Michigan Stadium

The 2017 season was closed out for me in the most incredible way. I travelled to Ann Arbor ticketless to “The Game,” in hopes of scoring some lower-priced ones following kickoff (tickets were starting at about $200 online). I got lucky as can be and scored mid-level seats for half their face value, and headed inside to see the biggest rivalry in sports unfold. Getting to the seats was an adventure in itself – isles were packed with people, and we had to stand staggered in the bleachers just to fit everyone; there was no sitting. The weather was bitter cold, but we stayed warm by being packed in like penguins.

Michigan took a quick lead 14-0 in the second quarter, and controlled the pace until late in the half, where Ohio State tied up the game at 14. The third quarter was back-and-forth, but the Buckeyes went into the final quarter up 21-20. Mike Weber iced the game right in front of our seats with less than 2 minutes to go from 25 yards out. Michigan fan-favorite John O’Korn (hardy har har) threw an egregious interception to end the ball game.

Over 30,000 Buckeye fans swarmed the lower rows as the closing seconds ticked away to celebrate, and I enjoyed a front-row seat to “Carmen Ohio.” The 9 miles of walking and scouting for tickets turned out to be entirely worth it as this ranks near the top of my experiences in not just college football, but sports altogether.

Stadium Grade: A+

Atmosphere: A+

Tradition: A+

Capacity: 109,901

Attendance: 112,028

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