You know this is something longtime Big Ten fans care about. It is going to be one of the more interesting and fascinating plot points of the Trojans’ existence in the Big Ten.
When USC does play football on the road in the Big Ten, the one thing Big Ten fan bases dearly want — it’s true throughout the conference — is for USC to have to visit their stadium, their locality, in November.
When you stop and realize that bowl games are regularly played in sun belt locations — Miami, Orlando, Pasadena, Glendale, and in domed stadiums if not in a sunny city — the point emerges that SEC teams have not had to play Big Ten teams in cold and nasty weather. Playoff semifinals, BCS bowls, championships games — none of them are ever held in cold weather. Big Ten fans crave the opportunity to play another Power Five opponent in a high-stakes game when the weather environment suits their team, not the team from a sunnier, warmer conference.
This is what USC’s move to the Big Ten will create.
Hawkeyes Wire editor Josh Helmer talked to us about the hunger Iowa fans have. They are eager to host USC in Kinnick Stadium in November and see how the Trojans handle a 40-degree day (or night).
Here’s the podcast episode with that conversation:
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