Matt Leinart says Michigan had the best environment he’s ever seen in CFB
Matt Leinart played on many big stages at USC - including one of college football’s all-time greatest national championships in the Rose Bowl against Vince Young and Texas. He has been to a lot of incredible venues. But… none of those was the best environment he has ever seen at a college football game. That occurred on Saturday, in the Big House - by far the most viewed football game in the country this season. The Game continues to be the gift that keeps on giving.
(great article from Isaiah Hole)
November 29th, 2021 at 3:50 AM ^
Big thanks to all the fans who have finally killed the notion that Michigan Stadium is an easy place to play.
And, it speaks to this rivalry that even after a decade of futility Michigan fans brought this energy to the game.
November 29th, 2021 at 5:56 AM ^
it certainly makes you think of the potential.
November 29th, 2021 at 6:41 AM ^
That potential is off the charts! Think about it - if the ~40,000 red coats would have been Michigan fans, the noise would have been so much louder.
DON'T SELL YOUR OSU TICKETS!!!!
November 29th, 2021 at 6:44 AM ^
There was not 40,000 Ohio State fans. Not even close.
November 29th, 2021 at 7:31 AM ^
I agree that there were not 40,000 but there sure was a lot of "red" there. I wouldn't be surprised if there were 25 -30,000
November 29th, 2021 at 7:58 AM ^
I don’t know how many were there but the cheers for OSU were way too audible on TV for a road game.
November 29th, 2021 at 9:59 AM ^
Television has this new type of audio filter that can zero in and amplify noise from dipshits.
November 29th, 2021 at 1:35 PM ^
I suspect they intentionally put some effects microphones near OSU fans and the OSU band. From Section 24, I could barely hear the band, and the cheers were much, much quieter than they were in 2017 or 2019 from similar seats.
November 29th, 2021 at 10:22 PM ^
The scoreboard might have had something to do with that.
November 29th, 2021 at 8:18 AM ^
Red stands out among the maize.
November 29th, 2021 at 8:44 AM ^
Whoa. You can eyeball the difference between 30k and 40k people wearing red? You sir, are a visual magician!
November 29th, 2021 at 3:50 PM ^
Well I had to give shit to the 2 fucking morons next to me that had on Michigan gear but red coats. I asked them what the fuck they were thinking and they both shrugged like what do you mean?
Some people....
Go Blue!!!!
November 29th, 2021 at 7:57 AM ^
It was rapturous. Something very special occurred at Michigan Stadium on Saturday. Still, there's a part of me--and I know I'm not the only one--that always thinks: "What if these 107,000 people used this energy for some other creative purposes?"
November 29th, 2021 at 8:08 AM ^
Some creative purpose OTHER THAN the eternal battle of good vs evil??
I don’t get it
November 29th, 2021 at 8:18 AM ^
With respect, MGlobules, I think you're overrating the collective creative potential of the Michigan Stadium crowd. I've been there numerous times and, student section aside, have rarely sensed any latent creative impulses in my fellow fans.
When their attention drifts away from the game, they're probably thinking about what they'll be eating post-game, their new car, or something else along those lines. Probably not their next screenplay, painting, or sculpture.
November 29th, 2021 at 9:56 AM ^
During law school, I was right in the thick of the student section. There was tons of potential there. It's the #MichiganDifference.
November 29th, 2021 at 8:22 AM ^
why not both.
November 29th, 2021 at 8:48 AM ^
Don't give humanity too much credit, and be thankful everyday there are sports to distract people.
That tribal, group energy, would be used to start something dumb - like a cult or a war.
November 29th, 2021 at 8:53 AM ^
I think you might truly be the only one who thinks that
November 29th, 2021 at 10:51 AM ^
Have heard various friends express this sentiment through the years. Obviously, we travel in different circles; I'll stick with mine!
November 29th, 2021 at 11:45 AM ^
That is a condescending absolute crap. You are putting everyone down because we agree with acting like a teenager for an afternoon? Really? Come on. Life has been hard for two years and we can't have a moment of losing our shit? SMH
November 29th, 2021 at 9:30 AM ^
Why can't people do what *I* want them to do?
November 29th, 2021 at 9:57 AM ^
Your the guy in my section bitching about the Pom poms aren’t you? Here’s to hoping we never happen upon the same tailgate, or anywhere for that matter.
November 29th, 2021 at 9:58 AM ^
"What if these 107,000 people used this energy for some other creative purposes?"
I'm not optimistic about the "creative purposes" that loons like this would have in mind.
November 29th, 2021 at 8:50 AM ^
I’ve spoken before of how impressively Michigan’s fanbase has resisted the trends in college football depressing in-person attendance. Still, I figured that after last year’s disaster and with COVID still around, this would be the year where the 100k streak could no longer be propped up.
Instead, we got this.
Another thing I was wrong about. Michigan’s fanbase isn’t perfect, but it really is excellent.
November 29th, 2021 at 11:14 AM ^
I think that decade of futility helped us be loud and go nuts on Saturday. We were PISSED. We have found new levels of absolute hatred for Ohio.
November 29th, 2021 at 4:14 AM ^
Hopefully this is a trend....as much as we all like ? and ? only piss and vinegar should be on tap at the Big House.
November 29th, 2021 at 8:21 AM ^
From the perspective of my TV, the stadium looked packed with Maize wearing fans waving their Maize pom-poms. I didn’t see large pockets of red. It was wonderful to see!
November 29th, 2021 at 11:30 AM ^
It was honesty like a scene out of a movie. The crowd, stadium, color pallet, uniforms of both teams on the field, perfect amount of snow, and the energy of such a big game. This was from a 23 inch tv at my parents house! I can only imagine how amazing it was in person.
November 29th, 2021 at 4:18 AM ^
The Big House used to be a fearsome place to play by all teams. Hopefully now it becomes that again.
Go Blue!!
November 29th, 2021 at 4:27 AM ^
After living in KS/CA/CO for 9+ years, I will say that’s because Midwestern football just hits different.
November 29th, 2021 at 8:34 AM ^
On multiple occasions I've gotten the impression that Leinart and Reggie Bush have appreciated the B1G venues they've been at. I'm sure there's dedicated fans at those Pac-12 schools, but you're right that it's just different in the midwest.
November 29th, 2021 at 10:10 AM ^
I think both the B1G and SEC are just different when it comes to college football. It's a core part of the culture.
The Big 12 was already too broad geographically, and then got gutted with Texas and Oklahoma leaving.
The ACC is a basketball conference. Plain and simple.
I can't speak as much to the Pac-12 because I'm firmly an east coaster, but I suspect it has the same issues as the EC....college sports are a sideshow part of the culture. When you have Broadway and Hollywood, you just aren't missing out on much if you choose to ignore college sports.
And just to hammer the point home...I didn't actually know what the "Big Ten" was before attending Michigan. As a Philly native, we enjoyed when one of the local teams was doing well, but that's about it.
November 29th, 2021 at 10:53 AM ^
This is spot on about the Pac 12, at least in Los Angeles. A college football game is _a_ thing to do, not _the_ thing to do. That goes for sports as a whole. The only team that seems to grab the collectively psyche of the city is the Lakers
November 29th, 2021 at 10:45 AM ^
I live in Los Angeles, and while the UCLA (Rose Bowl) and USC (Coliseum) venues are beautiful and impressive in their own right, the atmosphere as a whole is nowhere near what you see at UM or OSU.
I was at the Oregon at UCLA game a month or so ago and it was the biggest game of the week with Gameday, etc. It still felt at times like I was watching a baseball game or something
November 29th, 2021 at 5:47 AM ^
I'm still waiting for my voice to come back! I claim each of those false starts.
November 29th, 2021 at 5:52 AM ^
Pictures or it ain't so.
November 29th, 2021 at 6:43 AM ^
Dude brought receipts!!!
Thanks, Aleng - your contribution is duly noted and very much appreciated!
November 29th, 2021 at 6:53 AM ^
Thank you! The environment was truly amazing. So blessed to have had the opportunity to experience it in person. This was also my son's first game. We set a very high bar!! Go Blue!
November 29th, 2021 at 10:39 AM ^
You're one hell of a dad. Kudos to you. My 10 year old self (or roughly thereabouts) is insanely jealous of your son.
November 29th, 2021 at 7:34 AM ^
Merely a gravely whisper still today.
November 29th, 2021 at 5:58 AM ^
From Matt's lips to the ears of every elite recruit in the country...
November 29th, 2021 at 7:15 AM ^
I was surprised how little red appeared in the stands. I expected it to be once again a major disappointment. Least amount of OSU Fans in the Big House in quite some time. Good job showing up everyone.
November 29th, 2021 at 7:27 AM ^
You're most very welcome. I would have to agree with you on the number of OSU fans. I was expecting to be surrounded by the sombitches. But there were only a handful in our section. And I didn't think there were as many walking around the concourse.
November 29th, 2021 at 8:18 AM ^
It was definitely less than 2019, but there were still a lot of them. The north(I think) end zone was the greatest concentration. Loved that they stuck the OSU band up there, we gave them several goodbye waves as the clock wound down.
November 29th, 2021 at 8:38 AM ^
the away team gets a block of tickets in the "south" endzone. so of course there should be a lot of red there. there were some around me near the osu bench but still a vast minority. i would guess less than 20% overall.
November 29th, 2021 at 7:22 AM ^
No “MAKE NOISE” graphic is ever going to get that kind of response. We know what’s up!
November 29th, 2021 at 7:42 AM ^
Well done to all the Buckeyes who prepped their players telling Stroud and co that the big house was like a neutral site and not intimidating. Stroud felt the ground shaking from his first possession in my end zone and ended with an Ojabo sack. I’ve got zoom meetings all day and my voice is a mixture of laryngitis and gargling glass. My ass bone and legs feel like I got a massage by a tack hammer. Your welcome team and fans.
November 29th, 2021 at 8:54 AM ^
I sound like Fran, the random typical 1977 check out lady from Farmer Jack that chain smokes Virginia Slims at the register. But without the coughing and feathered bangs.
Oh, she also snacks on asbestos.