Making travel plans?
Posted: Thursday, July 03, 2008 10:29 PM
If you are a college football fanatic with several thousands of dollars burning a hole in your pocket, here’s your travel plans for a perfect start to the 2008 season. Yeah, I know there aren’t too many in that position right now, but who knows? Somebody’s got to be making money out there.
Begin in St. Louis with the “Arch Rivalry.” We considered starting off in Baton Rouge with BCS champion LSU hosting three-time FCS champ Appalachian State, but figured that there were all kinds of odds going against the probability of that contest being too relevant (plus, it isn’t one of those Tiger Stadium night games). Rent a hybrid car. There’s going to be some driving involved. Tell them you’re going to drop it off in Chicago in a couple weeks.
Aug. 30 – Illinois vs. Missouri (in St. Louis)
In this matchup of teams that made unexpected impacts last season, it will be interesting to see who can get 2008 started off on the right foot at the Edward Jones Dome. The Illini want desperately to shake off an embarrassing showing against USC in the Rose Bowl, but will be without the services of tailback Rashard Mendenhall, who is now a Pittsburgh Steeler. The Tigers, on the other hand, return most of their playmakers and are hungrier than ever to earn a BCS berth this time.
Early the next morning, make the four-hour, 260-mile drive on I-64 to Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium for the “Governor’s Cup.”
Aug. 31 (Sunday) – Kentucky at Louisville
The Wildcats took last year’s Bluegrass Battle, 40-34, in dramatic fashion, which greased the skids for the Cardinals’ slide to mediocrity. Don’t be surprised if quarterback Hunter Cantwell is able to get revenge.
After the game, settle in at Hoops Grill and Sports Bar to watch Tennessee at UCLA. That’s the first of two big SEC-Pac 10 showdowns during the regular season (you’ll be at the second one in three weeks). Spend another day or two in the area. Don’t leave until you’ve taken the tour of Churchill Downs and visited the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. (Although Beano Cook would disagree, there are special things in the sports world other than college football.) After that, you’ve a 530-mile trek in front of you to Happy Valley. Take your time, stop in Columbus along the way and check it out (you’ll be back there later, more on that in Part 3).
Sept. 6 – Oregon State at Penn State
It’s not really a marquee matchup, but certainly an interesting intersectional tilt during a light weekend around the country. We’re advocating this stop primarily because you never really know when Joe Paterno is going to hang up his two-inch-too-short coaching slacks and see what it’s like to not being a football coach for the first time since 1950. You’ll want to tell the grandkids that you saw him stomping up and down the sidelines.
Make sure you check out Berkey Creamery before or after the Beavers get bashed in the massive 107,282-seat stadium that isn’t named after them.
Then, you’ll begin the pilgrimage to South Bend. If you’re a pro football fan as well, you might consider immediately driving over to Cleveland to catch the Browns’ season opener against the Cowboys (beware of the horrific traffic leaving State College). Even if you aren’t interested in seeing an NFL game, a short detour to Canton to spend a day at the Pro Football Hall of Fame is definitely worthwhile.
Sept. 13 – Michigan at Notre Dame
Even though the Buckeyes and Trojans will be playing in the game of the day in faraway Los Angeles, it doesn’t get much better than Rich Rodriguez and Charlie Weis locking horns for the first time. And this game will be Corso-less.
Make sure you’re there at least a couple days in advance. You’ve got to make time for the College Football Hall of Fame and the Notre Dame campus, which has so many places of interest. Don’t even think about missing the famous Fighting Irish pep rally on Friday night. It is a must.
After all that, spend a couple days unwinding in Chicago. If you’ve never been to Wrigley Field, catch the Cubs and Brewers on Tuesday, Sept. 16, before turning in your rental car at O’Hare. Then, it’s time to go west young man. Jump on a flight to Denver.
Sept. 18 (Thursday) – West Virginia at Colorado
Pick up another hybrid at Denver’s wacky airport and enjoy the drive up to Boulder to see how the ones “Rich Rod” left behind are doing.
Folsom Field is one of the most underrated venues in all of college football. The mountain backdrop provided by the Flatirons and the adrenaline rush of Ralphie leading the Buffaloes out on to the field are both breathtaking. And it’s also where Colorado toppled Oklahoma last year.
The Rockies won’t allow a direct route to Tempe, Ariz., so you’re looking at a two-day trip with a nice break in relaxing Santa Fe, N.M.
Sept. 20 – Georgia at Arizona State
It isn’t often that the Dawgs venture this far west (or anywhere outside the SEC), so you’ve got to be there for this one, which is likely to feature two Top-10 teams.
Although it isn’t even remotely similar to the impressive tailgating scene in Athens where the coeds play dress up and chow down over tablecloths, but you’ll still spend just as much time turning your head in and around Sun Devil Stadium.
Highly-ranked teams have a history of taking a tumble in Tempe, so if that happens, make sure you experience all the fun up and down Mill Avenue. Your best bet for festive celebration is ironically “The Library.”
After the hangover subsides, it’s time to turn in the car at PHX and hop on another flight. Your next three games are in the south, beginning at Clemson, via Greenville-Spartanburg International.
Sept. 27 – Maryland at Clemson
If you haven’t seen the Tigers’ downhill entrance after rubbing “Howard’s Rock,” your college football life isn’t complete. Brent Musburger calls it “The Most Exciting 25 Seconds in College Football.” But don’t you just worry that James Davis or Cullen Harper might take a C.J. Spiller down the hill and twist something or get trampled?
The last time Maryland visited Death Valley, the Terrapins left with a 13-12 victory, so don’t just assume that the Tigers will roll in what will be their fourth home game of September.
How’s that for a start? We’ll post October’s entertaining itinerary in a few days.
