College football creates a special kind of camaraderie, even between fans of varying teams. Fans love to sit around the tailgate and discuss every topic under the sun related to the game we all enjoy.

In the Tailgate Talk series, we discuss random college football topics ranging from hypothetical situations to actual events within the game. Read the opinions of SDS contributors and chime in yourself in the comments below.

What is the best college football gameday atmosphere you’ve ever seen?

Ethan Levine (@ELevineSDS):

The Rose Bowl has the best college football gameday atmosphere I’ve ever seen, even though I’ve not yet had the good fortune of attending the game. One of the things that makes college football great is its pageantry and tradition. Every school has its own traditions and rituals and distinguishing characteristics to set apart its fan base from the rest, but the Rose Bowl’s pageantry and traditions are universal though out college football. Aside from the national championship, the Rose Bowl remains the premier postseason spectacle in college football. There’s no better way to spend a cold New Year’s Day than to watch 100,000 fans packed under the California sun watching two of the best teams in the country put it all on the line.

Jon Cooper (@JonSDS):

I had the privilege of attending the 2007 BCS National Championship Game (2006 season) between Florida and Ohio State. The Gators were huge underdogs, and Ohio State fans were buzzing before the game. It was an electric atmosphere prior to kickoff. This particular game set the domino effect for the SEC’s dominance. Once Ted Ginn took back the opening kickoff, Ohio State fans made the stadium rattle. However, it was pretty quiet thereafter, as the Gators dominated the Buckeyes 41-14.

Brad Crawford (@BCrawfordSDS):

I haven’t been to all 14 SEC stadiums and I’m missing a few big ones (Texas A&M and LSU most obvious), but the pre-game scene prior to South Carolina’s home win over top-ranked Alabama in 2010 was as electric as I’ve ever seen Columbia, S.C. and the surrounding area near Williams-Brice Stadium. College GameDay was in town on the Horseshoe in the center of campus and thousands of Crimson Tide fans — with RVs aplenty — never saw what was coming a few hours later on the road in the SEC. A sellout afternoon crowd watched perhaps Stephen Garcia’s best game ever during a South Carolina upset win. It was a quite an experience both during and before the game.

Brett Weisband (@BWeisbandSDS):

Thursday night games in Columbia were always something different. No one would go to any afternoon classes on those game days and the town seemed like it shut down. This game, just the fourth of my college career, was as wild as any, with Kentucky coming in ranked No. 8 and Carolina at No. 11. If memory serves me, it poured right up until kickoff. That clearly didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits, as students were ridiculously loud as “2001” blared before kickoff. A few minutes into the game, the Gamecocks sacked Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson right at the Kentucky goal line, with Eric Norwood picking it up for the score. To that point in my life, I’d never heard a stadium louder than that moment.

Kevin Duffey (@KevinDuffey):

When Tennessee played at Florida in 2001, it was quite a unique situation. The game had been moved to December as a result of 9/11. The game was played on Dec. 1, 2001 (and the SEC Championship Game was pushed back a week). If the uniqueness of having a Florida-Tennessee game to cap off a season were not enough, the title stakes were as big as it gets as well. Tennessee was ranked No. 6, and Florida was ranked No. 2. The winner would win the east, play for an SEC Championship and be a likely candidate to play Miami in the national championship (especially if Florida won). While Tennessee was fantastic, Florida was considered the favorite and considered for most of the year as a national title contender.

As a freshman student at University of Florida, I began my student career assuming championships were a regular part of Gator football. Of course, Florida lost to Tennessee that night mostly as a result of Travis Stephens rushing for 226 yards. A month later Spurrier resigned and my next three years were hitched to Ron Zook. Despite the crushing loss, of which I witnessed from five rows up in the end zone, the game was incredible. Travis Stephens said it all: “That stadium is the loudest stadium, college or pro…I’ve never been in a stadium as loud as Florida’s stadium. … LSU is pretty loud. Georgia is pretty loud. But there’s nothing like Florida.”

Of course you want your team to win, but being able to be a part of a day and night like Dec. 1, 2001 where two top teams leave it all on the field for a chance at a championship while the crowd stands and screams for 60 minutes straight is what makes college football the best.

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In the comments, what is the best gameday atmosphere you’ve seen?