Being a sports journalist has its perks, but it also has its drawbacks. For instance, last weekend the job allowed me to go on the road to one of the nation's biggest stadiums and cover one of the season's biggest games; however, being a member of the press, I wasn't able to show my Badger pride and cheer on the team.
Going to Columbus last weekend allowed me to see things from a whole different perspective. Camp Randall is great but I am comfortable with the stadium and I know exactly what is going to go on before, during and after the game.
I have to start off by saying that I didn't think that there were any Big Ten campuses that knew how to pregame like Madison does. Now I know that I will be in Ohio the next time Wisconsin is there.
We arrived on campus just in time to walk down Lane Avenue on the way to the Horseshoe, and I was impressed from the minute I got there. Think Breese Terrace times three.
We parked at a friend's house which was on Lane Avenue, decked out in our neutral colors and began the trek to the stadium.
Every house on the first four blocks was having a party. The sea of red reminded me of Breese itself, but the next few blocks were completely different.
A couple bars and a few hotels made for a perfect tailgate situation for fans of all ages. The fans that spilled out of these arenas were feeling as much of a drunken rush as any Badger fan on a Saturday afternoon.
It was game time.
Walking into the game about 20 minutes before kickoff we were surrounded by student fans-showing up in time to see the beginning of the game, something that our student section has been reluctant to do.
We did not look like Badger fans, but others around us did. The students, in between variations of the hideous \O-H-I-O"" chant, gave them a hard time-I would have been disappointed if they hadn't-but they knew when to give it a rest.
We got into the stadium just in time to see the OSU marching band's pre-game performance. I fully believe that the UW band is ""the best in land,"" but seeing the band march into the ""script Ohio"" was one of the coolest things I've ever seen.
The Horseshoe was completely full for the kickoff.
Unfortunately for the students, they are spread out throughout the stadium. While Camp Randall has all of the students together, leading the wave and jumping around, Ohio Stadium has a small group behind one end zone that holds up cards to spell things or make symbols.
All they have other than that is ""'O-H-I-O""....(shudder). That cheer got old almost as quickly as 'Fuck you, eat shit.'
Regardless, the place was loud. Anyone who thought that Wisconsin had an easy time winning Saturday's game is sorely mistaken. Ohio Stadium holds almost 20,000 more fans than the newly renovated Camp Randall. However, between the amount of noise and how big the stadium looked in general, it felt as though the Horseshoe was twice the size of Madison's beloved stadium.
Eventually, the Badgers put the Buckeyes in their place for the second straight year. As for the scuffle after the game, you have to respect a team that defends what honor it has left when an opponent begins stomping on its ""O.""
There is no better place to prepare for a football game than right here in Madison, but Columbus comes close. While Madison has Breese and State Street and house parties everywhere, Columbus tries to pack all of it into a few blocks on one street.
Needless to say, I will be in Columbus a few years from now decked out in Badger gear and reveling on Lane Avenue.
The atmosphere is becoming almost as heated as the rivalry between the two teams on the field. Unfortunately for everyone, we have to wait two more years before writing the next chapter.
Eric is a junior planning to major in journalism. If you want to help him show the Buckeyes how it's done when he goes to Columbus in a few years e-mail him at ejschmoldt@wisc.edu.
