Good article for discussion here:
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Who has conference's best homefield advantage?
Point/Counterpoint
DI Sports Staff
Kinnick
A place exists where noise capacity reaches its peak. Screams pierce the ears of anyone in the surrounding landscape, and for three-and-a-half hours on game day, only one thing matters: the Hawkeyes.
There is a reason The Sporting News ranked Iowa the country's best college-football city: Kinnick Stadium hosts the rowdiest fans in all of college football. Droves of Iowans pilgrimage from far reaches of the state to support the Hawkeyes. No trip is too far to keep these nuts from hollering for a win.
Sure, the Buckeyes manhandled Iowa at Kinnick, but did you see that crowd? While the Hawkeyes may not have performed well, the fans certainly did. Towels twirled rapidly, a buzz percolated throughout the stadium, and the atmosphere maintained a lunacy not seen anywhere in the country. The raucous crowd failed in catapulting the Hawks to victory but only because the Buckeyes are really that good.
A home-field advantage means being able to win at home. And even after the prime-time defeat, Iowa boasts a 25-2 record at home in the last 27 games. Included in those 25 wins are victories over Big Ten powers Ohio State and Michigan and over a Ben Roethlisberger-led Miami (Ohio) squad. Clearly, it takes something extra special to defeat the Hawkeyes in Kinnick in such an intimidating environment.
Players never get too comfortable inside Hawkeye country - except for in the calming, pink visitors' locker rooms. Opposing teams must deal with the shouting, ranting fans literally right on top of them. The sidelines are dangerously close to the rambunctious faithful who more than likely weren't offering to take Jim Tressel out to dinner after the ball game. The proximity of the fans make for an irritating, annoying, and degrading few hours.
Some may point out Iowa's capacity of 70,585 pales in comparison with the 100,000-plus capacities of the Horseshoe and the Big House, but at Kinnick, it feels as if there are 150,000. Iowa fans more than make up the difference. The atmospheres at Ohio State and Michigan are church choirs compared with the deafening roar throughout Iowa City.
- by Jacob Knabel
The 'Shoe
The Big House, Camp Randall, Beaver, and Kinnick. Hardly desired locations to kick off a football game when you're not welcome. But the 'Shoe (a.k.a. the Horseshoe and, officially, Ohio Stadium) is the master of football domains, no question.
Kinnick was electric for the prime-time matchup with the No. 1 Buckeyes - people heard the stadium from two miles away 20 minutes before kickoff. The other venues might be intimidating for a young Illinois team, but Kinnick's mystique couldn't help the Hawkeyes beat a better team.
The Buckeyes enter each road game believing that they're going to win. Then, put 100,000-plus people who bleed scarlet and gray on their backs, and try to tell Ohio State it's even going to have a ball game in the Horseshoe.
Think Kinnick's home streak, with just two losses in the last season and a half, is impressive?
Ohio State has dropped that same number, two, since its 2002 national championship. One of those came to 2005 champion Texas. The majority of the wins haven't even been close, with most coming by more than a touchdown.
The Iowa crowd on Sept. 30 had the players, coaches, and fans juiced for kickoff, but the advantage created by the astounding atmosphere was usurped by the Buckeyes, who had been in other raucous stadiums and won there. Kinnick probably helped Iowa more than it hurt the Buckeyes, which isn't the case against more nonchalant opponents. When the Hawkeyes really needed the home field to compensate for some on-the-field differences, it couldn't.
Ultimately, a home team in a crowd-lovin'-it atmosphere can beat a squad that's just a little better. But when the opponent is oodles superior, a stadium can't win the game.
Ask Texas and Iowa how hard it is to beat the Buckeyes at home. Then ask Cincinnati, Penn State, and Northern Illinois how much harder it is to beat them in Columbus.
Take off the black and gold visors, Hawkeye fans - this time, the 'Shoe is on the other foot.
- by Nathan Cooper
Link
Who has conference's best homefield advantage?
Point/Counterpoint
DI Sports Staff
Kinnick
A place exists where noise capacity reaches its peak. Screams pierce the ears of anyone in the surrounding landscape, and for three-and-a-half hours on game day, only one thing matters: the Hawkeyes.
There is a reason The Sporting News ranked Iowa the country's best college-football city: Kinnick Stadium hosts the rowdiest fans in all of college football. Droves of Iowans pilgrimage from far reaches of the state to support the Hawkeyes. No trip is too far to keep these nuts from hollering for a win.
Sure, the Buckeyes manhandled Iowa at Kinnick, but did you see that crowd? While the Hawkeyes may not have performed well, the fans certainly did. Towels twirled rapidly, a buzz percolated throughout the stadium, and the atmosphere maintained a lunacy not seen anywhere in the country. The raucous crowd failed in catapulting the Hawks to victory but only because the Buckeyes are really that good.
A home-field advantage means being able to win at home. And even after the prime-time defeat, Iowa boasts a 25-2 record at home in the last 27 games. Included in those 25 wins are victories over Big Ten powers Ohio State and Michigan and over a Ben Roethlisberger-led Miami (Ohio) squad. Clearly, it takes something extra special to defeat the Hawkeyes in Kinnick in such an intimidating environment.
Players never get too comfortable inside Hawkeye country - except for in the calming, pink visitors' locker rooms. Opposing teams must deal with the shouting, ranting fans literally right on top of them. The sidelines are dangerously close to the rambunctious faithful who more than likely weren't offering to take Jim Tressel out to dinner after the ball game. The proximity of the fans make for an irritating, annoying, and degrading few hours.
Some may point out Iowa's capacity of 70,585 pales in comparison with the 100,000-plus capacities of the Horseshoe and the Big House, but at Kinnick, it feels as if there are 150,000. Iowa fans more than make up the difference. The atmospheres at Ohio State and Michigan are church choirs compared with the deafening roar throughout Iowa City.
- by Jacob Knabel
The 'Shoe
The Big House, Camp Randall, Beaver, and Kinnick. Hardly desired locations to kick off a football game when you're not welcome. But the 'Shoe (a.k.a. the Horseshoe and, officially, Ohio Stadium) is the master of football domains, no question.
Kinnick was electric for the prime-time matchup with the No. 1 Buckeyes - people heard the stadium from two miles away 20 minutes before kickoff. The other venues might be intimidating for a young Illinois team, but Kinnick's mystique couldn't help the Hawkeyes beat a better team.
The Buckeyes enter each road game believing that they're going to win. Then, put 100,000-plus people who bleed scarlet and gray on their backs, and try to tell Ohio State it's even going to have a ball game in the Horseshoe.
Think Kinnick's home streak, with just two losses in the last season and a half, is impressive?
Ohio State has dropped that same number, two, since its 2002 national championship. One of those came to 2005 champion Texas. The majority of the wins haven't even been close, with most coming by more than a touchdown.
The Iowa crowd on Sept. 30 had the players, coaches, and fans juiced for kickoff, but the advantage created by the astounding atmosphere was usurped by the Buckeyes, who had been in other raucous stadiums and won there. Kinnick probably helped Iowa more than it hurt the Buckeyes, which isn't the case against more nonchalant opponents. When the Hawkeyes really needed the home field to compensate for some on-the-field differences, it couldn't.
Ultimately, a home team in a crowd-lovin'-it atmosphere can beat a squad that's just a little better. But when the opponent is oodles superior, a stadium can't win the game.
Ask Texas and Iowa how hard it is to beat the Buckeyes at home. Then ask Cincinnati, Penn State, and Northern Illinois how much harder it is to beat them in Columbus.
Take off the black and gold visors, Hawkeye fans - this time, the 'Shoe is on the other foot.
- by Nathan Cooper
