Bowl games an end to fun season
Bill Hughes
Pitt took on Michigan State in the Peach Bowl at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Dec. 30.
Submitted photo
Bill Hughes attends the Outback Bowl between Penn State and Arkansas at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on New Year蘑菇视频 Day.
Submitted photo
Bill Hughes attends the Orange Bowl between Georgia and Michigan at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on New Year蘑菇视频 Eve.
With the end of another college football season upon us, it has allowed me to reflect on the sport getting back, relatively speaking, to what sports fans were used to prior to COVID-19 wiping out the 2020 season in person for most fans.
Walking into Camp Randall Stadium on the opening Saturday of the season to watch Penn State and Wisconsin play, it just felt right to be back in a packed stadium. Wisconsin fans have a reputation for being a fun crowd, and they lived up to the billing.
The hype around Jump Around, the 1992 smash hit from House of Pain, in between the third and fourth quarters? Believe it as the experience was something else.
The stadium shook as the home fans were able to experience their storied tradition for the first time in 651 days, and it was awesome to be there for it.
Penn State蘑菇视频 annual White Out game delivered again, with this year蘑菇视频 opponent being Auburn. The Tigers traveled well, including my distant 鈥渃ousins鈥� who live in Auburn.
Who knew there were Hughes鈥� that lived there! Looking forward to seeing them when Penn State heads to Auburn September 17!
As far as the game, there really isn鈥檛 anything like a Penn State White Out. I sat with Rob Kuchar from Perryopolis in his Club seats, and it was a unique view that I had not experienced before at Beaver Stadium. Thanks Rob!
This past July, I started looking at potential bowl games to go see, and a goal of mine as a fan of the sport has been to see all the New Year蘑菇视频 Six bowl games.
Having gone to the Rose Bowl (2017), the Fiesta (2017) and the Cotton (2019) Bowls, I decided I would go to this year蘑菇视频 Peach Bowl in Atlanta and the Orange Bowl in Miami.
I ordered tickets to the Orange Bowl, which was also a College Football Playoff semifinal this year, in July and ordered the Peach Bowl tickets prior to knowing who was playing in the game.
After the bowl games were announced Dec. 5, two pleasant surprises extended the trip by another day.
It was no surprise that Michigan and Georgia were chosen for the semifinal game at the Orange Bowl on New Year蘑菇视频 Eve, and the next game announced was the Dec. 30th Peach Bowl with Pitt facing Michigan State. Then word broke that Penn State was heading to the Outback Bowl in Tampa to face Arkansas on New Year蘑菇视频 Day.
Three games in three days including two local teams!
I flew into Atlanta a day early with one of my tailgating buddies, Curt Chapman. We hit up the College Football Hall of Fame, the Georgia Aquarium and Fox Brothers for some BBQ over the day-plus we had to see the town.
The Hall is special, the Aquarium is the biggest in the western hemisphere and it was great to catch up with one of my former football players, Matt Stark, for some BBQ. I recommend all three places!
On the way to the Peach Bowl, Curt and I stopped at the Fan Fest for a bit. It was there we ran into Brian Skokowski, a former W&J football player who is a coworker of mine at Trinity.
There is no doubt in my mind that had Kenny Pickett played in the Peach Bowl, he would have thrown for over 500 yards and Pitt would have rolled. Unfortunately, he didn鈥檛, and the Spartans pulled the game out late.
Running into noted sports traveler Mark Chesna at the game was fun as well. We have known each other for a while but had never met in person!
It was my first time at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and it is impressive. From its pinwheel retractable roof to the 58-by-1,100-foot ring-shaped video board around its ring, it is something else.
Curt and I flew to Miami first thing the next morning into the 81-degree weather and went around to see the city before heading to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The game was over quick as Georgia rolled past Michigan but being there in a game of that magnitude with two vociferous fan bases was fun.
After the game, Curt and I took off for Tampa and made the drive up I-75. Prior to the Outback Bowl, we hit up the Penn State Alumni and Friends tailgate brunch at George Steinbrenner Stadium, which was a five-minute walk to Raymond James Stadium, for some excellent food.
As far as the game, Arkansas overpowered the depleted Penn State defense in the second half in the 83-degree sunny weather and rolled to victory. Much like Pickett opting out of the Peach Bowl, six Penn State defensive starters did as well and by the third quarter, only two defensive starters in the opener at Wisconsin were on the field.
Of course, those defensive starters being out wasn鈥檛 the reason Penn State蘑菇视频 offense was bad most of the season.
A stop after the game at the Hula Bay Club for dinner and a visit with Alphonso Newsuan, one of my former ball boys and students at Monessen, was a perfect ending to the trip.
Reflecting while on my flight home, it hit me how lucky we sports fans are to be able to go to events again and how fortunate I was to see friends and catch three games in three days.
Even walking out of Pittsburgh International Airport and into 35-degree weather, it was worth it, especially with five of the New Year蘑菇视频 Six bowl games done on my personal journey. Next up, the Sugar Bowl.
Spring games will be upon us in a few months, and then the countdown will be on to the start of the 2022 season!