Big Ten – Page 2 – COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOUR

October 22, 2022November 8, 2022

Game 325: Minnesota @ #14 Penn State

Known as the greatest show in sports, the white out at Penn State is a dizzying display of school spirit. Typically, invites are reserved for traditional powerhouses such as Michigan or Ohio State. On this night, Minnesota would be making its first trip into the lion’s den for the famed white out. As it often has in the past, the decibels reached such deafening digits in Beaver Stadium that the Gophers were unable to get the snap off on their first offensive possession. Being forced to function with a backup quarterback set the Gophers with an additional disadvantage.

October 8, 2022October 10, 2022

Game 322: Wisconsin @ Northwestern

A week of turmoil ended blissfully for the Badgers, while Northwestern has now found themselves in a free fall.

In a stunning move six days prior to this game, the Badgers fired their successful head coach, Paul Chryst. Overall, Wisconsin has maintained a strong level of winning consistency. However, victories in the critical games have been a daunting hurdle, such as Big Ten title games or regular season games against Ohio State. When former Wisconsin head coach, Bret Bielema, brought his Illini into Camp Randall and decimated the Badgers, that became the final nail. Paul Chryst was on the chopping block.

September 24, 2022November 6, 2024

WASHINGTON – HUSKY STADIUM

Husky Stadium lies on picturesque Lake Washington in Seattle. Home to the Washington Huskies, the scene has become one of the most iconic in college football. The purple and gold have reigned in the Pacific Northwest since 1889, and it’s a program abundant in tradition. Autumn Saturdays in the Emerald City provide a gameday saturated with passion and pageantry.

September 24, 2022September 29, 2022

Game 320: Stanford @ #18 Washington

Washington stormed into this contest boasting a surprising 3-0 record. Having just defeated #11 Michigan State, the Huskies are beginning to see a season full of promise ahead. Today began their Pac-12 journey as Stanford rolled into Seattle. The Cardinal were not experiencing the same success as the Huskies, but conference games are never to be taken lightly.

September 17, 2022September 21, 2022

Game 319: New Mexico State @ Wisconsin

Washington State’s upset over Wisconsin last weekend exposed the Badgers and their predictable rushing-based offense. Four-star QB recruit, Graham Mertz, seemed to only have one or two stars lit on the field. Overall, the defense played well, but the offense had many errors to correct, especially when it came to fundamental execution. While this outcome was phenomenal for the visiting Cougars, it was probably the worst case scenario for this week’s opponent, the New Mexico State Aggies. Wisconsin would come out well-practiced and angry. The Aggies were the punching bag.

September 10, 2022September 15, 2022

Game 318: Washington State @ Wisconsin

Expectations for maintaining a consistently strong program is an annual outlook for the Badgers. Coming off a strong shutout of Illinois State, Wisconsin was set to host Washington State, a team coming off a less impressive victory over Idaho. In the off-season, Camp Randall Stadium had undergone a facelift with upgraded seating in the south end zone and the renaming of the field after coaching legend, Barry Alvarez. These improvements only add to the expectations for a successful season and increase the hype for an even brighter future.

November 20, 2021December 4, 2021

Game 312: Purdue vs. Northwestern

This was Northwestern’s bowl game – Wrigley Field. It really should be the site of a postseason bowl game – the College Football Tour Windy City Bowl, perhaps? But, I digress. After winning the Big Ten west division two of the last three years, the Wildcats have slipped back to the Big Ten’s basement. This battle against the surging Boilermakers in “the friendly confines” offered Northwestern a bowl-like experience.

October 30, 2021November 2, 2021

Game 310: Minnesota @ Northwestern

These Wildcats are not reminiscent of the 2018 and 2020 teams that won the Big Ten west. The defense has taken the hardest hit with the departure of their highly regarded defensive coordinator, Mike Hankwitz. The Gopher ground game would take advantage of Northwestern’s defensive rebuild all afternoon sending the purple closer to bowl ineligibility.

October 16, 2021October 20, 2021

Game 308: Army @ Wisconsin

Two one-dimensional offenses clashed for a laborious slogfest. Both teams relied on their run games and stubborn defenses. Occasionally, a forward-pass page in the playbook would be dusted off. But, these teams knew their strengths and had no intent on entertaining the packed house in Madison. Every play had fans seeking a recline function on their seat backs.

September 25, 2021October 1, 2021

Game 306: #18 Wisconsin vs. #12 Notre Dame

Meeting in the middle in Chicago, Notre Dame battled Wisconsin for the first time since 1964. The headlines leading up to this matchup circulated around the quarterback matchup. Senior Jack Coan, Notre Dame’s signal caller, just had transferred from Wisconsin where current freshman quarterback, Graham Mertz, had just nudged him out of the starting position. The drama surged with discussions of which quarterback would prove himself more worthy. In the end, inexperience would be the difference as Wisconsin literally threw the game away.