Historic home venues only add to the excitement for the College Football Playoff

Inside Texas explained Tuesday why Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium is a venue deserving of the honor of hosting one of the first College Football Playoff games held at on-campus locations. Bright lights, big crowds, and great football at the building that encloses Campbell-Williams Field sets up an unforgettable scene in Austin on Saturday, December 21.

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The company DKR keeps is elite. Beaver Stadium is one of the largest in the nation and will be in white out mode for the second time this season for Penn State versus SMU. Ohio Stadium doesn’t see night games that often, and a Buckeye game with high stakes finally gets the primetime treatment when Tennessee comes to town College football history and Notre Dame are synonymous, and Touchdown Jesus will be treated to an elimination game between the fighting Irish and the Hoosiers.

Inside Texas reached out to beat writers within the On3 network covering the programs hosting a home playoff game to learn more about the implications of on-campus contests.

Nate Bauer, Blue White Illustrated (Penn State)

1. Beaver Stadium is a verifiable cathedral of college football. How fitting it that a College Football Playoff game will be played there?

Nate Bauer: “If by “cathedral” you mean an old, European one built before indoor plumbing was a thing, then yes, Beaver Stadium meets the criteria. Certainly, the pedigree of important football it has seen over its decades of use is undeniable. And with a massive stadium renovation project on tap for this offseason, it’s wholly appropriate that the final game in the current version of the structure will be a home College Football Playoff matchup.

The interesting dynamic we’re watching is what attendance is going to be. The secondary market is already robust with face-value tickets, and the timing makes it tricky. The fall academic semester will be over by then, with graduation having been moved in advance to Sunday. Hotel prices are astronomical. Flights will be similarly insane. So, fans of both programs have some choices to make, though I’ll be stunned if it isn’t a festive, unique, excellent environment for college football.”

2. It’s cold in Pennsylvania in December. How do you think that might affect the game?

Nate Bauer: “It’s cold. But, it’s not that cold. Wind and snow would be another story, but that’s a little more unpredictable than just playing a game outside when it’s cold. How that impacts SMU could hold some level of intrigue, but Penn State has plenty of practice playing cold-weather games both at home and throughout the rest of the Big Ten once November hits. James Franklin said on Sunday that he’s hoping for the full cold-weather experience for SMU in their visit to Beaver Stadium. The current forecast is calling for a mid-30s day with a little sleet in the morning.”

Tyler Horka, Blue and Gold (Notre Dame)

1. Notre Dame Stadium is a verifiable cathedral of college football. How fitting is it that a College Football Playoff game will be played there?

“It’s not just that a college football game will be played at Notre Dame Stadium. It’s that the first College Football Playoff game ever played on a program’s home campus will take place at Notre Dame Stadium.
I get it — Notre Dame is not the end all, be all in college football like it once was. Many programs have surpassed that of the Irish on a national success scale in the last few decades. But when you take into account the entire sport’s history, who has a more special tradition than Notre Dame? It’s tough to say anybody does.

“When Dec. 20 comes around, all eyes will be on the venue Knute Rockne, the father of the forward pass and a three-time national champion, made famous by opening it up almost 100 years ago. It’s going to be a night Notre Dame fans will never forget regardless of the outcome, and college football connoisseurs across the country will probably remember it for a long, long time, too.”

2. It’s cold in Indiana in December. How do you think that might affect the game?

“Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said it best; the weather factor is not going to be an advantage for his team considering the opponent is coming up from a mere three hours south in Bloomington. It’s cold and snowy there this time of year as well, obviously.

“But could conditions still play a factor in the game? Of course. Absolutely.

“All 11 guys from both sides on the field are human. If it’s sub-30 degrees on the thermometer with a wind chill below 20 — it’s a good general rule of thumb to always subtract 10 degrees from the actual temperature to get to what it actually feels like up here in the windy Midwest — then those guys are going to feel it. Heck, the football is going to feel it. It’s going to be blowing around on throws and kicks. That will affect the game, for sure, and it will be fun to watch on TV — especially if we get some snow.”

Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row (Ohio State)

1. Ohio Stadium is a verifiable cathedral of college football. How fitting is it that a college football playoff game will be played there?

“It’s fitting because Ohio State is the most recession-proof program in the country, and it plays in one of the most historic stadiums in America, not just in college football. Some of the greatest players of all-time have played in the stadium since it opened in 1922, but no postseason game has ever been played. Add in that it’s a classic SEC vs. Big Ten matchup, and it’s THE perfect setting for a College Football Playoff game.”

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2. It’s cold in Ohio in December and night games at the Horseshoe are rare. How do you think those factors might affect the game?

“Night games in the Horseshoe have only become rare because of what FOX has done to the Big Ten slate, but the night atmosphere is what this fanbase has been clamoring all season for: to get a marquee opponent under the lights in Columbus. That it’s going to be really cold only adds to the theatrics of the atmosphere. Both will be major factors in the Buckeyes’ favor, considering the crowd will be fired up for a night game, and Tennessee isn’t as used to the cold temps as Ohio State is, though it does get pretty cold in Knoxville. All these factors tell me it’s going to be the best setting for a CFP game imaginable.”