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They were just panning over the crowd, kinda zoomed in on me.

… It’s a different type of environment. I made TV. It was one of the most fun games I’ve been to, even though we lost. … It was (quadruple) overtime, anybody could’ve won, and the whiteout was just insane. Heller: I take a loss very hard (but) I couldn’t take that loss very hard. Fans were inviting us to their tailgates, one guy bought me ice cream at the creamery, people were overly nice. … Our expectations weren’t very high and theirs were sky-high. Mickelson: (The fans) were shockingly nicer, maybe because they knew they were gonna beat us pretty bad. There’s signs and people are heckling you and most people were very nice about it, like a very good-natured heckling, but one percent of 100,000 people is still a lot of heckling.

As with any time you’re an away fan, those interviewed had mixed experiences with Penn State fans, but one way or another, it was a memorable experience and the images still stick with them. Most people interviewed were impressed with the atmosphere. The whiteout is seen as an unparalleled experience, especially in the Big Ten. Rosenberger: They make the whiteout their biggest game of the year, so they see it as an advantage, and they move it around.

… I think the impact of the crowd is often overstated, and that’s often especially the case with Penn State because I think the whiteout is more a marketing scheme than an actual difference maker on the football field. Warner: We’ve seen better Michigan teams go into Penn State in a similar environment and win, like in 2015. But when you’re trying to huddle up, the sound is of another - it’s even louder than any other stadium I’ve been to. Rosenberger: I don’t think it (affected) as much for Denard (Robinson), because they were used to going no-huddle all the time and Rich Rod’s teams … called their plays in with hand signals from the sideline. The environment provides what many believe is a built-in advantage for the Nittany Lions. It was just wild to see the whole place shake. Mickelson: From our vantage point, (Barkley) was running towards us. And I was just screaming because we were on defense, and then Saquon Barkley scored very quickly and that kinda shut me up. Warren: (Michigan) started the game on defense, so everyone was silent. There was not a person 90 years old or an infant that wasn’t wearing white. … Even a maize out, people wear gray, people wear white, people wear blue. Heller: It’s something that I’ve never seen Michigan pull off. But everyone in Happy Valley is wearing white except for the away fans there for that game. Warren: I was getting booed the entire time.ĭavidoff: (Penn State fans) were turning to high-five me and I would pull my zipper down and show them the block ‘M,’ the blue ‘M,’ and they were like … ‘What are you doing? It’s a whiteout! Why are you wearing a white Michigan shirt?’ And I laughed, I said ‘I’m a wolf in sheep’s clothing, I didn’t know about the whiteout.’ĭan Mickelson, attended in 20: If you go to a night game in Ann Arbor, life is still going on outside the game. It’s actually very funny because I had a white Michigan golf shirt, like a polo shirt. Ken Davidoff, attended in 2015: I didn’t know about the whiteout until I showed up at the stadium. But Penn State kind of got better at the whiteouts since then. Steve Rosenberger, attended in 20: The first game wasn’t as hyped up … because it wasn’t an undefeated ranked matchup like the one I went to two years ago. But out of like 20,000 in that whole section, it was all white. Actually, there was one other guy in yellow. It is astoundingly white.īrendan Warren, attended in 2017: I was the only one not wearing white in the entire student section. Zack Kessler, attended in 20: This is gonna sound dumb, but it is very white. Kelly Heller, attended in 2013: When you walk into the stadium, you can’t miss it. Penn State is located two-and-a-half hours from Pittsburgh, the closest city, and it ’s hard for casual fans to get to - so those that come are the diehards, and the whiteout game is the crown jewel of every season. Most people interviewed said that the whiteout was unlike anything they’ve seen at Michigan Stadium, perhaps with the exception of the first “Under the Lights” game in 2011.