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USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Why the SEC can't take much pleasure from preseason US LBM Coaches Poll rankings
Nine SEC teams are ranked in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll. Think the College Football Playoff committee will care about that? They didn't last year. The SEC buried the Big Ten in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Nine SEC teams are ranked, including No. 1 Texas, compared to six ranked teams from the Big Ten. Fire up the preseason chants of superiority, but that will mean squat come College Football Playoff selection time. In fact, the SEC's poll takeover could be a sign of a playoff path filled with landmines, while Big Ten front-runners Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon and Illinois enjoy cleaner routes to the postseason. On this edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams react to the SEC's poll blitz and explain why this should be viewed cautiously for the conference's playoff contenders. They also point to two overrated SEC teams, plus an unranked team that they'd place in the Top 25. Should the SEC feel good about having nine ranked teams? Toppmeyer: Well, it means the SEC is at no shortage of playoff hopefuls. In addition to the SEC's nine ranked teams, the top two vote-getters outside the Top 25 also hail from the SEC. That's 11 teams within the top 27. And yet, the SEC also had nine teams ranked in last year's preseason poll, but only three made the playoff, while the Big Ten led all conferences with four qualifiers and produced the national champion for the second consecutive season. The Big Ten's cream is as sweet as the SEC's, and that's what matters most come playoff selection time. Who's got the best teams at the top? Consider the schedule for No. 17 Florida. I'm sure the Gators enjoy being ranked. It's a credit to how they finished last season playing well, and they return quarterback DJ Lagway. But, the Gators will play seven teams ranked in the preseason poll. A few SEC teams drew favorable schedules, but others like Florida might wish for more weak links within the conference. Ultimately, I don't think the SEC having more ranked teams in the preseason gives the conference any better chance of producing more playoff qualifiers than the Big Ten. Adams: It's easier to make the playoff from the Big Ten than the SEC. Just ask Indiana. This preseason poll reflects the difficulty most SEC teams can expect to encounter throughout the conference schedule. And if the committee doesn't change its tune on three-loss teams (none were selected last season), I'm not sure that it's any great advantage to have nine ranked teams from one conference. The SEC's addition of Texas and Oklahoma and elimination of divisions seems like a great formula for producing an abundance of 9-3 and 8-4 teams. That's not a great formula for the 12-team playoff. Where to listen to SEC Football Unfiltered Apple Spotify iHeart Google Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's national college football columnist. John Adams is the senior sports columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Subscribe to the SEC Football Unfiltered podcast, and check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Georgia's Sanford Stadium ranked outside college football's top five best stadiums
The Georgia Bulldogs have played in Sanford Stadium since 1929, and ever since then, the stadium has fostered a raucous environment. With a home-game sellout streak extending back to Sept. 2012, you'd figure the stadium may be on the best college football has to offer. However, when USA TODAY's Paul Myerberg and Blake Toppmeyer ranked the top 25 college football stadiums in the country, Georgia's Sanford Stadium missed out on the top five. Sanford Stadium was ranked No. 7 in the nation and No. 3 in the SEC. Myerberg and Toppmeyer highlighted how the environment and the barking from the fan base has contributed the Georgia Bulldogs' massive winning streak. Georgia is currently sitting on 31 consecutive wins (four straight years) at home, which is the longest in the country. Georgia ranks below Tennessee (Neyland Stadium, No. 6) and LSU (Tiger Stadium, No. 1) in the SEC. Both stadiums can sit over 100,000 people, which is more than Sanford Stadium's 93,033. According to EA Sports' stadium pulse, Georgia's stadium is the fourth toughest place to play in. Georgia also ranks behind three Big 10 schools (Penn State, Ohio State, Oregon) and one ACC school (Clemson). Georgia played Clemson last year, but instead of the game taking place at Memorial Stadium (No. 5), it took place in Atlanta's Mercedes Benz Stadium, where the Atlanta Falcons play. Georgia plays Tennessee at Neyland Stadium (No. 6) on Sept. 13 and Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium (No. 13) on Oct. 11. Ranking all college football stadiums LSU, Tiger Stadium Penn State, Beaver Stadium Ohio State, Ohio Stadium Oregon, Autzen Stadium Clemson, Memorial Stadium Tennessee, Neyland Stadium Georgia, Sanford Stadium Alabama, Bryant-Denny Stadium Florida, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Texas A&M, Kyle Field Oklahoma, Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Michigan, Michigan Stadium Auburn, Jordan-Hare Stadium Notre Dame, Notre Dame Stadium Washington, Husky Stadium Texas, Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium South Carolina, Williams-Brice Stadium Utah, Rice-Eccles Stadium Wisconsin, Camp Randall Stadium Florida, Doak S. Campbell Stadium Virginia Tech, Lane Stadium Brigham Young, LaVell Edwards Stadium Boise State, Albertsons Stadium Iowa, Kinnick Stadium Oklahoma State, Boone Pickens Stadium Follow UGAWire on Instagram or Threads! This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Sanford Stadium ranked outside college football's top 5 best stadiums
USA Today
29-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
USA TODAY reveals 2025 stadium rankings. Where is Jordan-Hare Stadium?
How does Jordan-Hare Stadium stack up with the rest of the country's best venues? College football fans across the nation would include Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium among the top venues in the nation, based on fans hostility and the wild games that take place there. Blake Toppmeyer of USA TODAY Sports ranked Jordan-Hare Stadium as the No. 8 venue in the SEC earlier this summer, trailing several SEC cathedrals such as the Swamp in Gainesville and Death Valley at LSU. Where does the home of the Auburn Tigers rank on a national scale? Toppmeyer and Paul Myerberg collaborated to rank the top venues in the country, regardless of conference affiliation. Much like the national polls throughout the year, being middle-tier in the SEC still means a high ranking elsewhere. Jordan-Hare Stadium ranks No. 13 in USA TODAY's rankings, topping stadiums such as Husky Stadium in Seattle, Camp Randall Stadium at Wisconsin, and Lane Stadium at Virginia Tech. Toppmeyer credits Auburn fans for creating an environment that usually forces opponents to make questionable decisions, which makes for crazy finishes. Some say Jordan-Hare uncorks a strange voodoo magic on opponents. (See the "Prayer in Jordan-Hare" and the 2012 Iron Bowl, held just two weeks apart, for one example.) It may also just be that Auburn fans create a tough environment that lends itself to late-game meltdowns or heroics. Find someone who loves you the way Auburn fans love to 'Swag Surf.' LSU's Tiger Stadium takes the top spot in this year's preseason ranking, with Penn State's Beaver Stadium, Ohio State's Ohio Stadium, Oregon's Autzen Stadium, and Clemson's Memorial Stadium rounding out the top five. This season, Auburn will visit Kyle Field at Texas A&M and Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium at Oklahoma, which rank No. 10 and No. 11 in USA TODAY's ranking. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
USA Today
28-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Where USA TODAY Sports ranks the Swamp in its top 25 college football stadium rankings
The college football offseason offers an opportunity to reflect on some of the more bird's-eye views of the sport as we await the start of the nation's favorite fall game. Among the more common queries focus on the quality of various schools' stadiums, which serve as something of a house of worship featuring a gridiron altar that fans pray at every Saturday (with exceptions, of course). Many of these locations are among the highest-capacity venues in the nation, which adds fuel to the fervent fire that burns from within during the autumn months. USA TODAY Sports writers Paul Myerberg and Blake Toppmeyer recently tried to tackle the topic by ranking the top 25 best college football stadiums in the country, which included the University of Florida's Ben Hill Griffin Stadium among the top 10. Known throughout the land as "the Swamp," the Gators' home field came in at No. 9 in the rankings — behind the Alabama Crimson Tide's Bryant-Denny Stadium and ahead of the Texas A&M Aggies' Kyle Field. "As former coach Steve Spurrier aptly said, 'Only Gators get out alive' from The Swamp," they offer. "Florida has won 71.4% of its home games against SEC opponents the past 10 years, compared to 47.6% on the road in conference games. That's the definition of home-field advantage." Ranking the Swamp according to other opinions Oddly enough, Toppmeyer ranked Ben Hill Griffin Stadium as the top football venue in the Southeastern Conference earlier this month. Despite this, Florida's home field is the fifth-highest ranked SEC location in the latest tally. On the other hand, Carter Bahns of 247Sports' assessment back in May — in which he ranked the top college football atmospheres — is in agreement with the latest assessment, also placing the Swamp at No. 9. USA TODAY Sports top 25 college football stadium rankings Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
14-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Where does Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium rank among SEC Stadiums?
The Oklahoma Sooners enter their second season in the Southeastern Conference in 2025. After a long run spent dominating the Big 12 Conference, it's safe to say OU is still adjusting to life in its new league. One of the many adjustments the program is making is the increased stadium capacities and rowdy atmospheres that college football's premier conference has to offer. In the Big 12, the Sooners were the toughest place to play in the conference. They had one of the highest capacities, and teams knew they had to play a nearly flawless game if they were going to come to Norman and upset Oklahoma. However, as great as OU's home field advantage is, just about every atmosphere in the SEC is a tough one to play in. The Sooners got an up-close look at places like Auburn, Ole Miss, Missouri, and LSU in 2024, and they'll visit South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama this year. Blake Toppmeyer, who covers college football for USA TODAY Sports, decided to rank each SEC football stadium, taking a look at the many unique atmospheres in the nation's best league. Toppmeyer ranked Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium as the ninth-best stadium in the SEC. That puts Oklahoma in the bottom half of the league, but ahead of such schools as Texas, Arkansas and Ole Miss. Oklahoma's stadium fits neatly into the SEC tapestry, and the Sooner Schooner cruising the field paints a scene fit for the nation's premier football conference. With a capacity of 80,126, the 'Palace on the Prairie' doesn't match the SEC's top colossuses, but it holds its own. - Toppmeyer, USA TODAY Sports. The Sooners may not be able to match other SEC schools when it comes to stadium capacity, as many stadiums have over 100,000 seats. While Oklahoma has a passionate fan base, the insanity of a place like LSU during a night game isn't necessarily happening in Norman. However, OU has a football pedigree that almost no other school in all of college football can match. The Sooners are one of the truest blue bloods in the sport. With time in the SEC, perhaps Oklahoma can begin to acclimate and rise closer to the top of similar lists in the future. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.
