College: The University of Tennessee
Year: 2015
Game: Oklahoma 31 Tennessee 24 (2 OT)
Rating: 10
Cost Index: Moderate
Tickets: Moderate
Cost Index: Moderate
Tickets: Moderate
Stadium: Neyland Stadium
Let's start with Neyland Stadium....I think it's my new favorite. I honestly can't believe they can put 100K people in there, by the size of the stadium you would think it's closer to 80k. The place is loud, right up there with Penn State and Oregon. I'm not sure of the correct adjective to use describing being there....maybe comfortable? The fans aren't overly obnoxious, the place is loud and there are a lot of people but you never feel like you don't have enough room or that you are crammed in, which is rare for bench seating.
Outside the stadium is excellent as well. Neyland is not one of those stadiums on the edge of campus. It sits right in the middle of campus, next to the river. The Volunteer Navy pulls up about 1/4 mile away (note: you can rent boats there if you want that tail gate experience). There is a bar down by the river called Calhoun's. Downtown Knoxville is nice, there isn't much to it, a few bars and restaurants in the Market Square area and a few more in Old Knoxville. The only downside is Cumberland Street, it's kind of dumpy in stretches with the fast food joints and hotels.
This was a close game, not a great game. Tennessee is young and up and coming and should have won this game. They dominated Oklahoma for most of it but they couldn't close them out. To their credit, Oklahoma kept fighting and tied the game late. They did get the benefit of the whistle, especially on a questionable PI call (the only rule in football that we can't get right).
Before the game we were hanging out at City Brew, which is a huge brew pub in the center of Knoxville. We were sitting with two other random guys watching the Jacksonville State vs. Auburn game (Auburn was almost upset) and these three Oklahoma fans (two guys and one woman) turn on a goddamn soccer game and sit down like we weren't even there, to the point the four of us just looked at each other and started laughing. I'm used to rude behavior, most of the time I put up with it, but then this woman looks at me and says "Doesn't this make the whole game better?" I told her "No, it doesn't" and by the reaction on her face you would have thought I called her mother a cunt. Instead of apologizing she just starts blabbering on about how this soccer rivalry (Manchester United & LIverpool I think?) is like the Red Sox Yankees or some line of bullshit and all I could think of was "go walk into a bar in London right now and turn on an American football game and see how that goes over." Eventually this shameless twat and her nullo husband and his friend left. Note to women: just because you convinced one guy to marry you does not mean that anyone else gives a fuck about your opinion or wants to listen to your incoherent ramblings. Whenever Oklahoma loses this year I'll think of those three and how miserable they are, I'm looking forward to it.
Don't Miss: The Volunteer Navy
Avoid: Cumberland Street (at least the side by the hotels and strip malls)
Avoid: Cumberland Street (at least the side by the hotels and strip malls)
Attendees: Bones, Polychronopolus
Game Recap: http://espn.go.com/college-football/recap?gameId=400603868
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