Planning for the following:
Aug 29:
Memphis @ UNLV – Supposed to be working in Vegas that week; will maybe check out UNLV football in the new Raiders stadium, which by now isn’t that new
Sept 19:
Florida @ Auburn – Another Auburn trip, both teams with new coaches
Oct 10:
Hawaii @ Arizona St – Weather will be cooling off across Phoenix; OOC opponent Hawaii pushed to later in season after a ASU’s London game Vs Kansas in September reshuffled schedule
Oct 24:
Iowa State @ Arizona – Arizona’s homecoming game; ISU should offer an "easier" opponent given how down they’re expected to be
Nov 13:
Illinois @ UCLA – Friday night game; would be first time seeing Illinois in person
On top of all that, might do the Territorial Cup if in Tucson for Thanksgiving weekend, and hoping to go to another dumpy Bowl Game, maybe in the Phoenix area.
For the Auburn trip, there's a Waffle House I always stop for in La Grange Georgia on my drive from Atlanta into Alabama. It's definitely the South in there with the cooks with DIY prison tattoos down their forearms & cigarettes behind their ears like pencils, and the lilting drawl of smiley waitresses idling together at the coffeemaker.
On the wall above the toasters is a picture commemorating the former franchise owner who ran the place for three decades until her recent death. I was able to meet her back around 2018 when her husband started recognizing me - yes, he couldn't tell you the news outside of sports but could recognize customers at yearlong intervals.
