College Football 2013: Power Ranking the Week 5 Tailgating Sites
Week 5 of the 2013 college football season is fast approaching, and it's time to take a look at where the best tailgating will be occurring around the country.
Week 4 happened, and we can all just promise to never speak of it again. But fortunately, our medicine arrives just seven days later with multiple ranked teams squaring off and a host of interconference matchups highlighting a busy Saturday.
Where will you be? If it's any one of these five locations, you're in for a wild ride from dawn til, well, the following dawn in all likelihood.
If it's somewhere else, you'll still have an incredible time because this is college football and it's impossible to be let down—at least before the game.
Two factors were considered in the creation of this list. First, the game has to be relevant on a national scale. There are a hundred different tailgate sites that you would have an incredible time at, but a big game gives everything a little more electricity.
The second factor was simply looking at all of the great games this weekend and deciding which places would be the most fun to go to.
Here are the top five tailgate sites for Week 5 of the 2013 college football season.
5. Husky Stadium, Washington
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If you don't know about Husky Stadium, you've been missing out on a real gem in the college football world.
The venue was recently renovated, and this profile by Jim Caple of ESPN.com does an excellent job of explaining why the location is so perfect.
The imagery is what makes this spot stand out amongst its peers, because the field is located right next to Lake Washington. On any game day Saturday, you can look out and see hundreds of tailgaters on the water, most with Husky flags and all kinds of food and drink options.
The stadium itself is a loud one, and with the expansion, it may creep into the top 10 places you won't be able to hear yourself think in 2013.
Perhaps the most important part of this spot is that you'll be able to see a team on the rise. Over the past few seasons, the Huskies have been gathering talent in an attempt to not only become relevant again, but to join the conversation of the elite teams in the Pac-12 North.
Arizona visits on Saturday, and while it isn't the biggest home game of the season, it will be the first true test for Steve Sarkisian's group. The place will be rocking, the crowd will be loud and Seattle will be home to one of the best tailgate spots in the country.
4. Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame
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Notre Dame will welcome in the Oklahoma Sooners Saturday in yet another pivotal matchup of the 2013 season.
The school's official website has a nice walkthrough of the various options you'll have on game day.
But this one is all about the rich history and many traditions of the Fighting Irish, and a game against Bob Stoops' team should bring all of it to the forefront. There are plenty of places to tailgate throughout the campus, but simply walking around will give you an experience you won't find anywhere else.
Brian Kelly's team is coming off a 17-13 win over Michigan State in which Tommy Rees and company played just well enough to win. Against the Sooners, it'll have to play a lot better than that.
This recently revisited rivalry should bring out the very best Notre Dame has to offer, from its campus to its tailgating and ultimately its football team.
3. Bryant-Denny Stadium, Alabama
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There won't be many chances this season to experience a truly memorable game at Bryant-Denny Stadium (LSU is the only other ranked team on the schedule), but Saturday is one of them.
The Crimson Tide are coming off a ho-hum victory over Colorado State, but now we'll get to see this team welcome in a decent opponent in Ole Miss, a team that can compete with anyone in the country.
The Quad is the place to be in Tuscaloosa, and starting bright and early it will fill up with tons of crazy fans ready to practice a religion they simply call Alabama football.
All kidding aside, this is a place where you can enjoy the party at all hours of the day, hang out with the fans and then watch Alabama go to work on the gridiron.
As for the game, who knows what to expect? The stadium, like every other place on this list, will be loud and ready to roar from the opening kickoff. If Nick Saban's team plays to its potential, it will provide the kind of show you can't see anywhere else: fast, physical football unmatched anywhere in the country.
On a day with so many great college football environments, Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa stands out as one of the very best.
2. Ohio Stadium (The Horseshoe), Ohio State
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In our tour of the best tailgating spots this Saturday, The Horseshoe lands at No. 2.
It's the site of the Ohio State vs. Wisconsin game, and it will be one of the epicenters of football on Saturday.
This guide does a nice job explaining what the atmosphere will be like, and it has a little something for everyone.
From the early start time to the late-night finish, enjoying Ohio State football is a tradition filled with food, drinks and plenty of games to whet the appetite in anticipation of seeing the Buckeyes take on the Badgers.
The game...well, it's a big one. It may be the biggest challenge for Ohio State this season, as Wisconsin boasts two of the top backs in the conference in James White and Melvin Gordon. The Badgers defense has a few questions, but linebacker Chris Borland is the unquestioned leader who can make plays from anywhere.
If you don't like noise, stay home. The Shoe is going to be crazy-loud, and both teams have dreams of a conference championship in December.
1. Sanford Stadium, Georgia
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Yep, this was an easy choice.
Just check out Bleacher Report's ultimate fan guide on the place. What more could you want?
In addition to the many different food and drink options, Myers Quad offers up an excellent place to relax and enjoy the atmosphere. But on Saturday, ESPN's College GameDay will be there, meaning if you haven't started your day by four or five in the morning, you're already late.
Finally, there's the game itself. LSU comes to town with an undefeated record and the hope that a win over Georgia will finally bring some attention from the national media. The Tigers still have everything to play for, and the defense may be one of the few units in the country that can slow down Aaron Murray and company.
As for Mark Richt's team, an opening-game loss to Clemson may have been just a small blip in the radar. The race for the SEC East title is wide open, and a win over South Carolina gave the Bulldogs an early lead. While a shot at the national title may be out of Georgia's control, it can still show the nation that it belongs in the conversation.
The game has major SEC and national-title implications, the atmosphere will be electric and everything is set up for Saturday to be quite memorable in Athens, Georgia.
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