The NFL schedule is out, and people across the country are furiously booking hotel rooms and flights to ensure they're present for some phenomenal matchups this year.
NFL.com has already put together the ultimate road trip for fans based on the top NFL games of the 2015 season, but what about those who love college football as much as the NFL? College Football 24/7 is here to help and has assembled the top-five road trips for college football and NFL games in 2015.
Each week might not feature the absolute best college football or NFL matchup, but rather, the best combination of games that fans could easily attend over a weekend.
1. Primetime comes to Indiana
2. Rivalry Week meets Turkey Day
NFL game:Eagles at Lions, 12:30 p.m. ET on Nov. 26
College game:Ohio State at Michigan on Nov. 28
Distance:45 miles between Ford Field and the Big House, Michigan Stadium, in Ann Arbor.
The skinny:NFL and college football fans have plenty to give thanks for on this weekend. The annual Thanksgiving Day game features Chip Kelly's Eagles (and possibly a pair of Heisman Trophy winners at quarterback) traveling to face Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions, a playoff team last season looking to do more in 2015. That game should have plenty of wide-open offense, which NFL and college fans won't mind. Two days later, Jim Harbaugh takes to the field for his first rivalry game as head coach of the Wolverines, and it just so happens to be against Urban Meyer and the defending national champion Buckeyes. Hard to have more compelling storylines than this two-game swing.
3. Texas two-step
4. Lone Star, three stops
NFL games:Panthers at Cowboys, 4:30 p.m. ET on Nov. 26; Saints at Texans, 1 p.m. ET on Nov. 29
College game:Baylor at TCU on Nov. 27
Distance:264 miles between AT&T Stadium and NRG Stadium
The skinny:If No. 2 on this list doesn't float your boat for Thanksgiving weekend, this Texas road trip might. You can start off on Turkey Day with the Panthers and Cowboys, which brings the interesting sub-plot of being the first game for Greg Hardy against his old team. The following day you can catch the Big 12 game of the year -- a grudge match between TCU and Baylor in what might be for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Finally, you can cap things off with a trip down I-45 to catch the Saints and Texans duking things out. If you're really adventurous, you can even detour to Baton Rouge, La., for Texas A&M vs. LSU.
5. California road trip
NFL games:Seahawks at 49ers, 8:25 p.m. ET on Oct. 22; Raiders at Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET on Oct. 25
College games:Utah State at San Diego State on Oct. 23; Utah at USC on Oct. 24
Distance: 712 miles between Levi's Stadium, Qualcomm Stadium, and the L.A. Memorial Coliseum
The skinny:Who's up for a road trip along the coast of California? You can start out in the Bay Area with another edition of the great rivalry between the Seahawks and 49ers at Levi's Stadium (or if you prefer to start in Los Angeles, Cal at UCLA is the same night). Then you can watch football for four straight days with a trip down to see a big Mountain West matchup between QB Chuckie Keeton's Utah State squad and San Diego State. The following day you can head up to Los Angeles, where USC will look to return to glory against a Utah team that is top-20-worthy this season. Finally, you can wind up back in San Diego, where the Chargers and Raiders will hook up, perhaps to decide which franchise moves to the Los Angeles area.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
