What would your fall look like if you had no restrictions on how you spent your Saturday? Every Big Ten game is an option to attend in person as you strive to see the best game, find the best game-day atmosphere and tailgating, or simply follow your favorite team or player on a weekly basis.
That is the premise of our Big Ten Ultimate Road Trip as Brian Bennett, Josh Moyer and Jesse Temple pick one game per week to attend.
We were unanimous with our Week 1 pick (Wisconsin vs. LSU at Lambeau Field) and our Week 2 selection (Penn State at Pittsburgh). But we're shaking things up in Week 3.
Brian Bennett's pick: Ohio State at Oklahoma
Week 3 has some great options in the Big Ten, but few games all season are as enticing and intriguing as Ohio State’s visit to Oklahoma.
This could be a College Football Playoff matchup in just about any year. Both programs are annual powerhouses not just in their respective leagues, but nationally. The Sooners made the playoff last season, and the Buckeyes were the best team to be left out of the four-team field, one year removed from a national title. Both are strong contenders again this year, but Ohio State has a lot more to prove -- and that proving ground begins here.
Urban Meyer will be breaking in 16 new starters and will have two early tune-up games -- against Bowling Green and Tulsa, at home -- to get ready for the trip to Norman, where Oklahoma rarely loses. Meyer’s young defense will be tested by a high-octane Sooners attack that returns quarterback Baker Mayfield and running backs Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon. J.T. Barrett's leadership at quarterback will prove tantamount in the road setting, though his inexperienced offensive line will be in the crosshairs.
Ohio State could lose this game and still recover in time to make the playoff, a la 2014. If the Buckeyes manage to pull off the victory, they will announce themselves as perhaps the cream of the Big Ten crop. Either way, it will be great theater in this all-too-rare battle between Power 5 blue bloods.
Josh Moyer's pick: Michigan State at Notre Dame
Truthfully, you can’t really go wrong with this matchup or Ohio State-Oklahoma. But I'm definitely giving this one the nod because I’m a sucker for history. The Buckeyes and Sooners have met just twice in the past; the Spartans and Irish boast a rich rivalry that’s spanned 119 years and 77 contests. These two haven’t played each other since 2013, so this is clearly a hot ticket. You can’t get a seat on StubHub right now for less than $350.
Plus, the Spartans definitely have something to prove here. They have a Week 1 tune-up against FCS Furman and a bye during Week 2. So Notre Dame will act as the Spartans’ first big test since a 38-0 loss to Alabama in the College Football Playoff. Michigan State’s brand took at least a slight hit in that game, but it can show that was just an aberration with a strong showing against the Irish. That’s something I want to watch up close.
Jesse Temple's pick: Ohio State at Oklahoma
There aren't many opportunities to watch a matchup of two top-10 nonconference teams, with the outcome capable of changing the College Football Playoff power balance. But that's exactly what we have when the Buckeyes venture down to Norman, Oklahoma, on Sept. 17. ESPN's Mark Schlabach lists Oklahoma at No. 5 and Ohio State at No. 9 in his latest Way-Too-Early Top 25. (He also has Notre Dame at No. 8 and Michigan State at No. 15, so there's a reasonable case to be made for the Irish-Spartans game that takes place at the same time.)
Still, I'm taking Ohio State-Oklahoma because of the star power on the field -- specifically at quarterback. On one side, you have Barrett, who set the world on fire as a freshman in 2014 before he suffered a late-season injury. On the other side, you've got Mayfield, who threw for 3,700 yards with 36 touchdowns and only seven interceptions last season. This is the Big Ten's best quarterback (Barrett) against the Big 12's top signal-caller (Mayfield) in a game you'd have to think has a chance to set a new Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium attendance record. Sign me up.