All week it has been hearing the horror stories.

Tales of the deafening noise and vicious name-calling every team that ventures to Camp Randall must endure. Accounts of an alcohol-frenzied fan base without many inhibitions in its treatment of visiting teams.

The Penn State football team starts its road schedule tomorrow with a trip to one of the nastiest stadiums in the Big Ten.

The Nittany Lions' first road trip of the season will take them into Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisc., in front of a sell-out crowd, which will mean at least 76,634 fans.

The Badgers are 174 -182-25 at home all-time, and 47-25-3 at Camp Randall since coach Barry Alvarez took over in 1990

The last time the Lions were in Camp Randall, in 1998, they fell 24-3 to the eventual Rose Bowl champion Badgers.

The only players on this team that were there were redshirting at the time, so the coaches and those players have spent much of the week telling the younger guys what they would be facing.

"Coach Bill Kenney told us in his scouting report what to expect," center Joe Iorio said.

"He said it was louder than any place we've ever played. He told us that they allow open containers into the stadium, and they sell beer, which makes a lot of difference, Iorio said.

"He told us to expect to be spit on and called names, that they have chicken wire above the visiting team's tunnel."

That mood in the stadium has caused some interesting moments.

Retired Iowa football coach Hayden Fry had peppermint schnapps poured on him by a fan in 1983, and after one game said: "The Badger fans behaved well except for the rotten egg thrown our direction when we came out after halftime."

The fans at Camp Randall are also responsible for one of the scariest post-game scenes in college football history.

After a 13-10 win over Michigan in 1993, which got Wisconsin on the road to its first Rose Bowl in more than 30 years, a frenzied group of students surged toward the field and caused a fence to collapse, critically injuring 69 people.

The Lions have been preparing for the noise. They held practice this week with speakers blaring, a custom for all road games.

"The tackle couldn't hear me when I yelled out the cadence," quarterback Zack Mills said.

"That's probably how it's going to be."

The Lions have been so-so on the road in recent years.

Last year they were 2-3 away from Beaver Stadium, but those wins included thrilling comeback victories over Northwestern and Michigan State, and the losses included the see-saw classic against Illinois.

The Lions also haven't had much success historically at Camp Randall, losing three of their four games there.

Nevertheless, number of players said they thrive on playing for the visiting team.

"Me personally, I love everyone being against me," linebacker Derek Wake said.

"I love it when you're the underdog, and after something you do, the crowd gets quiet. I love to hush the crowd."

For players with that type of mentality, this game is a special treat.

"I love playing in an environment having everyone hate you, and then putting it all to rest," Iorio said.

"I played games in high school when we went into very hostile environments. It just adds fuel to the fire.

"I love it when you have a crowd as energetic as Wisconsin will be, just going in there and quieting them all down. I've always wanted to play at Wisconsin."