Shannon Ryan: The Big Ten kicked off its long-awaited football season — but nothing about it felt the same

MADISON, Wis. — Inside and outside Camp Randall Stadium, the senses of the college football season were gone.

Usually on Saturday afternoons, walking down State Street is like navigating herds of Times Square pedestrian traffic.

But for Friday night’s long-awaited Big Ten season opener between Wisconsin and Illinois, small groups of college students, bundled up against chilly weather, tried to make the most of it — but the mass of people who usually descend upon Madison, Wis., were absent.

Even the smell of grilled bratwurst in stadium parking lot tailgates was noticeably gone.

A pre-pandemic digital sign welcoming “THE MOST PASSIONATE STUDENTS IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL” to the stadium was a cruel reminder of what used to be.

Instead of more than 80,000 fans screaming to create one of college football’s most raucous environments, there was a fake soundtrack of fans and a “murmur” soundtrack piped in to the empty stadium. The traditional third-quarter playing of “Jump Around” that makes the stadium sway was played only in a snippet and felt like blasting music at a party nobody showed up to attend.

Cardboard cutouts of fans in bottom rows were the only carbon-based forms taking up space in the stands as no bands, cheerleaders or even Bucky Badger were permitted into the stadium.

After Wisconsin throttled Illinois, 45-7, in the opener, the victorious Badgers walked off the field without applause.

“It was just quiet,” Illinois quarterback Brandon Peters said.

This is Big Ten pandemic football.

It could have been called The Post-Apocalypse Bowl. All that was missing was a tumbleweed blowing across the 50-yard line.

COVID-19 forced the Big Ten to take necessary precautions to try to reduce the spread of the virus while still continuing with an American sports tradition — and continuing to make money for the conference and universities, of course.

After initially setting a safety-first standard in August and postponing the season, the Big Ten held a second vote less than two months later after watching most other Power Five conferences proceed with play (and some outbreaks). The Big Ten decided to kick off the season in October, citing daily testing and other protocols would make it safe enough to compete.

The question remained on Friday: Why was this game happening at all?

The U.S. on Friday hit its highest COVID-19 case numbers since the pandemic began with at least 82,900 new infections. Hospitalizations increased in 38 states, many in the Midwest.

Wisconsin’s positivity rate had hovered around 20% — or higher — most of the week. In some parts of the state, 90% of intensive care unit beds were full, according to reports citing the office of Gov. Tony Evers. On Wednesday, a patient was admitted to a makeshift field hospital at the state fairgrounds.

Not everyone followed the governor’s and university chancellor’s requests to watch the game from home.

“Everyone is going to flood the bars, and we’re going to see a spike in two weeks,” said sophomore Rex Wenger, who planned to watch the game at home with three roommates and a friend. “We’re probably in the minority.”

Many college students, of course, maintained a semblance of their natural habitat.

Neighboring houses on Monroe Street saw young women dancing on a balcony while a group of young men next door stood on their roof chatting to them.

Students said some college bars charged as much as $200 to reserve tables at establishments ordered to limit capacity to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Hours before kickoff, mask-wearing students at popular State Street bars showed their IDs to watch the game inside. Large houses near the stadium appeared crowded with more than residents even after the game ended.

Opting to watch the game at home seemed safer and cheaper to some. But some Badgers fans said it still was disappointing to miss the season opener in person.

“This is just the icing on the cake of COVID,” Wisconsin sophomore Connor Harrison said.

Will Hazen, a senior, sat on a patio with roommates, socially distanced from other tables, enjoying a few pregame drinks. He said they planned to return to their six-person apartment to watch the game rather than attend parties or bar hop, as they did other years.

“There’s still a lot of camaraderie,” Hazen said. “I think they made the right decision with no fans. If it was full capacity, I probably wouldn’t go (to the game). If it was limited capacity and spaced out, I probably would.”

Illinois fell to 0-2 in pandemic games.

Entering Friday, the Illini had played only one other game in their history without fans, losing 7-0 to Municipal Pier on Oct. 26, 1918, during the Spanish flu pandemic. Almost 102 years later, they failed to score an offensive touchdown yet again.

Illinois players seemed insulted they were pegged as heavy underdogs considering last season’s upset of the then-No. 6 Badgers. After that Illini win, a clever Memorial Stadium worker piped in “Jump Around” for some extra salt in the Badgers’ wounds.

It has been awhile since that song was played as intended.

Illinois and Wisconsin — the first Big Ten teams to compete since sporting events were canceled in March — were tested every day since practices began and brought a tested-negative roster into the game.

Illinois’ travels kept them limited to their charter flight, hotel, a team bus and the stadium.

The Illini stayed in a hotel Thursday night outside Madison and were the only guests. The hotel told them they were the only guests in months, actually.

Illinois coach Lovie Smith appeared to keep his neck gaiter in place over his mouth and nose, while Wisconsin’s Paul Chryst struggled to follow the mask-wearing rule. Even in his postgame on-field television interview, his mask hung below his nose.

The coaches bumped elbows on the field at the end of the game instead of a traditional midfield handshake.

This was the Big Ten’s stab at normal during the most abnormal of times.

“It was really different,” Chryst said. “The game itself, talking to the players, it felt like a game. No doubt it was different, but I thought the guys handled it well. There was good energy on the sideline, good energy exchanged, different units coming in.

“This team enjoyed the opportunity to play, enjoyed seeing each other, (getting) their chances to play. When guys made plays, (they) celebrate it. No doubt it was different, but nonetheless it was fun.”

It always is for the winning team.

There were a slate of conference games Saturday, then eight more games without a break to help determine the Big Ten not-so-regular regular-season champions. A team with a COVID-19 outbreak could dethrone itself and, in the grander scheme of life, prove this was an experiment of folly.

Until then, it’s walking a tightrope and playing on.

As weird and quiet as ever.

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