Sports

Bruce Feldman ranks college football's 10 toughest stadiums to play in

Published

2 days ago

June 29, 2024

Bruce Feldman ranks college football's 10 toughest stadiums to play in

EA Sports stirred up a lot of debate when it unveiled its rankings of the toughest places to play for the upcoming College Football 25 video game. I have my own thoughts based on some 30 years of covering the sport in which I’ve attended games at and been on the sidelines for many of the most charged stadium atmospheres in the country.

The loudest and craziest venue I’ve been to is the old Orange Bowl. When there was a huge Miami game there — usually a Florida State visit — nothing was quite like it. The closest thing I’ve seen is LSU’s Tiger Stadium. My colleagues at The Athletic had their own thoughts on the EA Sports list, and now here’s my ranking of the 10 toughest places to play in college football.

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College Football 25’s Toughest Places to Play: Debating the rankings

1. LSU: Tiger Stadium

The place is just pure mayhem, and it starts way before kickoff. I’ve heard from so many coaches over the years about how hostile the treatment of their teams is, from rattling their bus on arrival to dousing the visitors with booze. Just seeing Mike the Tiger in person adds another layer of intimidation to this.

Mike Leach told me the story of the first time he went in there when he was the offensive coordinator at Kentucky.

“There were these little old ladies with their grandchildren flipping off our bus,” Leach said. “Then as we got closer, they start rocking our bus!”

Count Leach among those awed by Mike the Tiger — and the entire experience.

I remember being there in 2007 when Florida and Tim Tebow came into Death Valley on a Saturday night for a top-10 showdown. Les Miles went for it five times on fourth down and his team — and their faithful — had his back every step of the way for a come-from-behind 28-24 win. It was a record crowd at the time of 92,910. It sounded like twice as many people were packed in there at a stadium that now holds more than 100,000.

There was also the legendary Earthquake Game in 1988. Technically, there were fewer than 80,000 fans in there to see LSU upset Auburn, 7-6. But a seismograph registered an earthquake after Tommy Hodson connected on a fourth-down TD pass with less than two minutes to play.

I asked former LSU staffer and longtime Louisiana media member Derek Ponamsky about the loudest he’s ever heard the place for a game, and he said it was in 2019 when another Florida team, ranked No. 6, visited.

“That game was insane from the second we stepped off the bus,” he said. “Ja’Marr (Chase’s) TD and our stop on fourth down in the red zone was almost as good as the Earthquake Game or Rueben Randle’s catch and run in 2010 against Alabama. But that stadium was a jet engine for six hours. It was LOUD before they even took the field. ‘College Gameday’ on campus. It was electric.”

If you meet someone who has never been around college football but wants the full experience, there is only one place they need to go to get it on full blast: LSU’s Death Valley.

2. Alabama: Bryant-Denny Stadium

My favorite visit here was for the 2010 Iron Bowl — the Cam Newton game. There was a ton of drama surrounding Auburn and Newton that season based on the NCAA’s investigation into his recruitment.

In the wake of this game, an Alabama staffer was let go because of their decision to play the Steve Miller Band song “Take the Money and Run” over the stadium sound system during warmups. It only added to the raucous energy in the building that day. The Tide jumped all over the Tigers early, going up 24-0, but Newton was Superman that season. He led Auburn to a 28-27 comeback win, snapping a 20-game home win streak for the Crimson Tide.

Bama also deserves a lot of credit for ratcheting up the stadium energy with the lights, audio and video boards they’ve added over the years. It can feel like a pretty mind-scrambling experience when they got rolling.

3. Penn State: Beaver Stadium

The Nittany Lions’ White Out games are deafening. Penn State usually saves it for the toughest matchup of the season, although with Fox’s recent “Big Noon” strategy factoring into Big Ten scheduling, sometimes it doesn’t end up that way.

The Nittany Lions have won six of their past seven prime-time White Outs, with six of those being against ranked opponents — including the 2016 win over No. 2 Ohio State. The lone defeat was against No. 4 Ohio State by one point, 27-26, in 2018. Last year, Penn State shut out No. 24 Iowa, 31-0.

But I can speak from experience that it’s not just the White Outs that make this place special. The atmosphere last November when No. 3 Michigan visited Happy Valley was the loudest noon kickoff game I can remember in the last decade — louder than any other “Big Noon” game I’ve been at — with almost 111,000 people in attendance. Michigan, which had the most experienced team in the country in 2023, did win that game, 24-15.

4. Ohio State: Ohio Stadium

The Buckeyes have been the Big Ten’s most dominant program for a long time now, so whoever shows up usually is facing a stacked team with a more talented roster. Still, the Horseshoe is a towering building that feels much different, and more intimidating, than the Big House at archrival Michigan. The crowd comes in ready to break its opponent early and seems shocked if there’s anything other than a dominant Buckeyes showing.

5. Virginia Tech: Lane Stadium*

The asterisk is here because I’m thinking of what this place has been in the past, not necessarily what it’s been in recent years. I get it. The results recently indicate otherwise. As colleague Pete Sampson noted, The Hokies are 2-10 at home against Top 25 teams in the past decade, but when the Hokies are playing well, this place is unique. I’ve been here for a few Hokies beatdowns of top-10 teams where the place rocks. It has some Tiger Stadium vibes to it, and there’s something special to it as well.

It only takes the first two seconds of “Enter Sandman” to play and I get goosebumps. It happens every time, even more than a decade later. It immediately takes me back to how Lane Stadium comes alive like no other venue, in a different way than Camp Randall Stadium and “Jump Around.” That’s frenzied; this is more ominous.

It also perfectly fit with their style of play. Based primarily on their vaunted special teams, but also their aggressive defense, the Hokies were college football’s preeminent sudden-change/quick-strike team. It often felt like they were one big swing away from turning the game around or blowing it open.

There was a decade-plus of Hokie magic from the late ’90s into the 2000s in the peak Frank Beamer days where Lane was a chamber of horrors. In 1999, Virginia Tech faced three Top 25 teams — Syracuse, Miami and Boston College — and outscored them by a combined 143-24 at home. In 2002, Tech smashed Nick Saban’s No. 14 LSU squad, 26-8. The next year, a top-10 Hokies team hammered No. 2 Miami, 31-7. In 2004, the Hokies beat No. 6 West Virginia. In 2005, they beat up on No. 15 Georgia Tech and No. 13 Boston College by a combined score of 81-17. In 2009, Lane Stadium hosted successive top-20 wins over Nebraska and Miami.

If Brent Pry can get the Hokies rolling again, Lane will become an opponent’s worst nightmare.

6. Florida: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

In my experience, The Swamp isn’t quite in the category with LSU and Bama, but it is right there with Tennessee and Georgia when it comes to a big-time, true SEC heavyweight experiences. Being there in the ’90s in the Steve Spurrier days to see the Gators face FSU and Bobby Bowden was fantastic.

7. Tennessee: Neyland Stadium

In my first trip to Knoxville, I saw Tennessee play Georgia in the late ’90s. The Vols were really rolling back then, and I got to be on the field in the end zone behind the Dawgs’ offense when they were backed up inside their own 10. I couldn’t even hear the person next to me. It was a sea of orange, and it’s easy to see why so many Top 25 teams have got thumped there over the years when UT was riding high. Georgia was No. 13 that day and lost to the Vols, 38-13.

Autzen Stadium punches above its weight in crowd noise. (Tom Hauck / Getty Images)

8. Oregon: Autzen Stadium

I remember one rival staffer telling me that they must pump in noise in practice the week before they face the Ducks. It doesn’t seem like a place that size — seating 54,000 — can be that loud. It just didn’t make sense to him. But in a matchup of top 10 teams, the Ducks pounded their visitors by almost three touchdowns.

Autzen Stadium is also a place where you can see almost every kind of weather imaginable in the same day. Oregon has been great there for a long time and has defeated 31 of its past 32 opponents at Autzen.

9. Georgia: Sanford Stadium

I remember seeing a good Boise State team come in there ranked No. 18 against No. 13 Georgia in 2005. The Broncos just came unglued and looked overwhelmed, losing 48-13. It was 38-0 before the Broncos settled down. Jared Zabransky, who was a really good QB for Boise State, had his first two passes intercepted and turned it over six times in the first half.

It doesn’t feel like it’s been any easier for visitors now that the Dawgs are even more talented. UGA has won 13 consecutive games against Top 25 opponents at Sanford Stadium.

10. Texas A&M: Kyle Field

I’ve been there when the press box shakes. Kyle Field is an awesome building that gets really, really loud, and opponents complain that their sidelines smell like horse manure. My first trip for a game was Johnny Manziel’s debut against Florida. He was dynamic. The building shook. A&M lost, though. That’s why Kyle Field is not higher on my list, even if it’s No. 1 in EA Sports’ rankings.

When A&M has been really good, the Aggies have still struggled at home more than they should. Manziel led them to a win at Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2012, but the next year, as wild as it felt to be in Kyle Field for the rematch, A&M lost.

(Top photo: Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)

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Sports

Caitlin Clark's teammate Kelsey Mitchell talks handling increased popularity

Published

44 mins ago

July 1, 2024

Press Room

Caitlin Clark's teammate Kelsey Mitchell talks handling increased popularity

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Caitlin Clark’s popularity and prowess on the court has drawn a ton of new eyeballs to the Indiana Fever and the WNBA in general.

On Sunday, the Footprint Center was sold out as 17,071 fans came to the arena to see the matchup. Likely, a lot of them came to witness Clark and saw her nearly complete a triple-double.

Kelsey Mitchell, #0 of the Indiana Fever, looks on during the game against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena on June 27, 2024 in Seattle. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell admitted after the Fever’s 88-82 win that the new excitement around the team was something to get used to. The team is already averaging around 16,700 fans at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse – the most in the WNBA.

“I think the same eyes were on her at Iowa, so I think she’s kind of like mastered how it’s supposed to go. Hats off to her for dealing with it. I think for us it’s obviously an adjustment,” Mitchell said, via Desert Wave Media.

CAITLIN CLARK’S FUTURE IS ‘SO BRIGHT,’ WNBA LEGEND DIANA TAURASI SAYS

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, #22, and Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, #0, interact during a WNBA Commissioner’s Cup game between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun on June 10, 2024 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“We’re new to Caitlin, and Caitlin is new to us, so it’s an adjustment as far as those eyes, but me personally, I’m fine.”

Mitchell, who was an All-Star for the first time last season, is averaging 16.3 points this season. Ironically, Clark topped Mitchell’s scoring mark in college on her way to becoming the all-time leader.

For now, the goal remains simple – make the playoffs.

Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, #0, and Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham, #9, battle for a loose ball during the second half of a WNBA basketball game on Sunday, June 30, 2024 in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

With the win over the Mercury, the Fever jumped to the No. 8 spot in the WNBA standings. If the season ended on Sunday, they would be in the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

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Sports

Miguel Rojas is shining at shortstop. Will Dodgers keep him there when Mookie Betts returns?

Published

1 hour ago

July 1, 2024

Press Room

Miguel Rojas is shining at shortstop. Will Dodgers keep him there when Mookie Betts returns?

SAN FRANCISCO —

It has been only two weeks since Miguel Rojas replaced the injured Mookie Betts as the Dodgers’ starting shortstop, more than enough time for the 35-year-old veteran to alter the makeup of the team’s infield come playoff time.

The slick-fielding Rojas has reminded the Dodgers just how important it is to have a reliable defender at shortstop in October, one who won’t make the team’s front office, manager, coaches, players and fans squirm when the ball is hit to him.

Rojas, who has not committed an error in 215⅔ innings at shortstop this season, is clearly that guy. He has excellent range to his left and right, soft, sure hands, a strong and accurate throwing arm, and he’s adept at starting and turning double plays.

Rojas is athletic enough to make plays from a variety of body positions and arm angles. His internal clock, which helps infielders know how much time they have to make a throw based on a runner’s speed, is as finely tuned as a Swiss watch.

“For me,” Dodgers third-base coach Dino Ebel said, “he’s one of the top five defensive shortstops in baseball.”

Betts, for all his athleticism and his willingness and ability to move from right field to second base last winter and from second base to shortstop — a position he hadn’t played regularly since high school — this spring, is not.

He could be eventually, but the dynamic leadoff man is expected to be out six to eight weeks after suffering a left-hand fracture when he was hit by a 98-mph fastball on June 16, a lengthy absence that will stunt his growth at his new position.

And Betts, a six-time Gold Glove Award-winner in right field, wasn’t in Gold Glove contention when he got hurt — he had nine errors in 531 ⅓ innings at shortstop this season, eight of them throwing and one fielding.

All of which raises the question: If Rojas keeps hitting the way he has this season, one of his best with the bat in 11 years in the big leagues, would Dodgers manager Dave Roberts consider leaving him at shortstop when Betts returns and moving Betts to second base, where Gavin Lux hasn’t exactly been tearing it up offensively?

“I would, I would,” Roberts said. “I don’t think anyone can debate the level of shortstop play from Miguel Rojas. Some of it is contingent on the timeline for Mookie’s return and where Miggy is physically and how things are going. But to your question, would I consider it? Absolutely.”

Miguel Rojas celebrates after hitting a double against the Cincinnati Reds on May 18.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

“He’s having a heck of a year offensively and defensively, and I love the edge, the energy, he brings every night.”

— Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager, on Miguel Rojas

For Rojas to remain the starting shortstop all summer and into the fall, he has to stay healthy, which is why he’s spending more time with his legs wrapped in a blood flow restriction (BFR) machine and less time taking ground balls, part of a modified pregame and postgame training regimen designed to keep him on the field.

Rojas began the season as a utility man, starting just 30 of the team’s first 73 games through June 16, the day Betts was hit by that pitch from Kansas City Royals right-hander Dan Altavilla.

Rojas started 10 of the first 11 games at shortstop after Betts got hurt, a pace made possible by three off days in the past nine days but one that is not sustainable for a player who has battled leg injuries for several years.

“He’s having a heck of a year offensively and defensively, and I love the edge, the energy, he brings every night,” Roberts said. “The thing I have to be mindful of is managing his playing time because he’s just such a value to our ballclub.

“He will argue like most players that he can play every day, and that should be his mindset. But he’s still an older player who’s had some soft-tissue things, so I will find time to give him days off, because I think it’s best for him and for us long term.”

Rojas, who enters Tuesday night’s game against Arizona with a .287 average, .778 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, three homers, 13 doubles and 15 RBIs in 52 games, finally got a day off Sunday in San Francisco. There were no complaints.

“I think it’s a smart move, because I’m going to have the off-day Monday, too,” Rojas said after he had three RBI singles and a sacrifice fly in Saturday night’s grueling 14-7, 11-inning win over the Giants. “My role on this team changed a little bit when Mookie got hurt, and now I have to play shortstop every day.

“I need to recharge my batteries because I’m a guy that plays all-out, every single day, and I feel like I empty the tank. I need to refuel and be ready for Tuesday.”

1 Miguel Rojas rounds second base during a win over the Angels on June 22.

2 Miguel Rojas throws to first base during a win over the Kansas City Royals on June 14.

1. Miguel Rojas rounds second base during a win over the Angels on June 22. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 2. Miguel Rojas throws to first base during a win over the Kansas City Royals on June 14. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

“I’m taking this really seriously, because I don’t want them to feel like they need to go out there and find someone. I think I can do it.”

— Miguel Rojas, on having an everyday role with the Dodgers

Rojas, the team’s everyday shortstop last season, prides himself on his stellar defense and the passion he plays with.

“I want to inject some energy into the lineup, I want to be in the middle of the field trying to be another manager out there, helping the guys with positioning,” Rojas said. “I play hard every day, whether it’s running the bases or diving for balls. I don’t hold anything for later. I’m not trying to save myself for September.”

But to make it to September and October, Rojas knows he needs to take even better care of his body, which is why he started doing yoga and pilates this spring, stopped wearing the high-top spikes that seemed to affect his Achilles tendons, hamstrings and hips and spends at 30 minutes in the training room before and after every game receiving treatment, including the BFR machine.

Also known as an occlusion training device, the BFR machine restricts blood flow to a muscle, a group of muscles and joints such as elbows and knees in order to beef up the lactic acid produced during exercise, a key component in building muscle. It also aids in recovery and healing.

“I’ve had some fluke injuries, like when I hurt my wrist [on a 2022 slide with Miami],” said Rojas, who had to be pulled from an early June game at Pittsburgh because of a groin injury. “But my legs have been bothering me for the last couple of years.

“So I’ve used the BFR machine on both legs for the last couple of weeks. I follow that with some treatment and more stretching, and I feel good. My body feels much better than it did last year, when I was playing a lot.”

Rojas has cut way back on his pregame routine, which, for the first 2½ months of the season, consisted of extensive work taking ground balls and helping Betts transition to shortstop. In addition to stretching more to increase his flexibility, Rojas is eating better and staying hydrated. He’s getting to sleep earlier.

“I’m taking this really seriously, because I don’t want them to feel like they need to go out there and find someone,” Rojas said. “I think I can do it.”

The moment that fastball hit Betts’ hand, there was speculation that the Dodgers would pursue a trade for a shortstop. Toronto’s Bo Bichette and the Chicago White Sox’s Paul DeJong have been mentioned as candidates, but Bichette is having a career-worst season, and DeJong wouldn’t be much of an upgrade over Rojas.

“That’s the chip on his shoulder — he wants to prove that he’s that guy,” Ebel said of Rojas. “I give him credit for even thinking that.”

Rojas will never be as dangerous in the batter’s box as Betts, but the Dodgers would be hard-pressed to find a better defensive alternative at shortstop.

“It’s a game-changer,” Roberts said of Rojas’ defense. “Mookie was doing the best he could given the circumstances, but Miggy is an 80-grade defender. He grew up as a shortstop. The repetitions that he’s taken over the years, over his life … he’s a lock-down guy.”

Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas, left and Andy Pages talk in the dugout before a game.

The challenge for Roberts will be finding that balance between playing Rojas as much as possible and resting him enough to keep him healthy over the next four months.

“For me, it’s talking to the training staff, it’s using my eyes and seeing how his body’s moving, picking out a day game after a night game, things like that,” Roberts said. “There is no exact science. I can’t just say it’s two on, one off, three on, one off, play six in a row.

“But he’s so valuable for us going forward that to make sure we keep him fresh is what’s most important, and that’s what my mindset will be. … I can’t say enough about Miggy Ro. I’m pushing him a little bit as far as playing time, but he’s coming up big.”

Sports

Chris Paul agrees to deal with Spurs hours after Warriors run ends: reports

Published

8 hours ago

July 1, 2024

Press Room

Chris Paul agrees to deal with Spurs hours after Warriors run ends: reports

It didn’t take long for Chris Paul to find a new team, apparently.

Hours after the Golden State Warriors point guard was waived, multiple reports indicated that Paul agreed to a contract with the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday. The deal would potentially put him in the same lineup with Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan.

Chris Paul (Bob Kupbens-USA TODAY Sports)

Paul’s deal is worth $11 million over one year, ESPN reported.

He played with the Warriors last season after he was acquired in a trade that involved Jordan Poole.

The 12-time All-Star averaged 9.2 points, 6.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 58 games. He played in fewer than 60 games in consecutive seasons, the 2022-23 season with the Phoenix Suns. It’s the first time he’s done that since the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, when he was with the Houston Rockets.

JAMES HARDEN AGREES TO 2-YEAR DEAL WITH CLIPPERS: REPORTS

Golden State Warriors forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (32) and guard Chris Paul (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

Paul is considered to be one of the best point guards to play in the NBA since he entered the league in 2005. He leads the NBA in most assists all-time among active players with 11,894. Only Paul and LeBron James have at least 11,000 assists all-time.

He also might be the best modern player to never win an NBA championship. He was close when he was with the Suns when they made the 2021 NBA Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks won the series in six games.

Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul passes the ball under defensive pressure by New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones, left, and guard Dyson Daniels at Chase Center in San Francisco on April 12, 2024. (D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports)

Paul will be 40 years old by the time the 2024-25 season ends. He’s averaging 17.5 points and 9.4 assists per game for his career.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.