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USA Today
8 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Where do the Oklahoma Sooners land in USA TODAY Sports' 1-136 rankings?
The 2025 college football season will kick off this week in week zero. The Oklahoma Sooners still have a week and a half before their season opener against Illinois State. Oklahoma enters the season a little under the radar in the US LBM Coaches Poll, landing just outside the top 25, but as the top vote getter among others receiving votes. The Sooners are looking for a bounce-back season in 2025 after going 6-7 a year ago. The pieces are in place for the Sooners' offense to be better than it was, and the defense should continue trending to be among the best in college football. Many believe things will be different after an offseason of turnover on the offensive side of the ball, which brought in offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, quarterback John Mateer, and running back Jaydn Ott. As every team has a clean slate for one more week, USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg released his preseason 1-136 rankings of every FBS team in college football. The Oklahoma Sooners came in at No. 11. That makes the Sooners the fifth-best team in the SEC on his list, behind only Georgia (No. 2), Texas (No. 4), Alabama (No. 7), and LSU (No. 10). Other SEC teams ranked inside Myerberg's top 25 include Tennessee (No. 16), Ole Miss (No. 17), South Carolina (No. 20), Texas A&M (No. 22), and Florida (No. 25). A total of 10 teams from the SEC were ranked inside Myerberg's top 25 teams. OU's week two opponent, Michigan, checked in at No. 15. Oklahoma will begin the season unranked in the US LBM Coaches Poll, but will start out ranked No. 18 in the Associated Press Poll. The Sooners will kick off their 2025 season at home against Illinois State, out of the FCS, on Saturday, August 30th. 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.
USA Today
23-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Kinnick garners respect in USA TODAY Sports Big Ten stadium rankings
Kinnick Stadium is one of the most historic stadiums in all of college football. The home of the Iowa Hawkeyes is named after Heisman Trophy winner and World War II hero Nile Kinnick, whose statue every player and coach passes by on game day. It's a place where The Hawkeye Wave at the end of the first quarter reminds everyone that life is bigger than football. And it's a place where opponents of the Hawkeyes hate to play because Iowa usually plays very well at home. Iowa is 109-60 at home since 2000, good for an almost 65% winning percentage. They've pulled off their fair share of huge wins, beating numerous top-five teams like Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State. While it hasn't always been positive, Kinnick Stadium is widely regarded as a great home-field advantage for the Hawkeyes. And USA TODAY Sports agrees with that sentiment with the release of their 2025 Big Ten stadium rankings. Where does Kinnick land USA TODAY Sports' Big Ten stadium rankings? Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY Sports gave Kinnick Stadium some respect. Myerberg put the home of the Hawkeyes at No. 6 on the rankings, just cracking the upper third of the stadiums in the conference. In addition to goosing Iowa's Big Ten chances – the Hawkeyes are 22-6 at home since 2021 – Kinnick is home to the best new tradition in the sport: Since 2017, players and fans turn at the end of the first quarter and wave to the patients at Stead Family Children's Hospital. 'The Hawkeye Wave' is already an indelible part of the college football fabric. - Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports The five stadiums ranked ahead of Kinnick are Ohio Stadium (Ohio State), Beaver Stadium (Penn State), Autzen Stadium (Oregon), Michigan Stadium (Michigan), and Husky Stadium (Washington). Those are some legendary stadiums joining Kinnick at the top of this list, and it just goes to show how impressive the Big Ten conference as a whole is with its stadiums. Iowa fans will return to Kinnick on Aug. 30 for the 2025 season opener against Albany, where the Hawkeyes will look to continue their home dominance. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Zach on X: @zach_hiney
USA Today
21-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Where is Ohio Stadium in USA TODAY's ranking of best Big Ten stadiums?
Rankings and lists can be subjective, but we still like to follow them. Cobble a bunch of them together, and if you believe bias is taken out of it all, a consensus should tell you something, right? You've seen them, we've seen them, and your brother-in-law's cousin-twice removed has seen a ranking of college football stadiums, but now we have a new one that we'll take a little more stock in. That's because it comes from Paul Myerberg with our mother ship at USA TODAY. He took a look at all of the Big Ten stadiums -- 18 now (and maybe counting) -- and ranked them from worst to first when it comes to "nastiest to kindest" for visitors. As you can imagine, Ohio Stadium, where Ohio State does its best work, gets a lot of love from Myerberg. Sure, the iconic venue and all its historical significance and mystique have something to do with it, but it has more to do with how hard it is to come out of there with a victory. Not only did Myerberg rank the 'Shoe high on the list, he put it all the way at the top of the best stadiums in the Big Ten, at No. 1 overall. But why? "Trips to the Horseshoe are basically a guaranteed loss for teams in and out of the Big Ten, unless you're Michigan. (The Wolverines have taken two in a row at home in the series.), wrote Myerberg. "Since the stadium opened in 1922, Ohio State has been dominant at home, including a remarkable 55-3 record (94.9%) since 2016. The Buckeyes have turned the 'Shoe into maybe the most hostile locale in the sport." It's true that Ohio Stadium is a tough place to play, but it has more to do with the team that resides there than how rabid the fanbase is. Don't get me wrong, I've heard the 'Shoe rocking when it's a big game at night and other times when there's a lot on the line in a close game, but there are times when fans in the "big 'Ole Horseshoe" (said in my best Keith Jackson voice) seem disinterested. Still, the numbers don't lie. It's a tough, tough place to win. Rounding out the top five on Myerberg's list behind Ohio Stadium is Beaver Stadium (Penn State), Autzen Stadium (Oregon), Michigan Stadium (Michigan), and Husky Stadium (Washington). Yes, you saw that right. Two of the most recent teams to join the Big Ten from the West Coast are considered among the top five. For a complete list of Myerberg's list, you can visit USA TODAY and scroll through the finished product yourself. Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
USA Today
17-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Where Alabama lands in preseason SEC football power rankings
Everything Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer said at 2025 SEC media days How good will Alabama be in 2025, and will it be enough to carry them back to the College Football Playoff or the SEC Championship Game? USA TODAY Sports college football analyst Paul Myerberg has made an early evaluation of the Crimson Tide and the rest of the SEC with just over a month remaining until the 2025 college football season kicks off. In his preseason SEC football power rankings this week, the veteran college football scribe has Alabama at No. 3 behind Texas and Georgia -- the two teams who met in last year's conference title game. Myerberg said of the Crimson Tide: "It won't hurt to have slightly lower expectations and a somewhat softer spotlight on Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide after winning nine games in his debut. Ty Simpson is expected to take over under center and will operate behind a very strong offensive line with plenty of weapons at his disposal. The defense is the best in the front seven. Overall, this is a very talented team capable of winning the SEC and the national title." Anything related to "lower expectations" for Alabama is highly debatable; expectations for the Crimson Tide are always high. That was true long before Nick Saban, as previous coaches at Alabama can attest all too well. Still, Myerberg's overall point is solid. Alabama does have playmakers -- Ryan Williams being the most explosive on offense, with LT Overton, Tim Keenan, Deontae Lawson, Domani Jackson and others on defense -- that could put them back in the SEC title game or even the national championship if things break their way. Alabama football schedule 2025 Alabama will open the 2025 season against Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee on Aug. 30. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ABC. 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
16-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oklahoma Sooners come in at No. 6 in SEC Power Rankings from USA TODAY Sports
Would a sixth-place finish in the Southeastern Conference be enough to earn Brent Venables a fourth year coaching the Oklahoma football team? The SEC Media Days projected order-of-finish will be released at the conclusion of the week, but USA TODAY's Paul Myerberg published his preseason SEC power rankings Monday. The long-time college-football writer tabbed the Sooners for sixth. "With fewer questions on the defensive side, OU could go from six wins to the playoff should (quarterback John) Mateer and new (offensive) coordinator Ben Arbuckle change the Sooners' fortunes on offense," Myerberg wrote. Oklahoma is coming off a 6-7 season, the second such record in Venables' first three years, and finished in a tie for 14th after its first year in the SEC. Injuries ransacked the offense last year, as the Sooners finished 113th out of 134 FBS in total offense. Then, the offensive coordinator, Seth Littrell, didn't make it through the year, and Venables hired Arbuckle from Washington State. Mateer joined his O.C. in Norman shortly thereafter in hopes of providing a spark on that side of the ball. Running back Jaydn Ott, too, will make a difference if healthy. A former All-Pac 12 selection, Ott ran for 12 touchdowns and more than 1,300 yards two seasons ago before being limited to just 116 carries last year in an injury-riddled campaign. OU ranked behind Texas, Georgia, Alabama, LSU, and Florida in Myerberg's initial rankings. The Sooners will travel to Alabama, host LSU, and play the Longhorns in their usual neutral-site game at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. South Carolina, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Missouri also feature on Oklahoma's SEC slate, with four of those five projected as preseason Top-25 teams, providing it with the seventh-toughest schedule in FBS, according to college football prognosticator Phil Steele. The Sooners open the regular season August 30 at home against FCS Illinois State. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.
