End Zone: Ohio State

10/14/2010

The Union Army used the site during the Civil War, but if those soldiers saw what goes on there now, they might switch sides and train at Ole Miss. Camp Randall has hosted Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, and the Green Bay Packers, but amid all the frivolity, it might be hard to tell which is which.

The fun starts outside, long before kickoff. On fraternity row next door, beer bongs are routed from the third floor down to the porch, apparently by engineering majors. Anyone not in Wisconsin red is bombed with obscenities, likely the result of that clumsy molecular combination of booze, brats, and cheese curd.

Inside, the student section is a seething mosh pit where vulgar cheers are enunciated. They once even peppered the stadium sound guy with lewd expressions and half the peace sign. But rather than rattle the opposition, this wacky, crude collection at Camp Randall seems to inspire them. Ohio State's players expressed an excited anticipation about playing there Saturday. They will pay scant attention to that middle aged man screaming at them from the front row. That's either an imitation Badger on his head or a very cheap toupee.