9/18/2021
State College, Pennsylvania
Penn State 28, Auburn 20
I went to the Penn State/Auburn game this weekend to support my Tigers. Unfortunately, Auburn let victory slip through their hands against a tough Penn State squad. It was a treat to visit Happy Valley. It is a magnificent campus, and 109,958 people were at the game! The White Out experience was fun. Way overblown, but it is always fun when everyone coordinates. For those that have never been there, the stadium is surprisingly dark. I don't think the players care a lick that everyone is wearing white (on TV they adjust the filters so viewers see the shadowy crowd shots as brighter than they are). But the noise was impressive. Getting out of there after the game is a nightmare. We didn't get back to Pittsburgh until 4am. An hour-and-a-half of that was not moving an inch in the parking lot at Penn State. Great trip though, nice people there, and I got some good shots of Buck.
A formidable contingent from Auburn made the convoluted trip into the vast rural interior of this historic state. As game time drew near we made our way to the stadium to welcome the team in what we call the Tiger Walk when at home. Here it was the less-catchy Tiger Bus Drop Off.
Then I stood at a tailgate for an hour, soaking in the wind-less heat and humidity while waiting for the game to begin. On the way to the gate (crowd management does not appear to be a strength of the PSU program), we saw the delightful Miss Auburn delighting a delightful PSU couple. Goodwill flowed like the sweat dripping down my back.
The Goodyear Blimp was there too, ominously motionless in the becalmed skies.
Our seats were at the very top, which was a blessing, as the occasional breeze could be only be enjoyed there. Here is Buck with me and the gang.
The sun set right before kickoff. The orange and blue sky was not the omen of victory for the Tigers that we hoped it would be. If one were to tell the tale of the game with the sky, one might say the orange and blue sunset succumbed to the navy and white of the moonlit night.
Here is the white-out in its shadowy glory. You can see that the upper decks on both sides are actually above the light banks. Only a third of the crowd is lit up to any degree to speak of. I mention it again not as a criticism of PSU at all, more to expose the nefarious camera tricks of TV. It is the noise that probably does the trick against the opponents. It seemed clear to my untrained eye that Auburn's game plan was designed with the noise in mind, and limited what they could do. But Auburn can make some noise too. We get our chance next year.
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