Playing on the road in college football can be dangerous, but some traditions make it almost a nightmare for the visitors to leave town with a win.
There’s nothing better than having an electric college football atmosphere, and there’s nothing like giving visitors fear before they take the field. However, there are exceptions to this, like when the setting is just right and the tradition takes over.
Usually, teams like to win on the road and silence the crowd. They also enjoy playing at home and providing a rather uncomfortable visit for the opposition. Yet, there are some traditions so sacred that usually, when it happens, you can expect a mega-upset or a last-second final result that will leave you breathless.
So how do we define that? First, you have to be a reputable program with a storied history. Second, you must provide a gameday experience that draws the attention of television networks and celebrities. Lastly, your place has to be known as “the place where the records don’t matter.
Above everything, though, is the fans. They are the ones that ultimately fuel the gameday experience. Their presence alone is enough to tilt the balance of power in a single direction. More often than not, a crowd can have an impact on how the game shapes out and what it means for a team for the rest of the season.
Now that we got the monologue out of the way let’s take a look at three college football traditions that make a visiting team weary of leaving the locker room, starting in the midwest, where a simple wave on a magical night can be a trap for the visitors.