Ranking the best “Alliance” road games for Iowa football fans

First and foremost, we don’t know how this so-called alliance between the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 will really play out.

Me, I’d get a perverse kick out of the SEC telling the ACC “What do we have to do to put you behind the wheel of a real alliance?”

But let’s say the BAP (B1G, ACC, P-12) happens and Big Ten teams pick up a game each year against an ACC and Pac-12 team in football. Were I an Iowa fan who felt compelled to travel to every game — and such people do walk among us — the alliance would have me prioritizing.

Namely, where would I like to travel for nonconference games, and where would I not?

I’d like a lot of them, actually, because they would be new experiences. One of the best things in this life is visiting places you’ve never been, doing things you’ve never done. Those are two things, actually.

Football-wise, of course, it’s all about the lore as much as the locale. There isn’t really that much lore to sort through, though. Notre Dame, however, has it.

So here is my rankings of the 27 ACC/Pac-12 football schools as destinations:

1. Notre Dame. I’m assuming Notre Dame really is part of this cabal. It’s kind of murky, like the whole concept in general. But let’s count the Irish in for now. Iowa hasn’t played there since 1967. Let’s go! And when I say go, let’s drive. This is the one of the 27 options that’s within 450 miles of Iowa City.

2. Clemson. Yeah, it’s in South Carolina, which isn’t the same as southern California or the Rocky Mountains or the Pacific Northwest. But it’s a football giant, and the atmosphere there looks pretty interesting on TV.

3. Washington. The team is usually good, and Husky Stadium sits high above Union Bay on Lake Washington. And it’s in Seattle, a great American city.

4. USC. Yes, the Hawkeyes owned the Trojans just two seasons ago in San Diego. But USC is USC in the L.A. Coliseum, with the gladiator riding the noble white horse, Traveler.

5. UCLA. The cheap shot here is it would give Iowa an actual chance to win a game at the Rose Bowl. The non-cheap shot is that it’s the Rose Bowl. If you don’t like the Rose Bowl, you aren’t really a college football fan and I’m surprised you’ve read this far.

6. Florida State. The Seminoles have fallen in recent times, but there’s still plenty of winning history hovering over that stadium.

7. Oregon. I’ve been to a game at Autzen Stadium. Beautiful backdrop. Eugene is a great college town. And the Ducks are almost always formidable.

8. Colorado. It’s right there with Oregon for a great setting, and actually tops it. Except the Buffaloes have been less feisty than the Ducks. Boulder has the Pearl Street Mall, and that’s a good thing. It’s a drive-able trip if you’re into driving across the moon.

9/10. California and Stanford. Culture shock for some of the guests from Iowa. Hey, welcome to a place where the football teams aren’t the center of the universes.

11. Miami. If the Hurricanes played in a campus stadium, I’d rocket this up the list. But they play out where the Dolphins do.

12. Louisville. Interesting city, a place Iowa has never played, and it has a pretty good football following. Plus, Churchill Downs has live racing in September.

13. Pittsburgh. The Hawkeyes have played there twice in the Kirk Ferentz era, or I’d rate this higher. But I love going there. I think it’s a great American city, and if the Pirates are home the same weekend as they were the last time Iowa played there, you have to go just to see their wonderful ballpark.

14 through 24 in no particular order: Boston College, Duke, Washington State, Oregon State, N.C. State, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Virginia, Utah, Wake Forest. They would all be new to Iowa, and I’m sure all would be fun in their own ways.

25 and 26. Arizona and Arizona State. Iowa has played at both places multiple times, so it’s no mystery to unravel. College football in September in the desert lacks charm, in my humble opinion.

27. Syracuse. An indoor stadium in Syracuse, N.Y. Nah.

Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com