What to wear or your guide to '11 'color' games

You guys know what I thought was going to happen with the "stripes" game from last year.

I believe I wrote here that I thought all of Iowa-dom would be a wee bit too tipsy to pull off stripes with a 7 p.m. kick against Penn State.

You proved me wrong and spiked the ball in my end zone. The brainchild of Iowa director of football operations Paul Federici came off beautifully. I applaud you.

Now, let's see you do it again. This time, you'll have 10 or 12 hours of tailgating and the blind hatred you hold for Northwestern to contend with.

And switching what you wear is cheating.

From UI sports info:

“COLOR GAMES” ANNOUNCED FOR 2011 HOME FOOTBALL SEASON

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Another “colorful” season is planned for historic Kinnick Stadium in 2011. Here is the official schedule of “Color Games” for the University of Iowa:

Be Bold, Wear Gold

Iowa vs. Pittsburgh (Sept. 17)

The Hawkeyes will entertain the Pitt Panthers of the Big East Conference in their second home game of the 2011 season. The game will also be Iowa's second non-conference game against a Bowl Championship Series team.

The Black and Gold Spirit Game

Iowa vs. Northwestern (Oct. 15)

Fans of the Hawkeyes will once again have the opportunity to “stripe” historic Kinnick Stadium for the enjoyment of a prime time national television audience. Same rules as last year's game apply: Even number sections wear GOLD, odd number sections wear BLACK.

The 2011 Blackout Game

Iowa vs. Michigan State (Nov. 12)

The home season finale against defending Big Ten Conference champion Michigan State will be the setting for the annual “Blackout” of historic Kinnick Stadium. It's likely to be chilly, so purchase your black gear today and get ready to help the Hawkeyes close out another exciting home season with a victory over the Spartans.

Iowa opens its 2011 season on Saturday, Sept. 3, against Tennessee Tech. That game will be televised live in high-definition to a national audience by the Big Ten Network. Kickoff is set for shortly after 11 a.m., Iowa time.