Best Games to see in Person by Week

[BermudaSooner]

So this English guy I do some business with wants to have a "client outing" to a college football game--bring 10-15 guys this fall (me included, I hope!). Since everyone who knows me knows I'm a bit of a fan (slight understatement), he asked what games would be good to go to. The goal is not necessarily to get the #1 vs #2 game, as most of these guys won't care, but rather for the full game experience, hype, ect.

Following is what I told him--let me know if I left one or two out.

Sat, Sept 2 - USC at Arkansas - not much happening the first weekend.

Sat, Sept 9 - Ohio State at Texas. Should be #1 vs #3. Huge game early in the season in a great party town- Austin. Last year was an excellent game going down to the very end.

Sat, Sept 16 - Oklahoma at Oregon. #5 vs. #20. Played an exciting game in last year's Holiday Bowl. Corvalis, Oregon is supposedly a great place to watch a game, but long way to go.
Nebraska at USC. #22 vs #3. Match-up of history rich traditions. Unfortunately on West coast and at laid back USC. Game atmosphere not as good as other places.

Sat, Sept 23 - Notre Dame at Mich St. -

Sat, Sept 30 - Alabama at Florida - good SEC game. Good place to see a game.

Sat, Oct 7th - Texas at Oklahoma - #5 vs #3 Huge rivalry game. Played at neutral site (Cotton Bowl) in Dallas during the Texas State Fair.

Sat, Oct 14th - Michigan at Penn State. Night game in great college town - State College, Pennsylvania.

Sat, Oct 21st - Alabama at Tennessee. Slow week, but traditional SEC powerhouses. Good game atmosphere.

Sat, Oct 28th - Georgia at Florida - World Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Jacksonville, Florida

Sat, Nov 4th - Virginia Tech at Miami, Florida. Big game, but not the crazy Southern US football fans.
Oklahoma at Texas A&M - bizarre fans, great atmosphere.

Sat, Nov 11th - South Carolina at Florida. Not many big games this weekend

Sat, Nov 18th - Auburn at Alabama. Huge Rivalry game. Great atmosphere.
Michigan at Ohio State. Huge Rivarly game. Unbelievable atmosphere. 105,000+ fans.

Sat, Nov 25th - Florida at Florida State. Big Rivary game. Good atmosphere. Thanksgiving weekend could be an issue for some.


The best games are: Michigan v Ohio State, Oklahoma vs Texas, Auburn vs. Alabama, Georgia vs. Florida, but you couldn't go wrong with any of the above, or home games for: LSU, Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame or Texas A&M.

[fadada1]

buffalo v. akron

[boomrsoonr]

Gotta include the Army/Navy game in all time rivalries. Even if they both suck.

[Octavian]

The goal is not necessarily to get the #1 vs #2 game, as most of these guys won't care, but rather for the full game experience, hype, ect.
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Sat, Oct 7th - Texas at Oklahoma - #5 vs #3 Huge rivalry game. Played at neutral site (Cotton Bowl) in Dallas during the Texas State Fair.

Sat, Oct 28th - Georgia at Florida - World Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Jacksonville, Florida

can't go wrong w/ either of those two

that's a pretty awesome spot to be in

[Boomer_Sooner_sax]

Sat, Sept 16 - Oklahoma at Oregon. #5 vs. #20. Played an exciting game in last year's Holiday Bowl. Corvalis, Oregon is supposedly a great place to watch a game, but long way to go.

Correction police, but I think this game is in Eugene, Oregon.:pop:

[soonerboy_odanorth]

Burmuda... ya got kind of a slow start right out of the gate....

USC-Arkansas on the 2nd?

Try Florida State at Miami in prime time on Monday night the 4th!

[tbl]

Dude... Isn't this one a no brainer???

Sat, Oct 7th - Oklahoma vs saxeT

[HarrisTubbsFan]

Sat, Sept 16 - Oklahoma at Oregon. #5 vs. #20. Played an exciting game in last year's Holiday Bowl. Corvalis, Oregon is supposedly a great place to watch a game, but long way to go.
I didn't know Oregon played in Corvalis. I think Oregon State plays there.

[TJKDone]

Given what is predicted to transpire this year, I think I'd substitute:

SC vs ND on 11/25/06 in LA

for Florida, FSU.

I think it may have more national implications this season.

Hook'em

[HarrisTubbsFan]

I think that there's a chance both USC and ND have down seasons. ND is getting too much hype for their offense.

[Joe87OU1]

Dude... Isn't this one a no brainer???

Sat, Oct 7th - Oklahoma vs saxeT


Ditto

[BermudaSooner]

Dude... Isn't this one a no brainer???

Sat, Oct 7th - Oklahoma vs saxeT

Yes, well I'm not paying and needed to give him options for every week. I'm definitely pushing for Oct 7th.


Corvallis, Eugene - whatever. It is the Pac-10.

[BermudaSooner]

Burmuda... ya got kind of a slow start right out of the gate....

USC-Arkansas on the 2nd?

Try Florida State at Miami in prime time on Monday night the 4th!

Needs to be a Saturday game. USC-Ark is the only game with the possibility of being good at a stadium with enthusiastic fans.

[caphorns]

ND v. Michigan State is NOT a big game because Mich State hasn't done anything in years. I hate to say it but Louisville v. WVU on the 11/4 is probably a big game given that these teams will probably be in the hunt at that point in the season.

[starclassic tama]

i thought usc nebraska was at nebraska...

[The Maestro]

I hate to break it to you, but the biggest game of the week on September 16th doesn't involve Big 12 or Pac 10 teams...it's LSU at Auburn in what could possibly be the SEC title game. Top ten matchup. If Auburn wins don't be surprised to see them in the "Soon To Be Named" national title game.

[soonerboy_odanorth]

Ok, if money were no object and the goal was to truly get a snapshot of college football in America, here's the schedule this year with comments:

Sat Sept 2nd - USC @ Arkansas... talk about your clash of cultures, nice early season inter-sectional matchup of programs with history

Mon Sept 4th - Florida State at Miami.... a nasty rivalry and South Beach

Sat Sept 9th- Arizona at LSU... gotta catch a Saturday night in Death Valley, and a decent matchup (upset?) in the making

Sat Sept 16th- Michigan at Notre Dame... the history, the rivalry, the bands and fight songs, Maize & Blue, Golden Dome, Rockne, Yost and on and on

Sat Sept 23rd- Sacramento State @ Montana... I almost opted for Hawaii at Boise State which should be a shootout on the smurf turf and is right up against the mountains... but it's time to see a lower division game of a traditional power and it is played ON a mountain... But you could do Boise instead, either would give a good taste of Mountain Time Zone football

Sat Sept 30- Texas Tech at Texas A&M... the grand (or wacky, whichever you prefer) tradition of A&M and a pretty nasty (recently) rivalry...sawing off varsity's horns and swaying decks and kissing after touchdowns

Sat Oct 7th- OU/Texas... a top 5 rivalry in the middle of the state fair and one of only a handful of neutral site games played annually...

Sat Oct 14th- Minnesota at Wisconsin... gotta do a Big Ten trophy game, this one the battle for Paul Bunyun's Axe, Madison is a rockin' college town, beer & brats & cheese, the 5th quarter...

Sat Oct 21st- Alabama at Tennessee... a nasty southern rivalry, Roll Tide v. Tennessee Navy in front of 100,000+

Thurs Oct 26- Clemson at Virginia Tech... a newer tradition, but Thursday nights in Blacksburg are supposed to be a blast... and should be a good game

Sat Oct 28th- Washington State at UCLA... gotta do some So. Cal football in La La land, might as well be at the Rose Bowl...

Sat Nov 4th- Washington at Oregon... Pac10-Northwest football in a great locale and a good rivalry game...

Sat Nov 11th- Princeton at Yale.... Ivy League game a must on the college football watching resume, history, etc., especially since Yale fairly defined college football in its infancy...

Thur Nov 16th- Miami(OH) at Bowling Green... time for some mid-major football at a great site and featuring "the cradle of coaches"...

Sat Nov 18th- Michigan at Ohio State... at the " 'shoe"... pretty much all that needs to be said...

Fri Nov 24th- Colorado at Nebraska... Thanksgiving weekend football, and sorry NU, it IS a rivalry whether you like it or not... and one of the truly important places on the college football landscape..."the sea of red"...

Sat Nov 25th- Grambling State vs. Southern... the Big Easy and a great competition between the teams and, as importantly, the bands...

Sat Dec 2nd- Army vs. Navy... in Philadelphia, again pretty much 'nuff said.

[BermudaSooner]

Thanks Soonerboy. Some good suggestions. It looks like Mich at OSU will likely be the game, but possibly the Bama/Tenn.

[olevetonahill]

If you have the option then it should be Any OU game :cool:

[VolinArizona]

Cal @ Tennessee will probably be a closer, more exciting game than USC @ Arkansas.

[tbl]

I hate to break it to you, but the biggest game of the week on September 16th doesn't involve Big 12 or Pac 10 teams...it's LSU at Auburn in what could possibly be the SEC title game. Top ten matchup.

While I won't be watching this if it's going head to head with OU/UO, I would agree with this statement, simply b/c Oregon will finish lower ranked than those two teams. We might be playing one of those two teams... ;)