Published Jul 20, 2022
Pack your bags for ultimate 2022 Big Ten football road trip
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Tom Dienhart  •  BoilerUpload
GoldandBlack.com, Associate Editor
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@TomDienhart1

Time is precious. That's why we are here.

We have mapped out the ultimate Big Ten road trip for the 2022 season. Follow this guide, and it will take you to the best game involving a Big Ten team for each week of the season.

So, pack your YETI with Hamm's, grab your Jarts, gas up the Winnebago Chieftain and go ... it's time to hit the road.

Week Zero: Nebraska vs. Northwestern (Dublin, Ireland), Aug. 27

Can’t pass up a chance to raise a pint of Guiness, eat corned beef and cabbage and watch college football.

The Huskers were supposed to play Illinois in Dublin last year, but COVID concerns scrubbed it. FYI: The Wildcats are 4-3 in the last seven vs. Huskers.

Scott Frost just can't lose this game. He can't. He really can't. Can he?

Cheers!

Week One: Notre Dame at Ohio State, Sept. 3

It doesn’t get better than this, right? A College Football Playoff appetizer.

These blue bloods of the plains have met six times with OSU winning the last four. The titans haven’t clashed in Columbus since 1995. Eventual Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George racked up 207 yards with two touchdowns in a 45-26 victory.

Pregame, postgame ... go to the Short North, a hidden gem area in Big Ten country.

Week Two: Virginia at Illinois, Sept. 10

Not much juicy action this week, so we head to Champaign. We will pregame at iconic Kams on Green Street.

This is the kind of game Bret Bielema needs to win. It went badly last year, with the Cavs taking a 42-14 victory in Charlottesville. UVa has a new coach and may be vulnerable.

Gonna call this a "must win" for the Illini.

Week Three: Oklahoma at Nebraska, Sept. 17

College football was a better sport when these rivals played annually. Remember that?

OU prevailed in Norman last year in a game (23-16) that was closer than most thought it would be. The Sooners haven’t been to Lincoln since 2009. OU has won six of the last seven. This is a HUGE one for Scott Frost. And the Haymarket--Lazlo's for a steak--will be packed.

The only thing that would make this day better would be to have Keith "Whoa, Nellie!" Jackson perched above the action to call the game.

Week Four: Wisconsin at Ohio State, Sept. 24

A classic cross-division clash between the schools that typically dominate their divisions.

The Buckeyes have won the last eight and 11 of 12. The Badgers last won in Columbus in 2004. Will this be the first of two meetings this season?

Stop by The Varsity Club on Lane Ave. for some postgame revelry. Get the Hot Sub.

Week Five: Michigan at Iowa, Oct. 1

So, they meet again in a tilt that’s a rematch of the 2021 Big Ten championship contest, which wasn’t much of a contest: Michigan 42, Iowa 3. But know this: Iowa has won the last four in Iowa City.

Walk up and down Melrose Ave. to soak up the pregame ambiance. Smell the smoke. Buy something to eat. Anything. It'll be good.

Week Six: Ohio State at Michigan State, Oct. 8

Could this be the Buckeyes’ speed bump on the way to a national title? Hmmm.

You know Mel Tucker and his cigar won't be intimidated. Remember when Sparty won two of three vs. Brutus from 2013-15? Since then, the Buckeyes have won six in succession. Still, Spartan Stadium will be a wall of noise for this tilt.

Let's meet at the Peanut Barrel on Grand River Ave.

Week Seven: Penn State at Michigan, Oct. 15

This is the "who's gonna challenge Ohio State" bowl.

James Franklin is an aggregate 11-11 the last two years. He needs a bounce back season as he sits on a big, fat contract extension awarded in November.

The Nits won the last time in Ann Arbor, but the Wolverines took last year’s game in Beaver Stadium.

Week Eight: Purdue at Wisconsin, Oct. 22

Could this be a de facto Big Ten West title game?

Regardless, State Street Brats will be hopping. Red brat? White brat? Doesn't matter. Just get one. Cheese curds, too. Then, head over to Camp Randall Stadium.

The Boilermakers may roll into the tilt with a 6-1 or 5-2 mark. But know this: This series has been a real life version of the Roadrunner vs. the Coyote. The Badgers have won 15 in a row vs. Boilermakers dating to a Purdue win in Madison in 2003.

Week Nine: Michigan State at Michigan, Oct. 29

Thank you, Mel Tucker. Thanks for picking up where Mark Dantonio left off, serving as a green throne in the side of haughty Michigan.

As if this rivalry needs more juice.

Tucker is 2-0 vs. Jim Harbaugh. That has Harbaugh’s khakis in a bunch. You know it does. Is this rivalry more intense than Ohio State-Michigan?

No matter who you're cheering for, stop by Zingerman's and get a Binny's Brooklyn Reuben.

Week 10: Iowa at Purdue, Nov. 5

Kirk Ferentz just can't figure out Jeff Brohm. And, it's fascinating.

Under Brohm's watch, Purdue is 4-1 vs. Ferentz, who has lost his last two trips to West Lafayette. It’s true. You know that drives him nuts.

The good news for Iowa: David Bell is gone after he eviscerated Iowa for 37 catches for 558 Yards and 5 TDs in three games.

This game could have a whole lot of meaning. And, hopefully, it's played in a biting mid-North Indiana cold.

Cap your day by picking up a deluxe pizza from legendary Bruno's in the Levee. Bruno Dough, too. Or, head up State Street and eat a Duane Purvis All-American hamburger (it has peanut butter on it) at historic Triple XXX.

Thank me later.

Week 11: Wisconsin at Iowa, Nov. 12

The Ali and Frazier of the Big Ten West could decide the division crown on a frosty mid-November day in Iowa City. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Heck, if we are lucky, there will be some snow swirling in the air. If history is an indicator, Wisconsin should prevail, as it has gone 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.

Fuel up with a pizza from Wig and Pen. Me? I like the Union Jack.

Week 12: Iowa at Minnesota, Nov. 19

Do two coaches dislike each other more than Kirk Ferentz and P.J. Fleck?

No.

The Hawkeyes have won seven in a row and nine of 10 battles for Floyd of Rosedale--the best trophy in college football. Count on this: If either coach gets a chance to rub it in, he will.

Pregame at historic Stub and Herbs, a "cocktail, dining emporium." Yes, an "emporium"!

Week 13: Michigan at Ohio State, Nov. 26

Hide the women and children. The mother of all rivalries will be super-charged with vitriol ... and plenty of College Football Playoff implications.

If it’s possible, the grudge match is even juicier now that Michigan FINALLY beat OSU after losing eight in a row and 15 of 16.

Think Ryan Day remembers Jim Harbaugh’s crack about "being born on third base"?

Fun fact: The Wolverines haven’t won in Columbus since 2000.

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