Ranking college football’s top five environments in Week 7
By Jordan Cox
Published:
Week 7 provided another entertaining week around college football. If you watched games in Starkville, College Station or Waco and weren’t riveted, check your pulse.
Looking back at Saturday’s schedule of games, let’s take a trip around the country to the five best environments in Week 7:
1. Davis-Wade Stadium, Mississippi State
Starkville, Miss., was the epicenter of the college football universe this weekend and it did not disappoint. A record 62,945 packed Davis-Wade Stadium and even braved a downpour to see the darlings of college football knock off No. 2 Auburn, 38-23. By all reports, it was mind-numbingly loud.
I attended a Clash concert in ’83. Tossup which is louder: that or Davis Wade Stadium at present.
— Pat Forde (@YahooForde) October 11, 2014
2. Kyle Field, Texas A&M You’d think it would take a monstrous crowd to set a Texas state record for attendance at a football game. And it did; 110,633 filled Kyle Field on Saturday night. Unfortunately for the Aggie faithful, Ole Miss won convincingly but the 12th Man showed up early. With A&M downsizing to 102,000 next season, this record is likely to stand for a long time to come.
Looks like an electric atmosphere at Kyle Field tonight. #MISSvsTAMU — Saturday Down South (@SDS) October 12, 2014
3. McLane Stadium, Baylor
I think someone forgot to tell Baylor and TCU that it isn’t quite basketball season yet. But what a game, huh? A crowd of 46,803 saw Baylor erase a 21-point second half deficit to win 61-58. The Bears got a classic win in its brand-new stadium on the water, and though some media members felt TCU won in the battle of new stadiums.
First time at Baylor’s McLane Stadium and one of the wildest games I have ever seen breaks out! #baylor #tcu pic.twitter.com/HjQdNonCvT
— Kevin Jairaj (@kevinjairaj) October 12, 2014
4. Memorial Stadium, Clemson It was an ACC battle between Clemson and newcomer Louisville. Few traditions are cooler than the Tigers rubbing Howard’s Rock before running down the hill as hundreds of orange, purple and white balloons are released into the air. A sellout crowd of 81,500 descended on the Upstate of South Carolina on Saturday afternoon, and made quite the ruckus according to ESPN’s Joe Schad.
I’ve never heard a crowd louder than Clemson’s Death Valley RIGHT NOW
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) October 11, 2014
5. Cotton Bowl, Dallas
Can you remember a time in which the Red River Rivalry was not at the top of the list of best college football games of the weekend? There were big games in the state of Texas, but this one wasn’t one of them. Over 87,000 filled the Cotton Bowl in the midst of the Texas State Fair and few sights are prettier than the stadium split down the middle with half in burnt orange and the other half in crimson.
After living in Birmingham, Ala., Jordan left the ground zero of SEC Nation to head south to Florida to tell the unique stories of the renowned tradition of SEC football. In his free time, his mission is to find the best locales around.
