NCAA Football Air Force

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster preached it all week. He knew his team had to somehow maintain its focus, despite the festivities planned to celebrate the dawn of a new era for Gopher football. The opening game of TCF Bank Stadium Saturday night did come with much celebration. For some time, the Gophers were caught up in the moment.

Thanks in part to some ill-timed penalties, Air Force took a 10-3 lead in the third quarter. The Gophers finally turned it on after that, scoring 17 straight points en route to a 20-10 win.

MINNEAPOLIS -- For the University of Minnesota, this has been a long time coming.

In 1981, the Gophers played their last football game at Memorial Stadium. The decision was made to move home games to the Metrodome, which isn't terribly far from campus but is definitely not a "typical" college football stadium. By 2002, the university was looking into the feasibility of an on-campus stadium. In the spring of 2005, funding was finally approved. On Sept. 12, 2009, the dreams of many Gopher football supporters became a reality.

In ten days (I'd say ten short days, but this time of year the days are never short enough), Ohio State will open its 2009 season with a home game against the United States Naval Academy. It will mark the first time these two teams have faced each other since the 1981 Liberty Bowl, which the Buckeyes won, 31-28. Prior to that, Ohio State and Navy hadn't played since 1931.

Ohio State University wants its fans to know that this isn't exactly the Kentucky School of Turfgrass Management that's coming to town. The Midshipmen are giving up a minimum of four years of their postgraduate life serving this country in harm's way and face a brutal class load off the field. Consequently, they deserve a better treatment than hearing "YOU SUCK, 23" from five directions at once. OSU has a YouTube video saying as much (video after the jump).

Turkey Legs to Go is FanHouse's complete travel guide for all of the 2008-2009 college bowl games. Here, we cover the Armed Forces Bowl (Fort Worth, Texas), which pits Houston against Air Force.

Overview/Matchup: A strong performance from the Mountain West this year helped Air Force land in the Armed Forces Bowl (which seems pretty, pretty, pretty convenient) even though they lost their last two games against BYU and TCU, while Houston's 6-2 record was good enough for fourth overall in Conference-USA (yikes) and a spot in nearby Fort Worth.

Hotels: The top hotel in Fort Worth, the Renaissance Worthington Hotel offers a sophisticated atmosphere of polished wood and marble complimented by a courteous staff. The Renaissance is about four miles from the stadium. The Courtyard by Marriott on Riverfront Drive and the Days Inn on S. University Drive are each about a mile from the stadium. The Courtyard offers the best all-around value, balancing proximity to the stadium and quality of the hotel. The Days Inn will probably have rooms for less than US$100 per night, but you shouldn't expect the same quality amenities as the nearby Courtyard.

Restaurants: When it comes to dining in Fort Worth, there's only one place to celebrate a big win (that is assuming, a classy celebration is what you're after); Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House. Del Frisco's is the place to go for a world-class steak, but make sure you budget accordingly. Blue Mesa Grill is a local southwestern chain specializing in blue corn and green chilies. Reasonable prices and good portions make it a local favorite. One location is just north of Texas Christian.