The game took place 29 years ago this week. It was the mother of all home games, a visit by Notre Dame, ranked No. 1 nationally with a fleet of All-America talent.
I was a few months into my freshman year at the University of Tennessee. The Vols were ranked No. 9 nationally and also blessed with high-end football talent, especially at receiver.
Campus felt electric all week. A sense of anticipation consumed every waking hour. Friends in my dorm dissected Notre Dame's depth chart and statistics. I acted like Charlie Bucket from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" when I picked up my ticket for the game. " 'Cause I've got a golden ticket …"
More than 97,000 orange-wearing zealots crammed into Neyland Stadium that Saturday. It was college football at its finest. Pure pageantry, two terrific teams and unbridled hysteria all stirred together.
The game matched the hype, or even surpassed it. Hard fought with momentum swings, late drama and, unfortunately, a heartbreaking finish that included Rocket Ismail's 44-yard touchdown run around right end late in the fourth quarter. Until that play, I didn't know it was possible for a human to run that fast.
The Vols lost 34-29, and that stung, but memories of that week and game remain fresh in my mind's eye. I hope some freshmen at the University of Minnesota remember this week similarly three decades from now.
No. 5 Penn State visits the 13th-ranked Gophers on Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium in a clash of 8-0 teams. A legitimate big game under a national spotlight, which, for those new to Gophers football, happens every half-century or so. Or so it seems.
Everyone has an opinion in identifying a historical landmark that underscores this game's importance. The whole "biggest game since …" argument. Mine? Easy, Michigan 2003. This is the biggest home game since that Friday night.