Big 10 Championship Game (BIG 10) 2011

College:  Big 10 Championship (Big 10)

Year:    2011

Games:   Wisconsin 42 Michigan State 39

Rating:   4 out of 10

Cost:  Low

Tickets:   Easy.  They were literally giving them away outside the stadium.  

Stadium:   Lucas Oil is very well done.  I don’t generally like domes but this one was 1st class.

Description:  This was actually a very entertaining game, but leave it to the Big 10 and their arrogance to make what should have a been a great night not quite as good as it should have been.  Wisconsin and Michigan State basically went up and down the field the entire game, neither team could stop the other.  Michigan State had the game won and then MSU got called for a roughing the punter call….tough way to lose but the call appears to be legit on replay.  Live it looked like a bullshit call.

Why was the game experience not quite what it should have been?  This game kicked at around 8:30 EST and lasted forever.  FOREVER!  So could we get anything to eat after the game?  No, mainly because Indianapolis is boring and shit closes early, even on a Saturday.   A wise man once said to me about the state of Indiana “It’s stupid. It's a stupid place”….that is the most accurate assessment of that state that I have heard.  When you call yourself "The Crossroads of America" you clearly aren't that confident in your ability to stand on your own.

We did get to see Russell Wilson live…who knew he would have the rookie season that he did.  I suppose that was a highlight. 

Now I do think it is proper to host the Big 10 Championship in Indianapolis.  Take the United States most boring “city” and merge it with the championship game of its most boring conference.  A perfect marriage!  In the future I will be attending the MAC championship game.   Better game, better city.

Don’t Miss:  Lucas Oil Stadium
If you want to make it part of a bigger trip:  You are three hours from Chicago

Avoid:   Taking your car to CarX for an oil change and having them fail to remove the old gasket and almost frying your engine because of it

Attendees:  Bones, Polychronopolis, Col Hans Landa, Park League, Religious Mike

View College Football Trips in a larger map

Game Recap:   http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=313370127

BIG 10 Championship Game Ticket

Auburn (SEC) 2011

College:  Auburn (SEC) 2011

Year:    2011

Games:   Alabama 42 Auburn 14

Rating:   9 out of 10

Cost:  High (it’s the Iron Bowl)

Tickets:  Difficult (Bought last minute on Stubhub)

Stadium:   Jordan-Hare is magnificent

Description:  As far as rivalries go Alabama-Auburn is one of the best in sports.  Alabama has the upper hand on the football field (42-34-1) while Auburn is the clear winner in game experience.  EVERYTHING about attending a game at Jordan-Hare is better when compared with Bryant-Denny, even the name.  Let’s start with THE BEST GODDAMN TRADITION IN SPORTS!  Watching the WAR EAGLE glide from his perch to midfield is among the most emotional things I’ve witnessed anywhere.  I can’t adequately describe it, it has to be witnessed in person.  Here is a vid, it’s not the same but it gives you an idea

Here’s where they release this BAD MOTHERFUCKER.  Watch him fly around, it’s fucking amazing let me tell you.  I could watch these all day.

The stadium is intimate and loud, the tail gate around the stadium is relaxed and friendly.  People just kind of pick a spot and hang out there, it’s the exact opposite of Penn State (and most places) but it works perfectly for Auburn. The campus and town mix together seamlessly.  It’s almost like a big family farm.

The game wasn’t entertaining because Alabama’s defense was so damn good.  When I looked at the 42-14 score I thought two things 1.  I didn’t remember Auburn scoring and 2.  The game was 42-14, but it wasn’t even that close.    Someday Nick Saban will die (well I think he will, no one is quite sure) and Gus Malzon will have Auburn above Alabama and we will return here for another big game, preferably at night.  I want to see a night game at Auburn. 

One additional note:  We brought Dave to this game it was uncomfortably hot.  We really didn't think this one through properly.  Some people next to us took him in for the game.  That kind of shit does not happen everywhere, let me tell you.

Don’t Miss:  Tail gate, Toomers Corner Oak Trees, The WAR EAGLE (if you are traveling a distance to see a game at Auburn you HAVE to get there 30 mins before kick to be safe)
If you want to make it part of a larger trip:  You are only 90 minutes from Atlanta, 3 hours from Tuscaloosa, 4 hours from Tallahassee.

Avoid:   Tuscaloosa

Attendees:  Bones, Polychronopolous, Dave

Game Recap:   http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=313300002

Auburn Football Ticket

Illinois (BIG 10) 2011

College:  Illinois (Big 10)

Year:    2011

Games:   Ohio State 17 Illinois 7

Rating:   3 out of 10

Cost:  Moderate

Tickets:   Moderate

Stadium:   Memorial Stadium is surprisingly decent.  The only saving grace in what was a truly dull day of football.

Description: 

"You can rob me. You can starve me and you can beat me and you can kill me. Just don't bore me!"
-- Gunnery Sgt. Tom Highway (Clint Eastwood), Heartbreak Ridge

We gave Illinois every possible chance to provide a memorable experience.  We waited until they had their biggest game in years (ranked #16, undefeated, hosting Ohio State).  The weather was perfect, the stadium was sold out.  The only memory I take away is that I’ll never attend another Illinois game.

If there was a tail gate I didn't see it. Well that’s not true, I saw one or two parking lots that might have had something other than a funeral going on in them.  It’s important to note that Illinois has one of the best setups for a tail gate: there are massive parking lots around the stadium and the campus in general has plenty of open space.  The stadium was packed but the crowd did nothing to help the home team.  The game itself was a colossal bore. 

Since this was only a couple of hours drive from Chicago it’s not a big deal but this is not a place worth going to if you have to spend any kind of money.  I mean, this fucking campus COULD NOT EVEN SUPPORT AN ANTONIO’S PIZZA PARLOR.  Enough said.  Fuck you Illinois.

Don’t Miss: 
If you want to make it part of a larger trip:  Chicago is 2 and a half hours away.  

Avoid:   

Attendees:  Bones, Polychronopolus, Dave

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=312880356

Illinois Football Ticket

Oregon State (PAC 12) 2011

College:  Oregon State (PAC 12)

Year:    2011

Games:   Oregon State 37 Arizona 27

Rating:   9 out of 10

Cost:  Moderate

Tickets:  Easy

Stadium:   Resser Stadium is almost perfect.   I walked around the concourse in wonder.  It’s a fairly new stadium with a minimalist design.  Nice mix of steel and cement.  Just really well done.

Description:  One of my favorite terms is SHIT EATING GRIN. I’ve pretty much had a SHIT EATING GRIN on my face every time I go to the state of Oregon, it’s one of my favorites.  I had a SHIT EATING GRIN the entire time I was on Oregon State’s campus and the entire time I was in Resser stadium. 

Let me set the stage:  Oregon State was winless, their rival down the road was ranked in the top 10 and has been dominating for the better part of a decade…in short there was not a lot of hope for a decent season for OSU….despite all that the place was packed, the crowd was into the game and the people were friendly.  I sat next to a dude named Keith who was traveling around in his van following college football games.  He was in his 50s and had played at Kent State, lined up at practice across from Jack Lambert.  He said it wasn’t much fun.

The crowd made an otherwise forgettable PAC-12 game between two bad teams fun (I believe this was Mike Stoops last game as Arizona’s coach).  I walked around the campus afterwards with my SHIT EATING GRIN and had a great day.

Also, no matter what I say elsewhere in this shitty blog OSU has the best looking campus I’ve ever been to.

Only complaint was the lack of bars and restaurants around the stadium.  This just have been a great time that year they upset USC in the prime time night game. 

Don’t Miss:  Walking around the campus with a SHIT EATING GRIN on your face
If you want to make it part of a larger trip:  You are two hours from Portland, an hour from the Oregon coastline (home of the most beautiful stretch of coast in the United States and Rouge brewery) and an hour from Eugene. This is one of the better "two birds with one stone" trips you can have as these schools tend to play one week night game per year. 

Avoid:  

Attendees:  Bones

Game Recap:  http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=312810204

Oregon State Football Ticket

Oregon (PAC 12) 2011

College:  Oregon (PAC 12)

Year:    2011

Games:   Oregon 43 Cal 15

Rating:   9 out of 10

Cost:  Moderate

Tickets:  Moderate

Stadium:   Autzen is LOUD.  Reminds me of the old Foxboro Stadium, just a slab of cement that the sound cannot escape from.

Description:  In 2011 I had a meeting to attend at the University of Oregon.  I scheduled this fucker for  the same Thursday Oregon had a home game. Co-incidence? I think not!  I also was lucky enough for Oregon State to have a Saturday game the same weekend. A CLASSIC TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE WEEKEND!  I can’t really even put in words how much fun I had driving around Oregon for a long weekend going to a couple of different games.  It was paradise, Oregon is paradise.  There is nowhere in the US that I have been that is prettier than the Oregon coastline.

Eugene is a very nice college town, campus is immaculate.   Eugene is split by the Willamette river.  There are a bunch of bars right near the stadium.  You can't go wrong there.

As far as the game itself, Oregon is a unique experience.  It’s not quite like a pro game, but it’s not quite a college game either.  We all know the whole uniform movement Oregon has launched (often imitated never duplicated:  right Maryland?).  The game experience is very similar.  It’s a very polished presentation but it retains its own uniqueness.   It’s almost how the pro game wants to present itself but can’t.  The pro game in all the major sports has become the same presentation at 30 or 32 different sites.  The same songs played during timeouts, the same advertisements.  It’s one big game of corporate copycat with a few exceptions here and there.  It’s completely homogenized and yet another reason not to bother with it outside of your living room.  I hope the college game does not go down that path, but I suppose it’s inevitable to a degree.

It was also a treat to watch a Chip Kelly offense live and in person.  It’s a very different experience compared to watching them on TV.   The first few plays of each drive they sort of toy with the defense and then all of a sudden one of their guys is breaking off on a 50 yard run.    Any time they run a passing play two guys are open by 5-10 yards.  Can you IMAGINE if Johnny Manziel had actually gone to Oregon? I mean, sweet Jesus.

Unfortunately at the end of this game there was a bad injury to LaMichael James.  Great player, he was fun to watch both in person and on TV.

Don’t Miss:  The bars right around the stadium, checking out the Oregon campus, the site where Animal House was filmed
If you want to make it part of a larger trip:  You are two hours from Portland, an hour from the Oregon coastline (home of the most beautiful stretch of coast in the United States and Rouge brewery) and an hour from Corvallis. This is one of the better "two birds with one stone" trips you can have as these schools tend to play one week night game per year. 

Avoid:  

Attendees:  Bones

Game Recap: http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=312792483

Oregon Football Ticket

Nebraska (BIG 10) 2011

College:  Nebraska (Big 10)

Year:    2011

Games:   Nebraska 51 Washington 38

Rating:   7 out of 10

Cost:  High

Tickets:   Moderate

Stadium:   Memorial Stadium was a little disappointing. It was jammed into a corner of a campus surrounded by a bunch of other buildings.  No room to breath, seemed a little too big.

Nebraska Memorial Stadium

Description:  Sometimes you are surprised by a place, sometimes a place is exactly what you expect.  In this case the trip to Lincoln was exactly what I expected.   A nice, polite, ultimately forgettable football experience.  I didn’t have a bad time, notice there was nothing to avoid, but it wasn’t a great time either. 

One thing I felt when I was there was that Lincoln was a bit of an angry scene after the game. The drinking after the game felt like a fight could break out at any moment.  I felt the same way at Iowa.  It could be me or it could have been something tangible. In hindsight this was very surprising given how much fun we had at the CWS.

We had a river campsite on the Platte, that was excellent. 

Don’t Miss:   Camping on the Platte River
If you want to make it part of a larger trip:  Lincoln is pretty isolated but you could pair it up with Kansas City (really good spot), Manhattan, KS or Ames, IA. 

Avoid:   

Attendees:  Bones, Polychronopolus

Game Recap:  http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=312600158

Nebraksa Football Ticket