Big 10 Football Tour

Right off the bat, we were happy with the Michigan tailgating scene because it was rather easy to find a lot right by the stadium that any fan could park in without a special pass.  It was a bit more pricey than some of the other Big 10 schools, but the proximity to the stadium and ease of access makes it well worth it.  One thing to note however is that when you're trying to exit, many of the roads become one-way and its a bit challenging for a rookie to get where they want to go.

Once again, we ended up tailgating with many Penn State fans and made some great new friends.  Unfortunately we failed to draw any Michigan fans in to join us, so we spent most of the afternoon hanging with the Lion fans.  As week after week goes on and the struggle to get everything into the trunk seemingly becomes more and more complicated, we decided to leave the grill at home.  Luckily, our neighbors were kind enough to let us join in on the food.

In case you didn't know, Michigan and Ohio State aren't really cordial to each other.  While it may not be the Wes Givens' proclaimed Notre Dame/USC might be the biggest rivalry, it's a pretty big deal.  I basically wanted to kill myself when I saw that Blake was passing around an Ohio State football and had an Ohio State license plate holder because I was concerned that the car would be toppled when we returned (thank you Michigan fans for being polite).  Anyways, one of the Michigan fans had a very clever display by his tent.  By the way, Michigan fans love tents. 

It was a sign holder, like one of those sign holders that you'd use if anyone was really buying homes right now.  Inside was a rotating disc with what appeared to be a figurine (or doll) of the Buckeye mascot and Ohio coach Jim Tressel.  They were in an interesting position and there was a sign nearby stating, "What Happens in Ohio Stays in Ohio."

A former Michigan legend was on hand signing autographs.  Name that legend shown here (middle) & get a shout out in the blog!

Some "other" notes about the tailgate atmosphere:
There were once again a lot of people scooping up every can and bottle because of the Michigan recycling "reward" is so much higher than other states.
The port-o-johns were a little dated and unfortunately there weren't enough of them.  If you felt the need for the restroom, you better get in line at first thought.
The designated "recycle bins" were humorous as they were simply the trash cans with the yellow slab of wood with a circle cut in them.

This area also had a bunch of fun things set up outside the stadium.  There was an AT&T truck that you could give them your (fake) name and get some free garbage to take home with you.  There was a large flat screen tv showing the Ohio State game.  An inflatable basketball hoop area.  Some local radio station tents and best of all, a Famous Dave's Barbeque tent where they had free samples galore. 

Another group of friends that we met previously in the tour - Gary Wilson and the gang stopped by our less-than-impressive tailgate to say hello.  They orginally met us in Iowa City when Michigan visited the Hawkeyes.  A great group of Wolverine fans & while I don't think our paths will cross again this year, I hope to meet up with them again next year.

Our old friend Jim Lowry whom we met in both State College, PA and Champaign, IL was once again in attendence in the golf course lot, so we had to make our way over to say hello.

Blake took a photo with a creepy PSU balloon man & the Nittany Lion fans gave us some more freebies.

Before heading into the stadium, I used a bottle opener to uncap a beer for the walk.  As I set the bottle opener down, I said to myself, "Where am I?"  Then I looked around and saw a bunch of Penn State fans.  Something's not right!  Or maybe, it's just a prelude to next week's game?