ALTOONA, Pa. -- One week from today, Penn State will play its Big Ten opening game on the road, just like it does pretty much every season.
Of course, this year's Big Ten opener has the added significance of being the season opener. But as conference openers go, having to go out on the road to Wisconsin is par for the course for the PSU program.
This will mark the sixth consecutive year that Penn State's conference opener will be on the road. If that weren't odd enough, it also will be the 11th time in 12 years that the Big Ten has had the Nittany Lions open conference play on the road.
Oh, and Penn State already is scheduled to open Big Ten play on the road the next three years (at Purdue, at Illinois, at Rutgers), which will make it NINE YEARS in a row, and 18 out of 21.
Wow.
Here's a look back at the Big Ten openers since 2010:
2021: at Wisconsin
2020: at Indiana (L 36-35, OT)
2019: at Maryland (W 59-0)
2018: at Illinois (W 63-24, on a Friday)
2017: at Iowa (W 21-19)
2016: at Michigan (L 49-10)
2015: vs. Rutgers (W 28-3)
2014: at Rutgers (W 13-10)
2013: at Indiana (L 44-24)
2012: at Illinois (W 35-7)
2011: at Indiana (W 16-10)
2010: at Iowa (L 24-3)
Again, that's 11 out of 12 years. It's a very peculiar coincidence with all the road trips, even if it hasn't been a big problem for PSU, which has gone 6-4 in those games since 2010.
Whether there's anything more to it than coincidence, well, that's up for debate.
There have been rumblings of a mini conspiracy theory over the years from some people at Penn State, although no official has ever publicly criticized the Big Ten for always having to open on the road.
A few weeks ago, while working at my previous stop, I sent a message to the Big Ten office asking about this very issue. There was no response.
It wasn't a surprise. I have contacted the Big Ten on three different occasions now over the past seven or eight years asking about this topic, and there has never been a response of any kind from the league.
Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1993, and the road-home opener was pretty evenly balanced at first. But that began to change starting in 2004, when the Lions began a stretch of playing four consecutive openers away from home. Since 2004, Penn State has opened up league play away from home 15 times in 18 years.
One important note: Penn State initially was scheduled to open last year's conference only season at home against Northwestern on Sept. 5. But that schedule was scrapped when the Big Ten delayed the start of the season because of COVID, and the Lions eventually opened up at Indiana. So, the current streak of six road openers in a row would not be in place had the initial 2020 schedule remained.
Here's a look at all of the other Big Ten openers since Penn State joined the conference.
2009: vs. Iowa (L 21-10)
2008: vs. Illinois (W 38-24)
2007: at Michigan (L 14-9)
2006: at Ohio State (L 28-6)
2005: at NW (W 34-29)
2004: at Wisconsin (L 16-3)
2003: vs. Minnesota (L 20-14)
2002: vs. Iowa (L 42-35, OT)
2001: vs. Wisconsin (L 18-6)
2000: at Ohio State (L 45-6)
1999: vs. Indiana (W 45-24)
1998: at Ohio State (L 28-9)
1997: at Illinois (W 41-6)
1996: at Wisconsin (W 23-20)
1995: vs. Wisconsin (L 17-9)
1994: at Minnesota (W 56-3)
1993: vs. Minnesota (W 38-20)
Keeping score of all this, Penn State has gone 14-14 in Big Ten openers, including 10-9 on the road. So that's 19 road openers in 28 years in the league.
UPDATE: Sunday, noon
I was asked by someone in the comments section how Penn State's home-road opener situation compares to Ohio State and Michigan over the same time period.
Well, it's very, very interesting, actually.
Since 2004, Penn State has opened Big Ten play at home three times and on the road 15 times.
Ohio State has opened at home 10 times and on the road eight times.
Michigan has opened at home 11 times and on the road seven times.
Here's the breakdown:
Ohio State
Since 2004: 10 at home, 8 on road
2021: at Minnesota
2020: vs. Nebraska
2019: at Indiana
2018: vs. Rutgers
2017: at Indiana
2016: vs. Rutgers
2015: at Indiana
2014: at Maryland
2013: vs. Wisconsin
2012: at Michigan State
2011: vs. Michigan State
2010: at Illinois
2009: vs. Illinois
2008: vs. Minnesota
2007: vs. NW
2006: vs. Penn State
2005: vs. Iowa
2004: at NW
Michigan
Since 2004: 11 at home, 7 on road
2021: vs. Rutgers
2020: at Minnesota
2019: at Wisconsin
2018: vs. Nebraska
2017: at Purdue
2016: vs. Penn State
2015: at Maryland
2014: vs. Minnesota
2013: vs. Minnesota
2012: at Purdue
2011: vs. Minnesota
2010: at Indiana
2009: vs. Indiana
2008: vs. Wisconsin
2007: vs. Penn State
2006: vs. Wisconsin
2005: at Wisconsin
2004: vs. Iowa
