Big Ten coaches have nightmares about playing at Kinnick Stadium, and for good reason

Iowa is on the road this weekend in Ann Arbor, but that didn't stop multiple Big Ten coaches from giving Kinnick Stadium some respect.

The Hawkeyes are extremely difficult to play against on any given Saturday, but even more so at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa Hawkeyes fans are raucous, tailgating early and continuing it late into the day. Nearly 70,000 screaming fans pack Kinnick Stadium every weekend during football season, making it difficult for opponents to think, let alone play. The Big House in Ann Arbor is another extremely tough place to play, but while Iowa is on the road, fellow Big Ten programs are having nightmares about playing at Kinnick.

Several Big Ten coaches labeled Kinnick Stadium as the toughest venue to play in

The Big Ten has some of the best venues in all of college football, including the "Big House" in Ann Arbor (home of the Michigan Wolverines), Beaver Stadium in University Park (home of the Penn State Nittany Lions), "The Horseshoe" in Columbus (home of the Ohio State Buckeyes), and Kinnick Stadium, which makes for great football during the season. Before Iowa and Michigan battle on the gridiron, several coaches have called Kinnick one of the conference's toughest venues.

All Hawkeye fans know how fun it is to be at Kinnick on Saturdays, and they are one of the main reasons Kinnick is such a tough place for opposing teams to play. With 70,000 screaming fans right on top of you, teams don't just come into Kinnick Stadium and get an easy win. When asked about the most difficult road venues in the conference, Curt Cignetti (Indiana), Pat Fitzgerald (Michigan State), Greg Schiano (Rutgers), and Luke Fickell all listed Kinnick Stadium, and it makes sense.

Iowa should have knocked off Indiana last season, spoiling what became a perfect season, but Mark Gronowski was injured in the third quarter, forcing Hank Brown into action. Brown did not have a good quarter and half, and Indiana escaped with a 20-15 win on the way to winning its first National Championship in program history. Pat Fitzgerald is in his first season with Michigan State, but had many classic battles against Iowa at Kinnick Stadium while he was Northwestern's head coach. Luke Fickell also knows very well how tough it is to play at Kinnick as Wisconsin's head coach, especially when there's a trophy involved.

Kinnick Stadium has always been a tough place to play, especially at night. Just ask Penn State and Ohio State what happens when you're a highly ranked team at Kinnick on a cold fall/winter night. This season, Iowa hosts Ohio State, Wisconsin, Purdue, and Nebraska, giving Kinnick Stadium four more chances to live up to its reputation of being one of the most difficult venues for opposing teams to play in.

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