It’s a matchup that could shape up to be Auburn’s biggest non-conference matchup of the decade. Visiting a place titled Happy Valley for the first time in program history to face a Top-10 opponent in front of a sea of white challenges what you may expect in a week three matchup. Even more so when this Saturday, chances favor the fact this could be the second largest crowd the Tigers have played in front of since 2004.
College football has bestowed the fans with a battle of prestige this week between two Championship hopefuls. Two programs whose history stacks up with the best in the nation dating back to a time before the civil right movement, before a man landed on the moon, and before a world war. Two programs throughout the near entirety of the 20th century faced off just twice and never in a regular season matchup. A coming-of-age story left by the wayside until their paths finally meet again.
Many ways there are to preview a matchup of this magnitude each of which giving a unique perspective to tell an entirely different story.
Through the eyes of the analyst,
Auburn has quite the challenge ahead facing Top-10 opponents historically only posting a 55-101-3 record with only 29 wins on the road in 104 tries. A sold-out Beaver Stadium of 106,572 fans would mark the largest on-campus crowd the Tigers will have played in front of since a 2004 matchup with Tennessee at Neyland Stadium totaling 104,079 (before modifications reduced the size). Penn State has scored a combine 60 points in two games while Auburn scored that amount in just one game.
Through the eyes of a fan,
ESPN College Game Day is on its way to Happy Valley and is the reason I wake up early on a Saturday. For fans going to the game, Penn State will notice a wave of orange making its way through the wake of a larger storm. One can only imagine how loud Beaver Stadium will be on the drive of the game. Mo Bamba (potentially) blasting through the loudspeakers to disrupt any cadence. A once in a lifetime experience summarized by the rumbles and roars of a full house with the entire nation watching. Perfection.
Through my eyes,
Like the Tigers, it will be my first time experiencing a Penn State gameday. From the Press Box instead of the huddle. Seeing Auburn in a hostile environment outside of Jordan-Hare is special in and of itself. Knowing the likes of Bryant Denny, Kyle Field, and Samford Stadium, how different is the Big 10 from the SEC? Another game to set the precedence for one of the toughest schedules in college football starts tomorrow night.
No. 22 Auburn visits No. 10 Penn State Inside Beaver Stadium tomorrow with 6:30 p.m. kickoff. Tune in on the Auburn Sports Network with Andy Burcham, Stan White, Ronnie Brown, Brad Law, and Paul Ellen on the call.
