Exploring the Big Ten through Youtube

Note: This excersize is geared towards an examination of each of the Big Ten teams in honor of Nebraska joining the Big Ten. These videos represent traditions of the conference and are meant to provide a window into each of the different schools.
INDIANA
The Old Oaken Bucket is played yearly between Indiana and Purdue.  Each year, the chain attached to that bucket adds a link, a P for the Boilers or an I for the Hoosiers depending on the victor of the game. 


It is called "The Greatest TV Timeout In All Of Sports".  At the under 8minute timeout in the second half, the Indiana band plays the William Tell Overture as the cheerleaders run the court with all manner of flags, making pyramids and generally rousing the crowd.  This is followed by the fight song "Indiana Our Indiana" which is sung at full throat by the entire crowd at Assembly Hall.

ILLINOIS 
Having been to Illinois basketball games I can attest the Orange Krush is pretty cool. They have a reputation as one of the rowdiest basketball student sections in the country, and it is well deserved.




Illinois has their own tradition with the William Tell Overture.  During halftime at basketball games, the band plays the song as the flags run the concorses of Assembly Hall and the students move back and forth on one foot to the beat.  The whole thing culminates with the Illini warchant and the singing of the Illinois Alma Mater which are two of the best school songs in the Big Ten.  William Tell and the accompanying student section dance are also done during kickoffs of football games. 

IOWA
Nile Kinnick is the greatest hero of Iowa football.  The Hawkeyes lone Heisman trophy winner, his acceptance speech is played before the National Anthem of every Iowa game.  The coin flipped by the Big Ten officials carries a picture of Kinnick, and his likeness is depicted on several statues around Kinnick Stadium.


It is impossible not to mention Iowa without mentioning wrestling.  The Hawkeyes have won 22 National Team Titles (all since 1975) and are one of the two superpowers in the sports along with Oklahoma State.  Former Head Coach Dan Gable is considered the godfather of modern wrestling and the University recently anounced plans to build a statue of him outside Carver Hawkeye Arena.


The Hawkeye Victory Polk ("In Heaven There Is No Beer") is played after every Hawkeye victory, and is often repeated depending on the magnitude of the victory.  Even when the band isn't present, fans will still break out in this song whenever the Hawkeyes win.

MICHIGAN
One of the most well known traditions in college football, the Michigan Wolverines run out onto the field to the strains of "The Victors" and touch the Go Blue banner.


Michigan Stadium seats well over 112,000 people every Saturday.  The recent rennovations have made it louder and it is by far one of the best places to see a football game in the country.


The elephant in the room when discussing Michigan will always be that school down south (you know, the one Brady Hoke only refers to as Ohio).  The rivalry is unmatched and it doesn't last one week, it lasts all year.  Even in my trips to Ann Arbor and Columbus for Iowa games there was still a bigger focus on The Game than the game that Saturday.

MICHIGAN STATE
The MSU-Michigan series is one of the hardest hitting, nastiest football games in the year for Big Ten football.  The Spartns have won the lst three tilts against the Wolverines.


Another great basketball student section in the Big Ten.  The Izzone loops the lower bowl of the Breslin Center and is one of the roudiest student sections in the country.

MINNESOTA
Minnesota likes to chant "Who Hates Iowa" at sporting events, regardless of whether they are playing the Hawkeyes or not.  Minnesota and Iowa play for a bronze pig named Floyd of Rosedale in football.  Minnesota also has thelargest number of trophy games in the Big Ten, competing for Floyd, Paul Bunyan's Axe (Wisconsin), the Governor's Victory Bell (Penn State), and the Little Brown Jug (Michigan).


Williams Arena, also known as "The Barn" is one of the oldest and lrgest basketball arenas in the country.  The stadium gets it's nickname from the large barn like shape of the building and the students have been known to dress up like farm animals for basketball games.

NEBRASKA
The Huskers tunnel walk is one of the best in the nation.  It amps up an already fully loaded sea of red to astounding levels and cranks the atmosphere of Memorial Stadium up sky high.


Nebraska football is riddled with a history of star players and performances.  Mostly I added this because the call at 1:50 may be my favorite non-Iowa anouncer moment of all time.


The Lee Corso clip is the same but the other interviews need to be heard.  Nebraska's fanbase can match and often surpass others nationally in terms of both size and energy.  The Huskers have one of the most passionate fanbases in the country and it is one of their greatest assets.

NORTHWESTERN
The video does a great job of explaining the history and mentality of Laking the Posts.  It is one of those traditions that makes Northwestern one of the more endearing teams in the conferense becasue it accepts the ugly history of Wildcat football but is also reflective of how far Northwestern has come as a program since that time.


Northwestern doesn't have many sports that compete for national titles every year but women's lacrosse is a big exception.  The program is young but the Cats have already won six of the last seven national titles.

OHIO STATE
One of the most well known Big Ten traditions, the self monkered "Best Damn Band In The Land" marhes to Le Regiment De Sambre Et Meuse and forms the cursive spelling of OHIO with a fourth or fifth year sousaphone player dotting the i. 


The Skull Session is another Ohio State tradition.  Prior to football games the band and players hold a pep rally at St. John's Arena where to get the crowd pumped for the game.


Ohio State fans are anything if not passionate.  The Buckeye fanbase borders on cultish insanity but their pride for everything Ohio State and their enthusiasm for their institution is incredible.

PENN STATE
The White Out is hands down the best color out in all of sports.  White Out games at night provide one of the most haunting atmospheres for football in America and it is incredible to the largest student section in the country pulsating with their shakers in unison.


Joe Paterno has had as big of an impact on college football as any man.  When your name is mentioned along with the likes of Bowden and the Bear, it is something special.  Joe Paterno is still going strong at Penn State and his legacy of sportsmanship, class, and integrity will hopefully prosper long after he decides to leave.  His impact on Penn State football and academics is a model for anyone with a desire to coach the sport.


The Nittany Lion's women's volleyball has been one of the most dominant teams in the conference for the past few years. Penn State has won the last four national titles in women's volleyball is looking forward to possibly making it five straight next season.

PURDUE
Purdue is home to one of the largest basketball student cheering sections in the country.  The Paint Crew, referring to coach Matt Painter, is both respected and feared by opposing teams who must battle the noise and energy when they travel to Mackey Arena.


The Boilermaker Express is the Purdue mascot and leads the team out onto the field during home football games.  The train represents the engineering emphasis at Purdue.


The Breakfast Club is a Purdue tradition where the students dress up in Halloween costumes and head out to the bars early in the morning before home football games.  This video of the line outside the bars was shot at 6:30 in the morning.

WISCONSIN
Another well known Big Ten tradition.  At the end of the third quarter in Madison, they blast Hosue of Pain over the speakers and the entire stadium jumps to the music, shaking the stadium.


After the game, the bandcomes out onto the field for a pregame concert known as the fifth quarter where they play the fight song, alma mater, and several favorites including the Budweiser song and Roll Out the Barrel.  This song, a fan favorite titled Swingtown, is done on request and played at the student section.  In case you can't here them the students are doing a call in response where they sing "OOOOO sucks" (refering to the O section of bleachers) in which section O responds "fuck you" to which the other sections respond "eat shit".


Wisconsin is a perrenial top 10 party school and their students know how to have a good time.  Madison is known for a wild party scene.