Week 8

SATURDAY, OCT. 21

MICHIGAN AT PENN ST.

AFTER THAT brief ACC interlude, we're back to the Big Ten for one last game, this one pitting two of the best teams the East Division has to offer. Last year this game was a 49--10 Michigan blowout in Ann Arbor, but it's hard to imagine anything close to a repeat performance. Penn State hit its stride mid-year in 2016 and never looked back. Between senior quarterback Trace McSorley and junior running back Saquon Barkley, the Nittany Lions' offense should be explosive. Meanwhile Michigan, which lost most of its starting defense from the nation's No. 1 unit a year ago, will still be a challenge on that side of the ball.

Penn State is still a historic place to watch a game. Soak in Happy Valley, and while you're there, make sure to check out Rothrock Coffee for all your caffeination needs. It's a favorite of the Penn State coaching staff, too.

When you've filled your Pennsylvania quotient, you'll have a long drive ahead; it's 14 hours to Memphis. Break it up with a stop in Cincinnati and another in Louisville, where you can't miss checking out a few of the city's famous distilleries. Once you've sufficiently exhausted your liver, move on to Nashville and then finally Memphis, where you should give yourself sufficient time to eat—Rendezvous for ribs, Gus's for chicken—and check out the city's musical and civil rights history.