College Football

Charlotte Wilder, Mark Titus Hit the Road for Dos Equis Ultimate College Football Road Trip

Updated Sep. 3, 2021 8:06 p.m. ET

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By Charlotte Wilder
FOX Sports Columnist

MADISON, Wis. – The start of football season used to be one of the most dependable markers of time in America. 

The edges of the air became crisp, the parking lots filled up with tents, trucks, beers and grills, and rivers of fans in school colors streamed across campuses and into stadiums. It was cyclical, like the solstice, just a little rowdier than the moon. 

No matter what was falling apart in your personal life, you knew that in September you’d be able to watch your college football team fall apart, too. There was guaranteed solidarity in the common misery and exhilaration that college football, the wackiest sport of all, reliably provided.

Then 2020 rolled around. And not only were there no guarantees in college football, but there were no guarantees at all. 

Therefore, it feels somewhat surreal to be writing this from 30,000 feet in the air, staring at the long, straight highways that cut through the country’s heartland. A year ago, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the start of games and canceled many outright. There were no answers, and I wasn’t sure if we’d have football this year or even the next. 

But thanks to science, here I am, flying over the lush green fields and deep blue lakes of Wisconsin. 

College football is back, kicking off at its normal time, and somehow, I am lucky enough to kick off the season with a game at Camp Randall, where No. 12 Wisconsin will host No. 19 Penn State on Saturday at noon ET on FOX and in the FOX Sports app.

What is this sorcery? 

I’ll tell you what it is. It’s the good folks at Dos Equis. They decided that they wanted to sponsor a tour that sends Mark Titus and I, the hosts of "The People's Sports Podcast," to eight games over the course of the season on FOX Sports' Ultimate College Football Road Trip.

We’ve been working on this project for almost a year now, and I’ve had to pinch myself at every point along the way. It’s truly a dream assignment: Our job is to learn as much as we can about each school and to experience its distinct culture, all while hanging out with YOU, the fans.

We’ll be filming segments, streaming videos and posting on social media so that even if you can’t be at the game, you can come with us. We want to be your eyes and ears on the ground. 

Here’s how it’ll work:

Each week, we’ll touch down Wednesday in a different college town. We’ll spend Thursday getting the lay of the land, filming at iconic spots on campus and talking to as many fans and students as we can. 

This week, for example, I attended band practice with the Wisconsin marching band (I can promise you that I had zero chill about this!), and Mark toured the Wisconsin athletic facilities with a very special guest. We also sampled all the fine cuisine Wisconsin has to offer.

Friday is when we need you, the fans, to help us out. We’re putting on a live show at 6 p.m. CT at Sconnie Bar, where Mark and I will tell each other about our experiences Thursday and what we learned. We’ll take questions from the audience, so if you’re in the area, please come hang out with us! If you’re not in the area, fly in for it! Live a little! Why the heck not?! 

If you can’t be there, we forgive you. Which is why you can also watch the show online, where it’ll be streaming on FOX Sports' social platforms. 

Be sure to follow along with the FOX College Football accounts on Twitter and Instagram, and you can follow my personal Twitter and Instagram as well. We’ll be posting the behind-the-scenes content everyone can’t live without, such as videos of what it’s like to be in the tunnel before the team runs onto the field and me locking myself out of my hotel room for the fifth time (it’s not a matter of if, just a matter of when).

We want your participation both in-person and online. Tweet us questions, or simply roast us, and we’ll try to defend ourselves. This show is for the people, so we want to be sure to give you what you want. 

And then … Saturday is when the real, honest-to-goodness college football begins. We are going all-out for GAME DAY! We’ll be tailgating with the people and hanging out by the Dos Equis fan experience near the stadium, so come talk to us, and tell us why your school is superior to all others. 

We have some very fun surprises lined up, which should be equally spectacular and stupid, but you’ll have to wait to find out what those are. 

The bottom line is that we are at these games to celebrate everything that is weird, wacky, wild and wonderful about college football. Each school is so particular, each tradition so specific, and each fan base so passionate. We are thrilled to be able to take the time to understand, honor and celebrate all of it.

It feels like a miracle that football is back and we can once again go to games. And in large part, it is. I’ll never take a kickoff for granted again, so we’ll be sure to make the most of this and take you with us. 

Remember: This is a show for the people. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us on Twitter or Instagram. If you have a message for Mark, I’ll relay it. He’s bad at his phone.

Thanks in advance for all your support and hospitality as we hop around the country. We can’t do this without you, and we wouldn’t ever want to.

Charlotte Wilder is a general columnist, reporter and co-host of "The People's Sports Podcast" for FOX Sports. She's honored to represent the constantly neglected Boston area in sports media, loves talking to sports fans about their feelings and is happiest eating a hotdog in a ballpark or nachos in a stadium. Follow her on Twitter @TheWilderThings.

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