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Donna and I lucked into a pair of tickets to the Ohio State game last weekend versus Northwestern. It was the perfect opportunity to catch a game since Al from San Fran was visiting for the weekend and already planned to go to the game with our old buddy Troy. I usually get to a game every year or two, but Al hadn’t gone to one in 15 years and Troy hadn’t been in 5.

We bought the tickets at face value (still pretty pricey at $60 a piece) without knowing where they were. Walking into the stadium with low expectations, we were amazed how incredible the seats turned out to be. We were at the endzone, first row, probably 20′ from the endzone’s corner marker. After seeing so many games in the ‘shoe, it was really cool to see this new perspective. At nearly ground level you get a real look at the players’ field of vision and a real appreciation for their speed. There was plenty scoring to watch as the Buckeyes destroyed the Wildcats, 58 to 7. The pictures from my phone just don’t do it justice:

Donna and I headed out to Bloomington, IN to take in the Hoosier’s home opener against Indiana State on this first Saturday of college games. By any measure it was a great Saturday indeed. To sum up the day in no particular chronological order:

First, there was the requisite partying. It started with pregame tailgating with our pal Dave, his new lady friend, Christian, his buddy, Mark, and Donna’s nephew (a two-week-old freshman at IU), Justin. This led to during game gulps of whiskey and coke, while we were joined by more of Dave’s friends from Indy, Heather and Keith. Which was followed by post-game bar hopping, where we were joined by Nigel and Saretta.

Then to sweeten the day was a little score coming from the Big House in Ann Arbor. News of which I got first from Al, all the way out near San Francisco. It was an upset which completely deflated the preseason #5 ranking of every Buckeye’s arch nemesis; An upset which goes into the history books as the first time a 1-AA football program beat a ranked 1-A team. And they did it on Michigan’s turf. Appalachian State, I congratulate you and I thank you!

Lastly, to officially log this Saturday as one to remember, I met Greg Oden. Right before the game our group was walking toward the stadium and right along one of the grass parking (tailgating) lots stood Mr. #1 Draft pick…all seven foot of him. There’s little mistaking Oden when you see him, but it still took me a minute to process it..him? at a football game? in Bloomington? Actually it makes enough sense since only a year and a half ago he was attending high school in Indy. I imagine he has friends who went to either IU or ISU and was having a little fun before he starts cashing checks in Portland. EDIT – Turns out Greg blogged about his weekend here.

There was a little commotion around but now much, so I walked over and Donna snapped the pic below. I told him how I went to OSU way before his time, and thanked him for the awesome season and wished him luck.

And let me tell ya…Oden doesn’t look 19 when you’re right up close either. Weird.