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Game Eleven:
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October 8, 1994 I never knew how much I liked purple - not that there was a lot of it in the stands that day. I figured it was because of the cold rain that dampened Dyche Stadium. But, I soon learned that Northwestern has had a terrible athletic history. It had been since 1949 that they had been to the Rose Bowl, or any bowl for that matter. So, even though Wisconsin lost to Michigan State the week before, I felt confident that the Badgers would win easily. However, at halftime, the Wildcats led 14-10. I did want the Badgers to win, but, something inside of me was secretly enjoying Northwestern’s mild success that first half. Perhaps it was the quaintness of the stadium, the catchy fight song “Go U Northwestern,” or the fact that Northwestern was less than an hour from where I lived. Unlike the packed Camp Randall, I was able to run around the stadium from empty section to empty section taking random photos of the surroundings. They had a tired looking tent welcoming NU alumni at one end of the stadium. The proud purple and white stripes on the tent had weathered to a faint lavender and nail-fungus yellow. The hard turf, run-down track around the field, and cramped seating arrangements added to the sadness of the entire football program. Still, I found its charm. The Wildcat fans decked in purple had little to cheer about in the second half as Wisconsin cruised to a 46-14 victory. I was truly relieved about the outcome, yet, I found myself rooting for NU the rest of the season and beyond (except for their clashes with the Badgers). I made a bold prediction at the end of the 1994 season. I stated that NU coach Gary Barnett would have the Wildcats in a bowl next year. I never thought that my prediction would be an underestimate as they would have their miracle season becoming the 1995 Big Ten Champs and Rose Bowl representatives. That's when NU became such a strong part of my football world. Their run for the roses would surpass Wisconsin's 1993 success in shock value. Now, I had two teams worthy of rooting on...
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