning percentage during that span.”
-Playing surface is below ground and field temps can accede 100 degrees
-Has sold out every home game since 1979
-68-5 at The Swamp under Spurrier's from 1990-2001, including a 30-game win streak (Oct. 29, 1994 - Sept. 18, 1999).
-What you said: “The best is THE SWAMP…only gators come out alive. At the end of the third quarter, we sing and sway you actually get woozy looking at the fans going back and forth, it’s the best stadium in all football.” – TSN member Mizzou826

#4 Oregon- Autzen Stadium- Eugene, OR
“The Autzen Zoo”
-Built 1967
-Attendance: 54,000; Largest:
-Oregon home record:118-82-5 (.588 win %)
-Rivals ’05 rank: #6
-NCAA Football 07 rank: #13
-What Rivals said: “The fans at the Autzen Zoo are noisy, wild and obnoxious – in short, they're everything college fanatics should be. With an enrollment of just over 20,000 students, though, most of the Ducks' seats are filled by alums that can be just as jovially hostile as their younger counterparts.”
-What Corso said: "Per person, the Oregon stadium is the loudest stadium I’ve ever been in. The fact that it’s so low to the ground doesn’t allow the sound to escape."
-Recently described by Michigan head football coach Lloyd Carr as "the loudest stadium I've ever been in.”
-What the Michigan Daily said: "Autzen's 59,000 strong make the 'Big House' collectively sound like a pathetic whimper. It's louder than 'The Swamp' at Florida, 'The Shoe' in Columbus and 'Death Valley' at Louisiana State. Autzen Stadium is where great teams go to die." - September 2003
-What you said: “Every true college football fan needs to be there at least one game--spend the morning tailgaiting and watching east coast games, head into the stadium around 11:00 for the 12:30 start, yell until you can't talk anymore, then go to Rennie's Landing for more beer and to watch the rest of the games. The greatest experience of any sporting event that I have seen.” – TSN member Pdxblazers

#5 Virginia Tech- Lane Stadium- Blacksburg, VA
"Home of the Fighting Gobblers"
-1965
-Attendance: 66,233; Largest: 86,092 vs. Florida State 1999
-VA Tech home record:156-63-6
-Rivals ’05 rank: #1
-NCAA Football 07 rank: #5
-What Rivals said: “Every good stadium has at least one end designed for deafening noise levels, and the enclosed South End Zone at Lane Stadium fits the bill perfectly. Holding more than 11,000 screaming Virginia Tech fans, the section amplifies noise and renders audibles useless. That's not to mention the isolation factor. With the nearest major airport nearly 45 minutes away, opponents' fans are never out in force at Lane Stadium.”
-What Herbstreit said: “Blacksburg is a place that has an absolute love affair with its football program. It’s a 100 percent crazy, loud stadium environment. You can go to places with 100,000 people and Tech’s stadium is just as loud or louder, especially for night games.”
-Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” is played while the team takes the field.
-The largest game cannon is fired after every Hokie touchdown.
-What you said: “Everybody knows Lane stadium is one of the toughest places to play in the country. It may be small, but the noise and energy level is through the roof, especially since they put the new addition on the stadium. The Enter Sandman entrance has to be one of the most intimidating and exciting entrances in the league.” – TSN member mlittier

#6 Penn State- Beaver Stadium- College Park, PA
“Happy Valley”
-Built 1960
-Attendance: 107,282; Largest: 110,753 vs. Nebraska in 2001
-PSU home record:
-Rivals ’05 rank: #5
-NCAA Football 07 rank: #4
-What Rivals said: “Though Beaver Stadium's attendance numbers are impressive in their own right, the proof of true home field advantage lies in football records. In the last 44 years, Penn State has won 79 percent of their home games. The pregame 'bull in the ring' drill-- performed by defensive backs and linebackers -- always serves to get the crowd rowdy.”
-What you said: “I was at both the Nebraska game in 2002 and the Ohio State game in 2005, and those were two of the most intimidating performances I've ever seen by a crowd at any level in football, including the NFL. Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN even said at half time of the Ohio State game that Beaver Stadium had, "the best student section in the country, they're crazy!" –Post by TSN member PSU-jtc.

#7 Auburn- Jordan-Hare Stadium- Auburn, AL
-Built 1939
-Attendance: 87,451; Largest: 87,451 vs. LSU 2004
-Auburn home record: 236-59-7
-Rivals '05 rank: #10
-NCAA Football 07 rank: #20
-What Rivals said: "Besides the impressive noise and intensity level inside Jordan-Hare Stadium on gamedays, the Tigers are just downright hard to beat at home, too. Auburn boasts a .798 winning percentage at home over the last 65 years.
-During a game against South Carolina, the Gamecock offense had to burn two timeouts trying to get off one play because of the noise level.
-On Saturdays during the fall in Auburn, Jordan-Hare stadium becomes Alabama's fifth-largest city.
-Team enters to 'Eye of the Tiger'.
-What you said: Auburn hasn't lost a home SEC game in 2 years...and knocked off 3 top-10 teams at home in that span. It would have been 3 straight years had Ben Obomanu not dropped a wide open pass in the end zone against Ole Miss in 2003. No other SEC team has been undefeated at home in conference play over the past 2 years. - TSN member toe34.

#8 Wisconsin- Camp Randall Stadium- Madison, WI.
-Built 1917
-Attendance: 82,368; Largest: 83,062 vs. Minnesota 1972
-Wisconsin home record: Since 1990: 57-28-3
-Rivals ’05 rank: #8
-NCAA Football 07 rank: #19
-What Rivals said: “Camp Randall was originally a Civil War training ground for 70,000 Union soldiers. Located in the middle of one of the best college towns in America (rated #1 by SI On Campus), Badgerland boasts a fraternity-party atmosphere in a crowd which doubled in size during the Barry Alvarez era.”

#9 Texas A&M- Kyle Field- College Station, TX
"The 12th Man"
-Built 1927
-Attendence: 82,600; Largest: 87,555 vs. Texas 2001
-A&M home record since 1990: 76-14-1 (.830 win %)
-Rivals '05: #7
-NCAA Football 07 rank: #11
-What Rivals said: "Where else can you find 40,000 students gather at midnight before the game for yell practice?"
-Traditions include "The Aggie War Hymn", Silver Taps, Farmers Fight and the Elephant Walk.
-What you said: "The Aggies yell constantly as well as participating in their usual yells. Atmosphere, how about fans showing up 2+ hours before game time to watch the corps of cadets march in." - TSN member footballdiehard

#10 Clemson- Clemson Memorial Stadium/ Frank Howard Field- Clemson, SC
“Death Valley”
-Built 1942
-Attendance: 81,473 ; Largest: 86,092 vs. Florida State 1999
-Set ACC record for home attendance in 2001
-Clemson home record: 227-88-7
-Rivals ’05 rank: Unranked
-NCAA Football 07 rank: #23
-During 2005 game vs. Miami, the crowd noise reached 126 decibels.
-What Musberger said: “When Clemson players rub that rock and run down the hill, its the most exciting 25 seconds in college football."
-Former FSU QB Chris Rix called it the loudest place he’s ever been.
-"I came here knowing it would be loud and that Clemson would hit me hard, but to me, the noise was the biggest factor. I know I didn't concentrate as well because of it."- HOF RB Herschel Walker after in 1981 after his only regular season loss at Georgia.
-What you said: "The setting, the noise level, tradition, great sight lines, more sideline seating than any other stadium--perhaps in the whole country, ease of getting in and out of stadium, beautiful setting. I could go on and on." - TSN member Swampg8tor

The next 10:
11.Iowa- Kinnick Stadium- Iowa City, IA
12.Notre Dame Stadium- South Bend, IN
13.Nebraska Memorial Stadium- Sea of Red- Lincoln,
14.Tennessee- Neyland Stadium- Knoxville, TN
15.Florida State- Doak-Campbell Stadium- Tallahassee, FL
16.Oklahoma Memorial Stadium- Norman, OK
17.USC- LA Memorial Coliseum- Los Angeles, CA
18.Georgia- Sanford Stadium- Between the Hedges- Athens, GA
19.Alabama- Bryant-Denney Stadium- Tuscaloosa, AL
20.West Virginia- Mountaineer Field- Morgantown, WV

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Interesting read on toughest places to play:

I wish they would stop using Chris Rix's name with..........

There is now way

oops try NO WAY***

Re: Interesting read on toughest places to play:

I'll be dammed. No where did they mention

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