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USA Today
a day ago
- 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
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
USA TODAY Sports analyst's 'crazy' prediction for which team will win 2025 SEC title
The consensus among the various sportswriters and media members who cover the Southeastern Conference is that the two frontrunners to meet in the 2025 SEC Championship Game are the Texas Longhorns and Georgia Bulldogs. In the preseason SEC football media poll following SEC media days in Atlanta, Texas received 96 votes to win the conference championship in 2025, followed by Georgia with 44 votes. The Alabama Crimson Tide placed a distant third with 29 votes. But this is still the offseason and thus a time when media and non-media alike can make some outside-the-box predictions heading into a new year. With regard to the former, one longtime college football writer has a "crazy" prediction for who will win the SEC in 2025. Veteran columnist Matt Hayes of USA TODAY Sports believes the Oklahoma Sooners will take home the conference crown on Dec. 6 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Hayes told the hosts of "That SEC Podcast" recently: "I know many people here told me that I'm crazy, but I said I think Oklahoma is going to win the SEC. I think (John) Mateer is going to play really well, and that defense will be as good as any defense in the league. They're going to shock some people this year." Sound like a stretch? Oklahoma went 6-6 during the regular season in their first year in the SEC. The Sooners memorably stunned Alabama in a 24-3 upset in Norman but finished just 2-6 in conference play. They fell to Navy in a bowl game, and head coach Brent Venables enters 2025 on the hot seat. Oklahoma brought Mateer in from Washington State via the transfer portal along with his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ben Arbuckle. Entering his junior season, Mateer is coming off a banner year in Pullman after throwing for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns to seven interceptions. He also rushed for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns on 178 carries (4.6 AVG). The Sooners were picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the preseason SEC media poll. That doesn't matter to Hayes, who added: "I think Mateer is a lot better than people think he is. He's a very good player, number one. Number two, I think he is going to have that type of impact (where) it's not just on the field, it's also in the locker room. I think you're going to see that, I really do. I may be way out there, and you guys in three months may say, 'Remember when you said Oklahoma was going to win the SEC and they finished such and such?' Yeah, I think they're going to win it." It's been a while since the SEC had a truly unexpected conference champion. The last team to come out of nowhere and win the league title was Gus Malzahn's first Auburn team in 2013. The Tigers were picked to finish 10th in the preseason, but they made it all the way to the national championship game off the backs of Alabama's agony in that year's Iron Bowl. The Crimson Tide will host Oklahoma on Nov. 15 at Bryant-Denny Stadium, a week after Alabama's annual showdown with LSU. Time will tell if Hayes' pick has any merit or if it's just another in a long line of wild offseason predictions that pop up every year. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama Crimson Tide news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ranking the best quarterbacks that Auburn will face during the 2025 season
Auburn will be tasked with slowing down a heap of great quarterbacks in 2025. The 2025 season is quickly approaching, which means it is a great time to scout every quarterback that the Auburn Tigers are slated to face this season. Auburn will head to Baylor to open the 2025 season on Aug. 29 for a game that is sure to excite those who love great passing games. The Tigers will face Ball State and South Alabama before opening SEC play at Oklahoma, then Texas A&M, to close the September portion of the schedule. Auburn will also face a College Football Playoff participant in Georgia, as well as arch rival Alabama at home this season, with games against Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Missouri, and Arkansas mixed in. The docket of quarterbacks Auburn is slated to face is a great mix of experienced quarterbacks and those aiming to make a name for themselves as transfers or being first-year starters. Auburn's defensive backfield will be experienced and ready to slow down each team's passing game every week. Ahead of the 2025 season, here is a look at every quarterback Auburn is slated to face this season, ranked No. 12 to No. 1. No. 12 Kaiel Kelly, Ball State Cardinals The first player on our list has had a strange, yet eventful college career to say the least. Ball State's Kiael Kelly began his career as a defensive back at Ball State in 2022 before making the move to offense, where he has played quarterback and wide receiver. He started in seven of 11 games in 2023 at quarterback, where he passed for 577 yards and two touchdowns while adding 724 yards and seven scores on the ground. He caught three passes for 10 yards as a receiver last season. There is zero doubt that Kelly will be a major player in Ball State's offense when the Cardinals visit Auburn on Sept. 6, but will it be at quarterback? No. 11 DJ Smith, Mercer Bears Smith started seven games for Mercer in 2024 and returns as the eldest quarterback on the roster. The JUCO product completed 74% of his passes last season for 1,300 yards and nine touchdowns, while rushing for an additional 152 yards and four touchdowns. He has zero issue slinging the ball as he passed for over 200-yards in four games last season, with his best game coming in his Mercer debut against Presbyterian, where he passed for 320 yards and three scores. Smith joins Kelly from Ball State in being a quality dual-threat quarterback, and will definitely not be the last on our list. Smith will lead the Mercer Bears into Jordan-Hare Stadium on Nov. 22 as an appetizer for Thanksgiving Day, as well as the Iron Bowl. No. 10 Beau Pribula, Missouri Tigers Missouri will replace several offensive threats this season, including quarterback Brady Cook. In steps Drew Pribula, a former three-star quarterback who spent his first two seasons at Penn State. Pribula attempted just 56 passes in Happy Valley, but was solid in short-to-medium depth situations by completing 18-of-21 passes from depths between 0 and 19 yards for 229 yards and five touchdowns. Pribula has a great arm, and he hopes that he will be meshed well with his offensive line before leading his Tigers into Auburn on Oct. 18. No. 9 Zach Pyron, South Alabama Jaguars The former Fyffe Red Devil and Pinson Valley Indian will lead South Alabama into Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sept. 13. Pyron showcased his dual-threat ability in three seasons at Georgia Tech by passing for 995 yards and rushing for 271 yards. After briefly transferring to Minnesota for spring practice, he elected to come back to his home state to play for Major Applewhite and the South Alabama Jaguars. Pyron was a phenomenal quarterback in our state as a high school player, and will look to find similar success at South Alabama this season. No. 8 Ty Simpson, Alabama Crimson Tide There's a new sheriff in Tuscaloosa as Ty Simpson will take over for Jalen Milroe as the starting quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He is the poster child for "waiting it out" as he is set to take over the offense in his fourth season with the Tide. In three seasons, he has completed 51 passes for 381 yards and zero touchdowns. He has thrown just one "turnover worthy pass" according to Pro Football Focus, and his receivers have dropped seven of his passes. He is unproven, but his story could change before the Iron Bowl, which is slated for Nov. 29 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. No. 7 Gunner Stockton, Georgia Bulldogs Gunner Stockton got his feet wet in the College Football Playoffs last season when the Georgia Bulldogs faced Notre Dame in the quarterfinals. Stockton takes over for Carson Beck, who left Athens during the offseason to transfer to Miami, and the Rabun County, Georgia native is ready to take over his home-state team. He holds a 68.7% completion percentage and 124 rushing yards over the last two seasons as a back-up to Beck. Stockton will lead Georgia into Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11, in a game slated for prime time. No. 6 Marcel Reed, Texas A&M Aggies The line is officially drawn between inexperienced, unproven quarterbacks and quarterbacks and quarterbacks with at least one year of starting service. Reed returns to Texas A&M after starting eight games for the Aggies last season, splitting time with Conner Weigman, who is now a Houston Cougar. Reed passed for 1,864 yards last season and rushed for an additional 543 yards with 22 total scores. His dual-threat ability will create havoc for SEC foes all season long, and will test the likes of Keldric Faulk and the Tigers' defense in College Station on Sept. 27 No. 5 Zach Calzada, Kentucky Wildcats An old friend will visit Jordan-Hare Stadium on Nov. 1 when Zach Calzada leads the Kentucky Wildcats into Auburn. Calzada suited up briefly for the Tigers during the 2022 season, but never saw the field due to a shoulder injury that required surgery. He would enter the transfer portal following the 2022 season, where he eventually ended up at FCS Incarnate Word. Calzada bounced back by passing for 6,342 yards and 54 touchdowns in two seasons at Incarnate Word, he also broke out his run game by rushing for 332 yards in 2024. Expect Calzada to be extra motivated to face his former team in November. No. 4 Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt Commodores Diego Pavia led Vanderbilt to the Birmingham Bowl last season and is poised to beat Hugh Freeze for the fourth straight season in 2025. Pavia passed for over 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns for the second-straight season, and cut down on his interceptions by throwing just four, and tossing just seven "turnover worthy passes." His great decision-making, mixed in with his run game, has haunted Auburn over the last two seasons, and the Tigers will look to end his good fortune on Nov. 8 in Nashville. No. 3 Sawyer Robertson, Baylor Bears Former Mississippi State quarterback Sawyer Robertson passed for 3,058 yards last season in his first full year as Baylor's starting quarterback and is going to be the core of Baylor's air raid system yet again this season. Auburn's defensive backfield will be the most experienced unit on the field, but will be tested greatly in week one with Baylor's aerial attack on Aug. 29 in Waco. No. 2 Taylen Green, Arkansas Razorbacks Taylen Green will be another great passer that Auburn will be tasked with slowing down this season. Green threw for over 3,154 yards and 15 touchdowns last season while showcasing his running game that he developed at Boise State by pounding out 602 yards. Green is the highest-graded offensive quarterback that Auburn will face this season, and they will look to slow him down on Oct. 25 in Fayetteville. No. 1 John Mateer, Oklahoma Sooners Out is Jackson Arnold/Michael Hawkins, in steps John Mateer. Mateer transferred to Oklahoma from Washington State, joining his offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle. Mateer, like Pavia, is a great decision-maker. Last season at Washington State, Mateer threw just 16 turnover-worthy passes in 348 attempts, throwing seven interceptions to 29 touchdowns. He also added 1,008 yards on the ground. If Oklahoma corrects the issues that plagued Arnold last season, Mateer could end the season as a Heisman-trophy finalist. Mateer and the Oklahoma Sooners will welcome Auburn to town on Sept. 20, which will be the SEC opener for Auburn. 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
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'We love a girl that watches football': Teams react to Olandria's 'Love Island USA' moment
"Love Island USA" star Olandria Carthen has the football world in a frenzy. On the dating reality series, Olandria of Decatur, Alabama, gushed about her love for sports while talking to fellow islander Nicolas "Nic" Vansteenberghe, stating that she's a fan of Auburn University's football team. "I love college football season. Saturdays, I'll literally just be at home watching college football. I'm not even kidding," Olandria stated. "We love a girl that watches football," Nic responded. The duo, coined by fans as "NicOlandria" became favorites during their time in the Fijian villa. The show captured how they're relationship blossomed from platonic to romantic while navigating their other connections. Post-show, Nic and Olandria stated in recent interviews that they focused on getting to know each other better. "I'm hopefully going to go to Decatur and visit some of Olandria's family," Nic told the "Chicks in the Office" podcast. "It's just so fun, all the opportunities that have arisen to us, and we're going to go to some college football games." Obsessed with 'Love Island?': Watch these 5 shows next College football teams shout out Olandria Nic and Olandria's reach goes far beyond their fandom. Brands, news publications, and sports teams have mentioned them and given them a shoutout in their online content. This week, Olandria's sports conversation is at the center of both Auburn and Ohio State's social media promotional videos for the upcoming football season. Both teams tagged her in their captions. In the original clip, Nic asked Olandria if she was a Bama fan (referring to the University of Alabama), Olandria quickly responded that she was an Auburn fan. Nic responded with "What?!" as she explained that, "it's something about underdogs that give me chills." Auburn has taken on the underdog role over the years as they have won fewer national championships than Alabama. The two have one of the fiercest rivals in college football known as the Iron Bowl. Alabama leads the series with more wins however, Auburn has pulled out some notable victories over their in-state competitor including the iconic 2013 game known as Kick Six. "One season ends…the best one begins," the caption of the Auburn video stated. "Olandria said what we were all thinking," Ohio State wrote. Olandria won't have to wait long for her football fix. According to the NCAA, the 2025 college football season begins on August 23. Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@
Boston Globe
17-07-2025
- Boston Globe
What is it with the uber-rich and other people's trees?
Advertisement If Fitzgerald were alive today, he might very well write a novel in which an especially entitled rich person cuts down a neighbor's tree to enhance their views. It seems all the rage. In the latest case here in New England, some guy on Nantucket allegedly took a chain saw to 16 of his neighbor's cedar, cherry and cypress trees, some of them a half-century old. In Advertisement The lawsuit claims 'there is an active and ongoing criminal proceeding related to this conduct' by police on Nantucket. That could be a game-changer. Up to this point, prosecutors have been reluctant to file criminal charges when some rich jerk kills or removes a neighbor's trees to enhance the views from their property. Instead, rich people have been allowed to do what they have always done: buy their way out of trouble. It happened last year in Maine, when a wealthy and politically-connected couple from Missouri were able to pay their way out of a jam after Amelia and Arthur Bond III are big cheeses in St. Louis. She was the Three years ago, after secretly poisoning the trees of their neighbor, Lisa Gorman, widow of L.L. Bean chairman Leon Gorman, Amelia Bond approached Mrs. Gorman, expressing deep sympathy about the dying trees, graciously offering to split the cost of taking down the sweeping oak trees that blocked the Bonds' view of the harbor. It somehow slipped her mind to mention she had poisoned them in the first place. Being a saavy Mainer, Mrs. Gorman politely declined the offer and asked her arborist to investigate. Turns out the Bonds had headed to Maine that year with their yachting gear and some Tebuthiuron, a powerful herbicide commonly used on cattle ranches in the Midwest. When there is trouble, the very rich call not the police but their lawyers. Attorneys representing the Bonds and Mrs. Gorman began a series of negotiations which ended with the Bonds accepting responsibility for poisoning the trees. Advertisement In the end, Officials in the town of Camden didn't think that was enough. Last year, they asked Knox County District Attorney Natasha Irving and Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey to pursue criminal charges. But no prosecutions have been forthcoming. Irving told me that, given the limited resources in her office, she couldn't in good conscience launch a criminal case. She said any admissions the Bonds made in civil settlement agreements with Gorman, the town and state would not be admissible in a criminal case. She concluded the only charge she might feasibly pursue was criminal mischief, a misdemeanor that carries a $250 fine. Expending that kind of taxpayer money to possibly get a rich couple to pay a pittance just wasn't worth it, she said. A Still, as Nantucket police continue their investigation, there is the example of Harvey Updyke to consider. Advertisement So, in 2010, when Auburn defeated his beloved Crimson Tide in their annual Iron Bowl game, Harvey Updyke was understandably upset. He decided to avenge that loss by But, unlike the Bonds, Harvey Updyke wasn't allowed to buy his way out of trouble. He couldn't have afforded to, anyway. As a retired state trooper, he wasn't exactly rolling in that kind of dough. Updyke didn't help his case by going on a call-in radio show and admitting to poisoning the trees, ending his call with, 'Roll, damn Tide.' He eventually pleaded guilty in 2013 to poisoning the trees, This leads to two observations with which F. Scott Fitzgerald would undoubtedly agree: it is better to be rich than nice, and they take their football very, very seriously in Alabama. Kevin Cullen is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at
