Dan Murphy, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Vote: Best Big Ten game setting -- Michigan State vs. Maryland

This afternoon we introduced this year’s Big Ten blog bracket challenge where you get to decide the best places to spend a Saturday in the fall. The Midwest is home to some of the biggest venues and most beloved traditions in college football. Now it’s time to start narrowing down the best from the rest.

Next up is our 7-10 matchup, which is usually good for at least one upset in the March Madness brackets. In our tournament, it pits the recent powerhouse Michigan State against one of the conference newcomers, Maryland. The winner here goes head-to-head with Penn State next week. You have until midnight on Wednesday to cast your vote.

No. 7 Michigan State vs. No 10 Maryland

Tournament résumés:

 Michigan State: Fans at Spartan Stadium have had plenty to cheer about in the past five years, but head coach Mark Dantonio and athletic director Mark Hollis haven’t tried to hide their continuous struggle to make sure all 75,000 seats are filled. Tailgating stretches across a large part of the surrounding area, leaving plenty of places to park and set up a grill for the afternoon. Fans welcome players at the stadium tunnel hours before kickoff. Once inside, the “Go Green! Go White!” chorus echoes around the stands throughout the game. The movie “300” also gave the fans a new chant to bellow on command. The eight-story press box helps hold the sound inside the stadium.

Maryland: Football and crab-covered soft pretzels. That’s what Maryland does. Basketball is still the top dog for this Big Ten addition, but Maryland is doing what it can to entice fans to Byrd Stadium. The student section features a live DJ, and concession stands sell a massive soft pretzel covered in cheese and crab meat that weighs in at 1.5 pounds. The sizable video board features flashy videos that match the school’s Under Armour-inspired branding. The students also float a giant version of the state flag over their heads during part of the first quarter. Outside the stadium, locals say the best place to head for highlights and a night cap is Cornerstone or other nearby restaurants on Route 1 in College Park.

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