Note: This is part of a new daily series. Every weekday between about noon and 1, check the Footblog for the daily "Afternoon Kickoff" for updates from Penn State football and the national scene, opinions, links, etc.

It's the end of the week for the Afternoon Kickoff, and what (I think) that means for the rest of the offseason is some type of list. Everyone loves lists, that's what I'll try to do every Friday -- at least until the season gets underway.

Some weeks it will be some sort of countdown, but today, it's the Ideal 2009 College Football Road Trip. The rules are simple: one game per week, without going to the same venue twice.

Wishful thinking, but here would be this year's stops:

Sept. 5 - Atlanta, Ga. - Alabama vs. Virginia Tech
Last year's opener at the Georgia Dome was a complete dud, with Alabama unexpectedly destroying Clemson 34-10. Hopefully, this doesn't turn out like the last time Virginia Tech played a team from the SEC in September. In 2007, LSU blew away the Hokies 48-7 en route to a national title. But both Alabama and Virginia Tech look like they will be ranked in the top 12 or 15 of the preseason polls, and it should make for a great defensive battle to open the season.

Sept. 12 - Columbus, Ohio - USC at Ohio State
If the Big Ten wants to improve its image, having the Buckeyes get revenge from last year's 35-3 loss at the Coliseum would be the best way to start.Both teams lose a lot of talent -- especially the Trojans on defense -- but they're also two programs that reload every season. The game will likely have national title implications and matches two of the nation's most storied programs. What more could you ask for in the second week of the season?

Sept. 19 - Gainesville, Fla. - Tennessee at Florida
It's a bit odd to want to go to a game just because of the coaching matchup, but Lane Kiffin vs. Urban Meyer, round one, is worth it. It's the battle of recruiting violations and arrests, with two teams that have stolen the headlines for much of the offseason. Oh, also, Florida might be pretty good.

Sept. 26 - Eugene, Ore. - California at Oregon
I will actually be in Happy Valley on this day for the Whitehouse game with Iowa, and that would be my top choice for the day. But because of the rule of visiting the same place only once, I figured Beaver Stadium should be saved for a later date. Instead, the trip goes west to Autzen Stadium and a likely battle for second place in the Pac-10. Cal tailback Jahvid Best is a sleeper Heisman candidate and one of the most electrifying players in the country, while Oregon's LeGarrette Blount averaged 7.3 yards per carry last year at 240 pounds.A terrific matchup of running backs in a conference known for passing.

Oct. 3 - Miami, Fla. - Oklahoma at Miami
There are several reasons not to go to this one: Dolphin Stadium is a lousy college football stadium and The U is still not The U of old. LSU-Georgia, Penn State-Illinois and USC-Cal would all make fine choices for this week, but I'll go with what's a great matchup of big-name programs from different conferences. Miami should be improved, but it could also be 0-3 heading into to the showdown with another great Oklahoma squad. This is the fourth game in an opening gauntlet for the Hurricanes that begins at Florida State, at home against Georgia Tech and at Virginia Tech.

Oct. 10 - Baton Rouge, La. - Florida at LSU
Death Valley at night and the defending national champs/clear 2009 favorite? Sign me up. The Gators beat the Tigers 51-21 last year in a thorough beatdown, and even though Florida may even be better this year than last, this will likely be a much tighter game and is probably the Gators' biggest roadblock on the way to an undefeated campaign.

Oct. 17 - Dallas, Texas - Oklahoma vs. Texas
Essentially the Big 12 South title game just about every year, there's also a good chance it will be a national title and Heisman elimination game. Actually, last year's loser (Oklahoma) went to the national championship game and last year's losing quarterback (Sam Bradford) won the Heisman. So there goes that theory. Either way, it doesn't get much bigger than the Red River Shootout Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl.

Oct. 24 - Los Angeles, Calif. - Oregon State at USC
I have to say I enjoyed sunny Southern California last winter, and in a year in which USC plays most of its big games on the road (Ohio State, California, Notre Dame, Oregon), Oregon State looks like the biggest game at the Coliseum this season. I'm sure revenge will be on the minds of the Trojans after last year's shocking upset on a Thursday night in Corvallis. It'll be fun to see if Jacquizz Rodgers can shred the Trojans' defense like he did last season. Probably not.

Oct. 31 - Jacksonville, Fla. - Georgia vs. Florida
The Gators are becoming a popular team on this trip, and the road trip has to include The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Oh wait, that's right, the politically correct term is now the "Florida-Georgia Game." Yeah. So anyway, the Cocktail Party matches what look like the top two teams in the SEC East, and the rivalry has had plenty of interesting moments. Mainly, this.

Nov. 7 - State College, Pa. - Ohio State at Penn State
For the third time in five years, the growing rivalry will probably be the de facto Big Ten title game. Unfortunately, it will not be played at night. But a 3:30 kickoff between the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions should still be special in a season in which the squads are the clear favorites in the Big Ten. It's also Terrelle Pryor's first visit to Happy Valley, so there's that.

Nov. 14 - Fort Worth, Texas - Utah at TCU
The first curveball of the trip, it's time to give the non-BCS leagues some love. The original choice was Oklahoma State-Texas Tech for an offensive shootout, but that would make the trip too Big 12 heavy toward the end. Instead, we'll stay in the same region and visit Amon G. Carter Stadium for a showdown that could be for the Mountain West title. It's very possible that the Mountain West will have three teams ranked in preseason polls (TCU, Utah and BYU), while the Big East will have one (West Virginia) or none. Not surprisingly, the Big East doesn't make this road trip.

Nov. 21 - Oxford, Miss. - LSU at Mississippi
Ohio State-Michigan used to be a lock for the big game of the weekend, but again, the battle for the Land Grant Trophy between Penn State and Michigan State will probably be more important to the Big Ten race. However, instead of going to East Lansing, I'm going to take Ole Miss and The Grove. The Rebels are just about everyone's surprise team of the year behind quarterback Jevan Snead. Honestly, I think the hype is a little much right now and the team has 9-3 or 8-4 written all over it. But it's not out of the question for an SEC title game berth to be on the line in this one.

Nov. 28 - Norman, Okla. - Oklahoma State at Oklahoma
All the talk in the Big 12 is about Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy, and while Graham Harrell and Chase Daniel are gone, the conference still has some other great quarterbacks. The Cowboys' Zac Robinson threw for 3,064 yards and 25 touchdowns last year, and Oklahoma State should be very strong again offensively. The key word is "offensively," as last year's Bedlam game ended in a 61-41 Oklahoma victory. Look for more of the same offensive fireworks this season, although both defenses should be improved.

Dec. 5 - Arlington, Texas - Big 12 Championship Game
Since going to the SEC title game would break my rule of not visiting the same venue twice (Georgia Dome), championship weekend brings me back to the Dallas-Fort Worth area for the third time on the trip. This time, it's a chance to see Jerry Jones' new billion-dollar stadium and the ridiculously huge video boards. As for a prediction, I'm going to go with Oklahoma vs. Kansas in this one.

Dec. 12 - Philadelphia, Pa. - Army vs. Navy
With so many games being played the first weekend of December now, Army-Navy has moved back a week, where it'll have the national spotlight all to itself (along with the Heisman ceremony). I've been to three Army-Navy games before, and it's something every college football fan should experience. Nothing beats the history and tradition of Army-Navy.

And there you have it. If anyone would like to volunteer to fund the trip for me, that would be excellent. Or, you can just offer your feedback by clicking "Comments" at the bottom of the post or sending me an e-mail.

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Quick hits:
-Iowa has reinstated three suspended players, a group that includes center James Ferentz -- the son of coach Kirk Ferentz.

-Several smaller conferences are cutting media days in an effort to save money. Thankfully for us, the Big Ten session is still on for Chicago in late July.

-Franklin County prosecutor Ron O'Brien thinks Maurice Clarett should stay in prison. So much for adding him to my CFL fantasy team.

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Link/Video of the Day:
A college football classic, USC's final drive in 2005 at Notre Dame, including the famous "Bush Push." (Video comes complete with suspenseful soundtrack!)

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That's it for the week, the Afternoon Kickoff will be back Monday. Thanks for reading.

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-Matt Brown