Michigan State Football: Almost everything about the Penn State game is wrong

A true home crowd at Spartan Stadium in comparison to what may be an influx of Penn State fans attending the game at Ford Field in Detroit is not an ideal thing to happen for Michigan State and their chances of winning the game.  

If Penn State has a chance to capture the division title or increase its likelihood of attending a New Year’s Eve Six bowl game with a victory over the Spartans, you might see a bigger-than-expected crowd of Nittany Lions fans attending the game at Ford Field between Michigan State and Penn State than you would if the game was played at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.

According to the Penn State transportation website, the local and nearest airport in State College, PA is the University Park Airport. It has three airlines with connections to four airports/cities, two of them being through United Airlines in Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, NJ, and O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, IL. Another one is through American Airlines with Philadelphia International Airport, and the last one is you guess it, Delta Airlines from Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

It will be much easier for fans and alums who live near or on Penn State’s campus to fly directly into Detroit to attend a game at Ford Field as opposed to finding a flight directly into Lansing, which is the nearest airport to East Lansing, MI to attend a game at Spartan Stadium. Even if driving to the game, it is approximately a seven-hour drive from State College to Spartan Stadium. It is roughly an hour less of a drive from Penn State’s campus to Ford Field in comparison.

Also, Penn State fans are more likely to want to attend the Michigan State vs. Penn State game as it will be indoors as opposed to sitting outside in more than likely freezing cold temperatures which is almost a guarantee at night in East Lansing on Nov. 24.

Also, lodging in Metro Detroit near Ford Field will be more available and cheaper on average than limited lodging near East Lansing. Penn State fans can pick from many hotels in nearby cities like Warren, Sterling Heights, and Southfield as well as the many hotels in the city of Detroit compared to the greater Lansing area.

If Michigan State doesn’t have seven or more wins entering this game, it would not be shocking that Penn State fans can feasibly occupy 35 to 40 percent of Ford Field for the game. The Nittany Lions fans may be very motivated to attend this game at Ford Field, especially if they are having a great season. It would also be somewhat embarrassing that on national television, the cameras show a sea of Penn State fans at Ford Field in what is technically a home game for Michigan State.