End Zone: UM 9-06

9/6/2012

Earlier this week, I was asked if I'd ever seen a football game at Michigan Stadium. Saturday will be my first experience in the Big House when the Wolverines host Air Force in their home opener. Yes, I'm a novice but I am not alone.

There's a crop of freshmen who will get the authentic Big House experience this weekend, including the 17 who traveled with Michigan last weekend to play Alabama in the Cowboys Classic in Arlington, Texas. Twelve of those 17 freshmen got their first taste of college football when they got playing time against the Crimson Tide in one of the NFL's most grandiose facilities.

Michigan doesn't allow its freshmen on the football team to speak with the media, so it's not easy to gauge what exactly the freshmen thought -- whether they were excited, overwhelmed, running on adrenaline … or near terrified.

Michigan coach Brady Hoke injected some humor into the topic.

"That was … interesting," Hoke said. "It's like babysitting. They're just young. They got on a big boy jet and flied down, playing on a big boy stadium against a big boy team … it's different."

This week, there's a chance those freshmen could get their first taste of Michigan football at the Big House. The Wolverines only hope it's under better auspices than last Saturday's drubbing.