Just picture it: the chips, the dip, the screaming and the shouting. The Super Bowl is in a few days, and Penn State NFL football fans are getting their TVs ready for a day of football and their stomachs ready for a day of eating.

It is time to sport jerseys and team paraphernalia while inhaling as much food as possible, looking up only in time to see a successful drive down the field end with a touchdown.

So, exactly what kinds of foods will Penn State football fans consume Feb. 5? Well, there are plenty of statistics about the eating habits on this infamous Sunday of snacks. According to the Snack Food Association, Americans consume 11 million pounds of potato chips, 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips and 3.8 pounds of popcorn. Not to mention that all this ceremonious eating will set the average person back 1,200 calories, nearly 60 percent of our daily calorie count done in one sitting.

There are a variety of snack food staples that most people bring out for the big game.

Regis Cleary (sophomore-theatre) said his favorite Super Bowl snack is chips and salsa. Sarah Henry (freshman-history) said nachos are her favorite gameday food.

When students were asked what they plan on eating Super Bowl Sunday, many had not thought that far ahead. However, a few students already had a game plan for Sunday.

"Hot wings, and lots of 'em," Tom Marsh (junior-animal sciences and agribusiness management) said. "I think we've got 20 pounds of them. [My family] raises chickens, and we just get the sauce elsewhere and cook them."

Alli Czarnecki (senior-animal sciences) also plans on creating her own Super Bowl food creation.

"Got to have taco dip," Czarnecki said. "You have to make it yourself. It's got sour cream, cheese, ground beef, tomatoes, lettuce, and just all that taco stuff you mix together."

Another Penn Student said Mexican-style dip was a must.

"It's everything you'd put in a taco, in a dip," Josh Ream (senior-animal sciences) said. Ream also mentioned that margaritas are a must.

Mark Demianovich (senior-architectural engineering) said he is going to pull out one of his favorite recipes for the Super Bowl this year, too.

"It's lots of cream cheese and salsa," Demainovich said. "I think it's great. You put a block of cream cheese in salsa in the bowl. You don't even melt it. You just use a chip to dip and tear a piece of cream cheese off with the salsa. Everyone says it doesn't sound good, but then they try it and are like, "Wow, it was surprisingly good.' "

For some people, Super Bowl Sunday is all about tradition, while for others, it's about breaking tradition.

"As a tradition, my family always had pork grinds, which I will not be continuing this year," Alex Parkhill (sophomore-aerospace engineering and astronomy and astrophysics) said. As for other supplies, Parkhill said he needs decent beer, not cheap beer, and of course, ranch dressing. Some people prefer to go home for the big event.

"I'm going to Pittsburgh," Jen Halloran (freshman-business) said. "I'll probably have hot dogs and hamburgers my mom makes."

Speaking of burgers, Zach Appman (freshman-architecture) said he plans on enjoying a "Roethlisburger" hamburger. This 1-pound sandwich of ground beef, sausage, scrambled eggs, grilled onions and American cheese is named after Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. Appman said he always enjoys pierogies on gameday.

Don't have that kind of knack for cooking? Other students plan on relying on dorm convenience stores.

"All the Good 2 Go places have this thing where you fill out this paper, and they'll give you a free packet of food for the Super Bowl," Oscar Cleaver (freshman- secondary education) said. "You fill out a form, and they draw one or two from each place."

But the dining commons have more than that planned.

Janet Decker, the food services manager of Waring Dining Commons at West Halls, said she has plenty of football-related food planned for Sunday.

"We're going to have a 6-foot Italian hoagie, team logo decorated cake and a chips and dip bar," Decker said. "In all the units, there will be Super Bowl parties in the commons. We always try to do something like this every year. Also, staff can wear jerseys to work starting Feb. 3."

For those who plan to order their Super Bowl foods, Andrew Kerwin (senior-political science) said it's better to start early.

"Put in an order out at like 8 in the morning," Kerwin said. "Last year, we called two or three hours before kickoff, and it came like two or three hours after the game ended. Pre-order like Saturday. "That's my recommendation for everyone."

-- Compiled by Erin Prah