Had a great experience at the Horseshoe

[NU-Dog]

I had never been to Columbus, and I considered it a bucket list sort of deal. I was a bit apprehensive about how my daughter and I would be treated, as we're both NU alums and would absolutely be wearing purple.

Well, their fans may not have the reputation of Nebraska (and I've been to Lincoln), but the experience was just great. Many OSU fans thanked us for coming and were gracious throughout the day. I was very pleasantly surprised.

Great game too. Tremendous effort by the Cats.

 

[1711 Cardiff]

You mean you weren't verbally and physically assaulted by the Huns that roam Columbus? Glad you had good trip. You guys have a nice team.

 

[NCRNU71]

I had never been to Columbus, and I considered it a bucket list sort of deal. I was a bit apprehensive about how my daughter and I would be treated, as we're both NU alums and would absolutely be wearing purple.

Well, their fans may not have the reputation of Nebraska (and I've been to Lincoln), but the experience was just great. Many OSU fans thanked us for coming and were gracious throughout the day. I was very pleasantly surprised.

Great game too. Tremendous effort by the Cats.

I also had a favorable impression of the OSU fans. We were completely outnumbered (couldn't have been more than 2000 NU fans wearing purple out of the 107,000), but everyone we came in contact with was polite and we got zero harassment.
Now, the fans at Ann Arbor are an entirely different story. But, the worst I have ever encountered was at Nevada when we were there a few years ago.

 

[lou v]

I had never been to Columbus, and I considered it a bucket list sort of deal. I was a bit apprehensive about how my daughter and I would be treated, as we're both NU alums and would absolutely be wearing purple.

Well, their fans may not have the reputation of Nebraska (and I've been to Lincoln), but the experience was just great. Many OSU fans thanked us for coming and were gracious throughout the day. I was very pleasantly surprised.

Great game too. Tremendous effort by the Cats.

My son and I had the same experience. OSU fans were welcoming and gracious. We had several people welcome us and wish us luck before the game, and even more congratulating us on a well played game afterward. We hooked up with my OSU Rivals buddy Kevin Noon at an OSU tailgate before the game, and everyone was happy to give us as much food and drink as we wanted.

We only experienced a couple negative comments all day, and they were by student knuckleheads who were obviously drunk. (By the way, how can Ohio Stadium serve beer? I thought that was illegal for campus venues).

I had been to the Shoe once before, in 1997, and fans were downright mean that time and my buddies and I were accosted several times. It could be because OSU fans didn't perceive NU as a credible threat this time around (unlike in '97, when NU was coming off of two Big Ten titles), or because I'm much older now and I was with a 15-year-old kid. Whatever the reason, it was a very pleasant surprise.

Thanks, Buckeyes.

 

[groucho75]

Probably I'll always have a low opinion of Buckeye fans but I'm glad to hear things went well for those who made the trip. I had wanted to make this my road game for the year but a confluence of circumstances dealt me out.

In 2002 I had a confrontation with some OSU fans and still think I should have risked a felony to teach them some manners. Of course their return trip in 2004 was the great upset. After two years simmering in my blood thirst I was ready to sink to their level -- and I did. A Buckeye fan cutting in front of me for the restroom got a polite indication of where the line formed. After his careless glance back at me and then away, I got my left hand on his collar and my right hand on his belt, swinging him 180 degrees and curtly directing him to the back of the line. He made some whiny crack about what my problem was and after I turned towards him, some of his elder Buckeye fans gave him good advice: Young men casually fight for sport. Middle-aged men only fight when they're ready for nothing to lose. Someone in scarlet and gray told the early-twentysomething that a guy who is over thirty, has blood in his eyes and has already laid hands on you once is just a bad choice to prove yourself to no one in particular.

After the game, I'm not ashamed to admit I went around talking trash at the top of my voice, sucking around for trouble even though I was quite literally outnumbered by a ratio of fifty to one. It was good news for all parties involved that nothing else happened.

I told you that story to tell you this one. The 2013 game, when ESPN Gameday was on the lakefront, the ratio of fans was about 45:55 (still in OSU's favor but a dramatic improvement) and the game was tight for three-and-a-half quarters, a change had arrived. No more picking on the 'Cats on or off the field. Our recruiting was poaching quality recruits from their own backyard. We had a program and a coach so clean they squeaked compared to Ol' Sweatervest. We still lost games against teams that were easy on paper, but seemed to smack around top 25 land-grant football powerhouses like Iowa and Nebraska with ease.

I won't look for trouble with Buckeye fans anymore, as long as it seems they know to do the same.

 

[WhiskersMagee]

Probably I'll always have a low opinion of Buckeye fans

In 2002 I had a confrontation with some OSU fans and still think I should have risked a felony to teach them some manners.

After his careless glance back at me and then away, I got my left hand on his collar and my right hand on his belt, swinging him 180 degrees and curtly directing him to the back of the line. He made some whiny crack about what my problem was and after I turned towards him, some of his elder Buckeye fans gave him good advice: Young men casually fight for sport. Middle-aged men only fight when they're ready for nothing to lose. Someone in scarlet and gray told the early-twentysomething that a guy who is over thirty, has blood in his eyes and has already laid hands on you

After the game, I'm not ashamed to admit I went around talking trash at the top of my voice, sucking around for trouble

That's quite a resume, Groucho. I'm guessing fans of Northwestern opponents who've encountered you through the years have a low opinion of Wilcat fans. Congrats to being a hypocritical meat-head.

 

[groucho75]

That's quite a resume, Groucho. I'm guessing fans of Northwestern opponents who've encountered you through the years have a low opinion of Wilcat fans. Congrats to being a hypocritical meat-head.

I've been attending B1G college football since 1992 and always deplored bad behavior by fans. Show up and root for the team. If they win, it's not like you deserve any credit. If they lose, then you have no trash to talk anyway. I never thought I'd be That Guy until I was at the '02 game and four or five guys in their early twenties used the c-word towards my 62-year-old mother (NU football fan since 1961 and game attendee from the Dark Ages on). This is the sort of thing that's beyond forgiveness but I didn't throw hands; I told them they were mighty tough to talk that way to a woman, much less one who hadn't done anything except sit quietly and cheer when the 'Cats made good plays.

After I spoke to THEM about sportsmanlike behavior, then I became the target of abuse. "We'll see how hard he is!!" they laughed at top volume. Fortunately for OSU, they overcame two fumbles by future jailbird Mo Clarett and pulled off a win in the late going. I could have really lost it as I walked past the Lead Smirking Punk on the way out, but I didn't.

In '04, I knew what I would be up against: a crowd of tools who would get abusive like they had something to do with a win over 1-3 Northwestern. I kept my yap shut after getting out of the stadium and took the el back to downtown Chicago. The entire car was full of Buckeye fans but I didn't say a word. When I got off, south of Wrigleyville, (i.e. a ten-mile ride on public transit) a woman in Buckeye gear saw my NU football t-shirt and remarked, "You've been on this train the whole time and have said anything to anybody?"

"I don't need to say a word."

"I guess you're right," she said.

And that was the point I was getting at if you bothered to read my whole post: I'm pleased to say that I've had good experiences with fans from in-conference and out of conference, even Notre Dame and Illinois, both of which like to consider Chicagoland their territory. I treat other fans with respect if they do the same. If they don't, then fire will be met with fire. And around NU football, I applaud the Buckeye fans (even the drunken immature ones that you hopefully deplore too) that think it's just not a fight worth picking anymore.

Come by the east parking lot next time you're at a game in Evanston and I'll gladly pour a Bloody Mary for you and any other Buckeye fans that prefer watching football to talking trash.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Great to hear about the graciousness of the OSU fans. B1G fans in general are very cool. There might be some exceptions.

 

[SimpsonElmwood]

I took my 10 year old daughter to the game and was more than a bit concerned about the environment in Columbus. We enjoyed our visit throughly and will gladly go again. Took an Uber to campus from downtown with no problem. We went to the NU tailgate at the Fawcett Center, which was more lively than anticipated. Dr. Jim and Morty spoke; Morty should believe in the team a bit more.

I was impressed with the overall logistics at the stadium - getting people through the gates at a rapid clip, concession and bathroom lines, etc. were all vastly superior than what we typically experience at Ryan Field. The NU section in 10AA was half taken over by OSU fans, but those who were around us were friendly and well-behaved. People were cheering hard on both sides but were respectful of each others' views. I was impressed by the fact that you can buy 2 tall boys at a time and even more impressed that no one around us were intoxicated.

The fans going into and leaving the stadium either left us alone or were very nice to us. We walked from the stadium back to Short North, which is a long but pleasant walk. I suspect the outcome was ideal for good behavior overall. I believe an OSU loss would have brought out a more hostile element (the booing prior to their punt when we were tied at 17 was very ominous), and a blowout win might have done the same too.

We loved visiting Columbus. The food in particular is great! We went to The Pearl for dinner on Saturday and had one of the best breakfasts ever at Skillet in German Village before flying out. I'd go back again, and next time with a Cat victory.

 

[ColumbusCatFan1]

We loved visiting Columbus. The food in particular is great! We went to The Pearl for dinner on Saturday and had one of the best breakfasts ever at Skillet in German Village before flying out. I'd go back again, and next time with a Cat victory.

Right?

Having been to all the major Midwestern cities I've found Columbus to be at the top of the heap (outside of Chicago) when it comes to food.

 

[polecat]

My son and I had the same experience. OSU fans were welcoming and gracious. We had several people welcome us and wish us luck before the game, and even more congratulating us on a well played game afterward. We hooked up with my OSU Rivals buddy Kevin Noon at an OSU tailgate before the game, and everyone was happy to give us as much food and drink as we wanted.

We only experienced a couple negative comments all day, and they were by student knuckleheads who were obviously drunk. (By the way, how can Ohio Stadium serve beer? I thought that was illegal for campus venues).

I had been to the Shoe once before, in 1997, and fans were downright mean that time and my buddies and I were accosted several times. It could be because OSU fans didn't perceive NU as a credible threat this time around (unlike in '97, when NU was coming off of two Big Ten titles), or because I'm much older now and I was with a 15-year-old kid. Whatever the reason, it was a very pleasant surprise.

Thanks, Buckeyes.

If they don't respect your team they are nice. Come back to the UM game in a few weeks and wear a UM hat and see what you think of the mouth breathing knuckle draggers.

 

[NJCat]

If they don't respect your team they are nice. Come back to the UM game in a few weeks and wear a UM hat and see what you think of the mouth breathing knuckle draggers.

Sadly, this is true for all of the real rivalry games. No different for Bama-Auburn, Texas-aTm, or Duke-UNC in hoops. Deep, deep, in-bred hatred. NU-Illinois is like a family reunion compared to those few games.

 

[NU 71 72 74]

Wow, what a wonderful trip. tOSU fans were great, our fans made a fine showing and a game we could have won -- topped off by perfect October weather. Lots of color left in the trees for us Florida types.

.02

and, Go Cats !

 

[CatFanEd]

I had never been to Columbus, and I considered it a bucket list sort of deal. I was a bit apprehensive about how my daughter and I would be treated, as we're both NU alums and would absolutely be wearing purple.

Well, their fans may not have the reputation of Nebraska (and I've been to Lincoln), but the experience was just great. Many OSU fans thanked us for coming and were gracious throughout the day. I was very pleasantly surprised.

Great game too. Tremendous effort by the Cats.

6 in my family including me walked around campus in purple before the game and after and were treated graciously all afternoon. Not the greatest seats for NU fans but the jumbotron makes the game watchable. Traffic bad around the stadium but the game atmosphere was incredible. We almost pulled it off but the team showed incredible poise.

 

[pawildcat]

I've had mixed experiences at Ohio Stadium, but I'm glad it went well for most of you. I did enjoy the food when I was in Columbus.