Big House Noise

Submitted by Hair Raid Offense on
With the new renovations, the Big House is supposed to be louder and sound more like there really is 100,000+ people in attendance. I've been to 4 Michigan games at the Big House, none of them big rivalry games but it was never really quiet in there. I'm just wondering when the Big House has been the loudest? According to those of you who have been at the bigger games. One that comes to mind for me was the 04 game against MSU when Braylon caught those catches in the corner of the endzone. I only saw it on tv got the crowd sounded deafening.

bleachercreature

August 25th, 2010 at 9:48 PM ^

Mario's catch with no time on the clock to beat Penn State.  That was the Longest period of time I've heard it so loud at Michigan Stadium.  I can't imagine what it would have been like with the current structures on the sides of the stadium.

Perhaps as the team beats Wisconsin to lock down at least a share of the Big Ten title, we shall know later this year! 

MayzNBlu

August 25th, 2010 at 10:55 PM ^

For me, it's a tie between Penn State in 05 and Wisconsin in 08.  I was there for both.  In '05 I ended up on tv with a group of friends yelling back and forth with some Penn State people at the end of the game, and in '08 I remember thinking that I didn't know if I had ever heard the stadium that loud.  Both were great times... I hope the stadium gets that rocking more often with the new sound boost!

sum1valiant

August 26th, 2010 at 8:54 AM ^

But I did make it for ND last year and particularly remember "I saw cover zero" getting pretty crazy, but Forcier to Mathews was by far the loudest I've ever heard it.  I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it. 

Also remember Denards first play against WMU, there was a ton of energy in that crowd and it went from "arrgh fuck", to chaos when he picked up his fumble.

JTGoBlue

August 25th, 2010 at 9:49 PM ^

I was a Senior...in section 26.  It was LOUD most of the game...deafening on key plays and third downs...it was almost like we knew it was going to be a big year, even that early in the season..

twohooks

August 25th, 2010 at 9:53 PM ^

(Rsepectively) Harbaugh to Kolesar TD pass in 1985's version of Michigan/OSU was deafening in a great/loud victory over the Bucks. Also, although in a losing effort in 1980 versus George Rogers South Carolina squad Michigan's last stand in the north end zone was pretty raucous considering the prominent "down in front!!!" era.

BrewCityBlue

August 25th, 2010 at 9:56 PM ^

Yup, Wisconsin in 08 was incredibly loud in the 2nd half. (After incredibly quiet and depressing in the 1st half) Probably loudest on the pick 6, and i was row 4 right on that pylon. Sprained my ankle jumping around all crazy. It was worth it at the time (I live in Wisconsin)

Also ND game last year loud as hell.

kmaltby182003

August 25th, 2010 at 11:51 PM ^

That game was CRAZY!

The first half, we played probably the worst half of Division I College Football that I had ever seen.  Fortunately, Wisconsin played the newest worst half of Division I College Football that I have ever seen. 

I think the crowd helped close that game out as well (see: two point conversion and late offsides)

Notre Dame last year was awesome and loud!  Matthews touchdown!

Even Denard's first play in college, against WMU, had the crowd rocking!

octal9

August 25th, 2010 at 10:02 PM ^

I was at 04 MSU; 08 Wisconsin actually has it (and 09 ND) beat - as far as a peak goes. For overall noise 04 MSU definitely beat it out; I can't say about 05 PSU as I wasn't there.

08 UW though, oh man. It was like the crowd just went nuts before the interception - it almost felt like we willed that one to happen. Then there was the interception itself, and the impossible happened.

It got louder.

edit: the saddest part of 04 MUS & 08 UW is that the crowd wasn't even full for either of those moments. Never, ever leave early!

Blueisgood

August 25th, 2010 at 10:11 PM ^

I've been fortunate to be at the 05 PSU and 08 Wisconsin game, as I only go to one game a year ( was also at the first overtme in the Big House vs. PSU). Wisconsin game was louder, but I'd would like to know what the 05 PSU game woulda sounded like with the structures up. They definetly make a difference.

BJ0017

August 25th, 2010 at 10:21 PM ^

Last year denards first snap that turned into an insane touchdown run everyone was kind of looking around in shock and screaming it was sick

bluebrains98

August 25th, 2010 at 10:27 PM ^

Final score 5-0, Michigan wins. In the first half, there was a downpour that soaked everyone to the bone. There was a Lieutenant Dan moment when it started pouring and everyone started screaming so loud as if challenging the sky to try to rain harder...deafening. Then, it dropped 20 degrees, started icing and snowing and everyone's clothes froze solid and most people left at halftime. But, that was the loudest I ever heard the Big House.

Mr. Robot

August 25th, 2010 at 10:38 PM ^

In order of loudness:

1. 2009 Notre Dame

2. 2008 Wisconsin

3. 2008 Michigan State

4. 2009 Ohio State

My first time at The Game was actually pretty disappointing. I was expecting it to end up #1, but it simply failed to satisfy. I can speculate on the reasons for that, but I'd rather not. Far and away though, Notre Dame this year was the loudest I've ever heard it. I have only been to the 2007 Purdue game and the home games of 2008 and 2009, so my sample size is limited, but it was pretty nuts this year, between all the constant scoring and the brilliant ending. Wisconsin got pretty crazy too after we started the comeback. Went berserk after John Thompson's pick six. 2008 MSU was louder than 2008 Wisconsin overall, but it never reached the level of the end of that game because it didn't have feature anything extrodinary like the Wisconsin game's insane comeback.

the_big_house 500th

August 25th, 2010 at 11:03 PM ^

Beat me to it! I was about to say the same thing! I would of imagined that place just exploded after Michigan won because that game also has the record right now for most sold out game in the last 10 years if I'm not mistaken? Then again I don't know. Michigan Stadium sells out almost every game during the season for all I know.

SAvoodoo

August 25th, 2010 at 11:22 PM ^

I was at that one, my freshman year.  Definitely loud as hell but different loud than 05 Penn State.  03 OSU was loud the entire time, and just an awesome atmosphere for my first Ohio State experience.  Same game many people rushed the field at the end.  Penn State was loud most of the game (not as loud), but the last play was by far the loudest I've ever heard the stadium.  (Wasn't at Wisco 08, I graduated 07 and am stuck in med school currently)

dosleches

August 25th, 2010 at 11:46 PM ^

In this order, loudest first: MSU 04, PSU 05, OSU 03.  Lucky to be a student in the stands during each one of those games.  I was briefly on TV screaming during PSU 05 too... yup, i'm pretty famous.

RickH

August 26th, 2010 at 12:26 AM ^

Wisconsin '08.  And sorry to be the Debbie Downer but the only thing I'd ever be jealous of an SEC fan is their absolute lack of control come game time.  Unfortunately that attitude lasts all year around and that's why they are SEC fans in the first place...

WolverineHistorian

August 26th, 2010 at 12:37 AM ^

I was at both the 04-MSU (the Braylon show) and 05-PSU (Manningham TD) games and they were loud.  But those games were such emotional wins, I was much too nervous to notice the noise level of the crowd.  In fact, right after the 04-MSU game concluded in triple overtime, while the rest of the stadium was going insane, I had to sit down because I literally felt like I was going to pass out.

One of the loudest games I ever saw on TV?  2000-Wisconsin.  It was a low scoring game (13-10) against a non-rival.  But I was always struck over how loud the crowd sounded on TV from beginning to end.  And when Terrell caught that TD pass from Drew Henson in the 4th quarter?  The noise level was insane.  If you closed your eyes, you would have thought we were playing the Bucks.

WolverineHistorian

August 26th, 2010 at 10:46 AM ^

I just turned 30 a couple months ago.  And I've actually only been to 21 games at the big house, which, compared to many other people here is not that many.  I've never been to a road game.

Most of my knowledge about the scores, lineups, stats and players is not from first hand experience but from reading every book written about Michigan football known to man when I was a teen, reading old articles, watching all the highlight tapes, all the old clips, interviews and even the UM football CD rom that was released in 1995.  Yes, I'm a nerd and not ashamed of it.

Many people are surprised when they first find out I'm not an 80 year old man.

M-Dog

August 26th, 2010 at 1:15 AM ^

being "quiet".  Every big game was loud.  Back then when you could get an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty if the opposing team could not hear, our own coaches and players would signal for us to quiet down.  And yet there were as many blue hair "down in front" types as there are today.

Then in the early 90's, we lowered the field and went away from artificial turf carpet.  These seem to have had a negative impact on the sound.  Sound rises (not falls) and it bounces off hard surfaces.  The lowering of the filed meant the crowd noise rose above the players.  The removal of the artificial turf carpet meant that the sound did not reflect as well off of the playing surface. 

There is no way to test it, but I wonder if the field was raised and the playing surface restored to artificial turf carpet, if the loudness would come back.  

jsquigg

August 26th, 2010 at 1:58 AM ^

People criticize the Big House for being relatively quiet, but why should UM fans be criticized for knowing when to cheer?  I, for one, don't know another place that erupts appropriately for huge plays.  Other stadiums have the architecture and the idiocy to match.

M-Wolverine

August 26th, 2010 at 11:08 AM ^

They've all been hit pretty well. But for loudest games....I find crowds are loud for defense, not offense.  They react and cheer for a big play on offense, but are not consistently loud. That's why JTGoBlue bringing up ND in 97 was a great one to me.  That year, particularly ND and OSU, the crowd was LOUD. Because they knew what our strength was, and wanted to help it.  Great defensive teams get the crowd going. And after that first game vs. Colorado, people not only knew what our strength was, but it was an exciting style of defense, and we wanted to just KILL people out there.  So the fans were more rabid. 

At moment during MSU 04 or ND 09 or whatever, there were moments of explosion...but it was hard to keep that fever pitch when the defense was getting shredded in-between.