Auburn football: Some marquee matchups the Tigers should add to future schedules

Saturday, May 4 marked the halfway point of the college football offseason. While 116 more days till the Auburn Tigers kick off their 2013 campaign may seem like a good bit of time to wait, it will be here before we know it. For the second time in seven years, Auburn will host the Washington State Cougars and their head coach, the Dread Pirate Mike Leach -- whose inaugural season as the Cougs' captain went about as well as Gene Chizik's last.

While I am excited to see a Pac-12 team making a trip down to the Plains again, the matchup got me wondering what other FBS teams Auburn has scheduled in upcoming seasons. In 2014, Auburn will hit the road for their farthest trip since the 2010 BCS Championship Game to Manhattan, Kan. Then in 2015, our Tigers have scheduled a match up against the Idaho Vandals ... are you kidding me? Surely, Auburn can attract more exciting series than these, especially if you look back to the seasons from the 1980s. For example, the 1984 season opener was against the defending national champion Miami Hurricanes in East Rutherford, N.J. Come on, how awesome is that?

Also after reading Jason Kirk's article about LSU-Wisconsin's home and home series to be played at neutral sites, I began thinking of who I would want to see Auburn schedule in the future either for the first time or yet again:

1. Texas Longhorns

The Tigers and the Longhorns played each other four times from 1983-91 with the series tied at 2-2. In fact, the '91 game was the last time Auburn traveled to the state of Texas for a regular-season game -- that streak will be broken this year when the Tigers take on the Aggies in College Station. I also want to schedule this game for personal reasons, as Austin is a mere three-hour drive from me, and I want to be able to tell all my Longhorn friends to suck it after Auburn beats them.

2. Oregon Ducks

This has the potential to be a fun, high-octane rematch, and the idea of potentially traveling up to Eugene, Ore., to see Autzen Stadium is just too good to pass up. Getting to witness college football in different environments, meeting and greeting other fans, talking shop and a little smack, and seeing other schools' traditions is what it's all about. Plus, have you seen Oregon's cheerleaders? (TexAveryWolf.gif)

3) One of the big-name B1G Teams

Whether it be Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin or Nebraska, for Auburn to go up North or for one of them to come South would be a huge boon for this program. We know Auburn has received some jibes for its lackluster scheduling, and taking on a B1G program early on in the season would quiet a number of critics. Also, getting to see a game at the Big House or the Horseshoe would be something else.

That's just a simple quick list and just something to think about instead of doing actual work. What teams would you like to see our Tigers play? Leave a comment below.