In 2016, the SEC made a deal with the other Power Five conference to stage at least one game per season. Since then, not a single Big Ten team has made its way to Jordan-Hare Stadium — and before that, Auburn football had yet to host a Midwest powerhouse on the field Bo Jackson, Pat Sullivan, Cam Newton, and so many other Tigers legends created everlasting memories on.
Saturday Penn State will be the first @bigten team to play a true road game at Auburn.
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) September 12, 2022
That all changes when Penn State comes to town this Saturday for a highly anticipated contest between the No. 22 Nittany Lions and the unranked Tigers, who appear to be hinting at an orange-out that could include a significant amount of orange apparel for Auburn football.
Auburn football must avoid a home-and-home sweep at the hands of Penn State
Like last year, Week 3 will be an SEC-Big Ten clash for Auburn football. Unlike last year, both teams won’t be ranked in the AP Top 25, though it should be noted that a win would most certainly vault the Tigers into it for the first time in 2022.
The Happy Valley version of the matchup last year featured a highly criticized targeting call on Zakoby McClain and an even more widely-criticized Mike Bobo fourth-and-goal end zone fade in the fourth to clinch the first loss of the Bryan Harsin era.
AU now has the home-field advantage, and can build serious momentum in the SEC West with LSU and Texas A&M already going down with some brutal early-season losses. Win, and there is serious momentum towards a 5-0 start marching into Athens to take on the defending champions October 8th. Lose, and then the Mizzou matchup grows unsettling for any Tiger fan hoping for a Year 3 of the Bryan Harsin era.