Tag: The Athletic

U.S. Bank Stadium ranked as No. 1 venue in NFL

No surprise that U.S. Bank Stadium is the best in the NFL

The home of the Minnesota Vikings, U.S. Bank Stadium, was ranked No. 1 among all 30 NFL stadiums in a survey done by The Athletic.

The survey asked 30 of The Athletic’s NFL writers to name their five best and five worst stadiums in the league. The Athletic did note that every writer hasn’t been to every stadium.

What was most impressive about the ballot was that U.S. Bank Stadium ranked first on half the ballots collected. The stadium also came in first on The Athletic’s previous stadium survey three years ago.

Vikings beat writer Alec Lewis had some great words about the uniqueness of the stadium:

I cannot think of another way to say this: U.S. Bank Stadium feels natural. And for a domed building, that is an incredible feat. Maybe it’s the natural light that drifts in from the front end of the stadium through crystal glass. Or, maybe it’s particular dimensions that make the inside feel right — not like a gigantic warehouse, and not like a claustrophobic cave. The history of the franchise and the Skol chants and the fake snow all contribute to the overall experience. But the stadium, in general, is the perfect representation of what an indoor arena should look and feel like on a Sunday.

If you’ve never been to U.S. Bank Stadium, make plans to go.

The Athletic predicts LSU’s win total in 2023

Despite the expectations entering the season, BetMGM set LSU’s win total at just 9.5. The Athletic is taking the over.

LSU enters the 2023 season looking to build upon a successful Year 1 for Brian Kelly in 2022.

The Tigers won 10 games and the SEC West last fall, but the schedule is tricky this time around. LSU opens with a top-10 opponent in Florida State and also faces Alabama and Ole Miss on the road.

Despite the consensus opinion being that this is an improved team from last fall, BetMGM has set the win total for the team at just 9.5 games. That’s understandable, given the gauntlet the Tigers face, but it would likely be seen as a disappointment if the team didn’t exceed it.

Both The Athletic’s Seth Emerson and Kennington Smith III agreed that the Tigers will surpass that total in 2023 in their win projections for each SEC team.

Emerson: This seems too low a number for the team with probably the best quarterback in the conference, other good players and a good coach. The away schedule has trouble spots (Florida State in Orlando, Ole Miss and Alabama), but it’s hard to see more than three losses.

Smith: Easy choice: over. LSU’s roster is loaded with returning talent and one of the best transfer portal classes, and the schedule’s favorable. The Tigers have three non-conference games against subpar teams, and Florida and Missouri as cross-division foes; that draw could’ve been much tougher.

The Tigers will hope Emerson and Smith are right and they’re able to reach the double-digit win threshold once again (and potentially expand upon last year’s 10-win campaign).

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LSU among the top 5 in The Athletic’s preseason rankings

Another set of preseason rankings were released, and it’s another top-five showing for Brian Kelly’s squad.

Another publication has put out its preseason college football rankings, and it’s another top-five placement for Brian Kelly’s LSU Tigers.

In The Athletic’s rankings of all FBS teams from No. 1 to No. 133, LSU came in at No. 5, the same spot it ranks in both preseason polls and many other unofficial rankings. There’s a clear consensus that LSU is a top-five team in 2023.

Despite finishing the 2022 season at No. 17 in the rankings from The Athletic, LSU returns a lot of pieces, especially on offense. On the defensive side of the ball, Harold Perkins will anchor a talented unit but one that features a lot of new faces this season.

While LSU isn’t necessarily seen as an expected playoff team entering the year, it’s clear that many see this as a Tigers team that has that kind of potential if all goes well this fall.

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The Athletic ranks all 133 college football teams, including Florida

Here’s where The Athletic ranks Florida and its SEC peers among the 133 FBS schools.

The opening kickoff of Florida football’s 2023 campaign is a bit over a week away and the fanbase is champing at the bit for the return of their gridiron Gators. While the outlook for the upcoming season looks pretty bleak — depending upon how you look at it, of course — nothing beats college football season in the Southeastern Conference.

Ahead of the start of the fall schedule, The Athletic’s Chris Vannini published his rankings for all 133 Football Bowl Subdivision schools. Billy Napier’s Gators came in at No. 40 overall on the list, which is fairly consistent with the AP Poll’s preseason results.

Vannini’s rankings feature four SEC teams in the top 10, lead off by the Georgia Bulldogs (No. 1) as well as the Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 3), LSU Tigers (No. 5) and Tennessee Volunteers (No. 10). The South Carolina Gamecocks (No. 21) and Ole Miss Rebels (No. 22)  round out the conference schools in the top 25.

Ahead of Florida are the Arkansas Razorbacks (No. 33), Mississippi State Bulldogs (No. 35), Kentucky Wildcats (No. 36) and Texas A&M Aggies (No. 37). The Auburn Tigers (No. 47), Missouri Tigers (No. 54) and Vanderbilt Commodores (No. 77) round out the SEC schools on the list.

The Gators open its 2023 schedule on the road against the 12th-ranked Utah Utes on Thursday, Aug. 31, with a kickoff time of 8 p.m. EDT.

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Lumen Field ranked among top five stadiums in the NFL by the Athletic

You don’t have to be a diehard Seahawks homer in order to appreciate them having one of the best stadiums in sports.

You don’t have to be a diehard Seahawks homer in order to appreciate them having one of the best stadiums in sports.

According to a new ranking by the Athletic of all 30 stadiums around the NFL, Seattle’s home is in the top five. Lumen Field came in at No. 5 on their list. Here’s what they had to say about it.

“One of the top attractions is that it’s one of the loudest stadiums in sports. The outdoor venue has been home to the Seahawks since it opened in 2002. It was second on our previous list. This time around, it was in the top five on 18 ballots.”

The rest of the top five were 1. U.S. Bank Stadium (Vikings), 2. SoFi Stadium (Rams, Chargers), 3. Lambeau Field (Packers) and 4. AT&T Stadium (Cowboys).

More Seahawks Wire stories

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Levi Bell posts top PFF grade this week

The Athletic previews Florida football, SEC ahead of 2023 season

The Athletic thinks that if Napier and Co. can finish above .500 with a key win or two, they’ll be on their way to success in 2024.

The second year of the Billy Napier era is nearly at hand with less than two weeks until the season-opener in Salt Lake City against the Utah Utes. The overall consensus has been that Florida football faces one of the toughest schedules in the college sport, making the task of snapping a stretch of two seasons under the .500 mark.

Both the Southeastern Conference and non-conference slates look to be bruisers for the Orange and Blue, with the SEC maintaining its perch above the rest of the Power Five when it comes to the strength of competition. Additionally, two of Florida’s four non-conference games come against a pair of teams in the top 14 of the preseason Coaches Poll.

The Athletic’s Kennington Smith III and Seth Emerson took a look at the SEC from top to bottom, previewing each team while dividing them into five tiers based on the strength of the program. The Gators earned a spot in the third tier, with the following justification.

If this were about the past or the future, the Gators would merit being a tier or two higher. But coming off a 5-7 season and going on three straight head coaches who were fired, things are murky in the Swamp. There are still the resources to return to the days of Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer. Even each of the three coaches who followed Meyer had at least one very good season. The problem has been sustaining anything, and now the Gators are hoping Billy Napier, using the Saban blueprint, can get them back to relevance before the days of Meyer become too distant a memory. That’s why it’s key for Napier to offer some reason for hope this year. A winning record at minimum. A consistently competitive team with a big win or two would be a good way to head into 2024.

The Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide and LSU Tigers comprise the first tier, while the Tennessee Volunteers and Texas A&M Aggies make up the second level of the conference. Florida is joined by the Kentucky Wildcats, Ole Miss Rebels and Auburn Tigers in Tier 3, with the Arkansas Razorbacks, Missouri Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks and Mississippi State Bulldogs in the fourth tier.

The Vanderbilt Commodores sit alone in the fifth and final tier of the SEC, according to the authors.

Florida opens its 2023 schedule on the road against Utah on Aug. 31, with a kickoff time of 8 p.m. EDT.

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The Athletic predicts Florida football’s win total among SEC schools in 2023

While the Gators are near the bottom of these predictions, if they hold up Florida could have its first winning season in three years.

The start of the 2023 college football campaign is just around the corner as Billy Napier and the Florida Gators prepare for what is expected to be one of the most difficult schedules in the sport. The second-year skipper is looking to break out of a funk that has held the Orange and Blue under the .500 mark the past two seasons but the look is pretty grim.

The Athletic’s Seth Emerson and Kennington Smith III recently cast their projections for this season’s win totals among the Southeastern Conference’s schools, and the news is not great for Florida fans. The pair set their prediction for the Gators’ win total at 5.5 — ranked No. 13 in the league just ahead of the last-place Vanderbilt Commodores (3.5 wins).

Here is what the two had to offer on the topic.

Emerson: At the risk of buying too much into the brand name, the over seems a solid bet here: There are three almost guaranteed wins (including Vanderbilt), and as tough as the other nine are, Billy Napier’s team should be able to scrounge three more wins. Most likely are Arkansas at home, at Missouri, South Carolina or Kentucky, maybe even home against Florida State.

Smith: Florida’s 2022 season ended unceremoniously, and the roster has questions, but I won’t bet on the Gators missing out on the bowl game. Quarterback aside, the 1-2 running back punch of Montrell Johnson and Trevor Etienne should pace the offense.

While the prediction is not necessarily the end of the world — after all, Smith still thinks this is a bowl-eligible team — Napier’s gang has a steep uphill battle ahead of them. If they split the non-conference schedule at 2-2 and win five SEC games, that would be a 7-5 record heading into the postseason, good enough to ensure the first winning season in three years.

The Georgia Bulldogs lead the way with a projected 11.5 wins, followed by the Alabama Crimson Tide (10), LSU Tigers (9.5), Tennessee Volunteers (9.5), Texas A&M Aggies (8), Ole Miss Rebels (7.5), Auburn Tigers (7), Kentucky Wildcats (6.5), Arkansas Razorbacks (6.5), Missouri Tigers (6.5), South Carolina Gamecocks (6.5) and Mississippi State (6.5).

Florida opens its 2023 schedule on the road against the Utah Utes on Aug. 31, with a kickoff time of 8 p.m. EDT.

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The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman list includes one notable Aggie freshman in his annual ‘College Football Freaks List’

Due to his highly athletic prowess, Texas A&M freshman OL Chase Bisontis has made Bruce Feldman’s annual “Freaks list.”

Texas A&M’s crucial 2023 campaign is less than three weeks away as Head Coach Jimbo Fisher is set to enter his sixth season at the helm, looking to finally turn the page from last year’s 5-7 (2-6 SEC) debacle.

Outside of hiring newly minted offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, the real story behind Texas A&M’s attempt to rebound in 2023 is behind their incredibly talented and experienced roster, as most of their historic 2022 recruiting class has returned after receiving substantial playing time last season.

With an infusion of new talent from the 2023 recruiting cycle, several incoming freshmen are already competing for starting positions this fall, while former four-star offensive lineman Chase Bisontis, the New Jersey native, has now made The Athletic writer Bruce Feldman’s annual “Freaks List.”(Subscription required) 

The list comprises some of the most versatile and athletic current college football players in the country, excelling in specific traits and attributes such as speed, strength, length, and durability, something Bisontis possesses in droves, as he currently stands as Fisher’s most significant recruiting coup in quite some time.

“The Aggies went up to New Jersey and snagged the Garden State’s top prospect last year, and the 6-6, 320-pound strongman has folks inside the A&M program believing its best Freak is a true freshman. Bisontis already squats 670 pounds, bench-presses 445 and power-cleans 345. Before his senior year of high school, he deadlifted 615 pounds. He also could top out at 17 MPH.”

Bisontis’ lifting numbers will only increase over time; after and up the up and down first season for offensive line coach Steve Addazio after the Aggies offensive line dealt with a rash of injuries and subpar play, all five starters return, while Bisontis has already solidified himself as a key reserve who will likely serve as the backup at both left and right tackle due to his unique versatility.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

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Trio of Ducks, one former Oregon player crack Bruce Feldman’s ‘Freaks List’ for 2023

The Athletic’s ‘Freaks List’ is out for 2023. It features a trio of Ducks, one former Oregon player, and a 5-star recruit who unfortunately got away.

The Athletic’s ‘Freaks List’ written by Bruce Felman each and every year is among the most entertaining articles you will read leading up to the college football season. Like other publications, it doesn’t go through to top 100 players in the nation, regurgitating many of the names that we already know will have a big impact on the upcoming season.

Instead, Feldman goes through the 101 most physically outlandish “freaks” in college football. In his own words, the Freak’s List aims to “spotlight the players whose athleticism blew the minds of folks inside their own college football programs.”

A year ago, Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez was near the top of the list because of his length and speed. This year, a trio of Oregon Ducks made the cut for Feldman.

More than just those three Oregon players, though, there are a handful of other notable “freaks” for Duck fans to read about. Among them is one former Oregon Duck who transferred out of the program, a former 5-star recruit who Dan Lanning and Co. probably still have nightmares about losing, and a long list of Pac-12 players or guys who the Ducks will see on their 2023 schedule at some point or another.

Here are all of the “freaks” that you need to know about as an Oregon fan:

NFL coach ‘not sure’ Bills’ Josh Allen can consistently win as a passer

NFL coach ‘not sure’ Bills’ Josh Allen can consistently win as a passer (via @SharifKeaton):

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has been one of the best at his position ever since he came onto the scene in the 2020 season.

That year culminated in in his first Pro Bowl. Now, going into his third season since making that initial Pro Bowl (fifth season overall), Allen and the Bills have high expectations for what the 2023 season will be for them.

Recently, in a survey done by The Athletic, 50 coaches and executives to ranked the league’s quarterbacks into tiers. While guys like Kansas City Chiefs signal caller Patrick Mahomes and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow comfortably ranked in tier 1, there were some that ranked Allen in the second tier.

For context, tier 2 QBs are those who “can carry their team to victory sometimes, but not as consistently” as those in tier 1. While Allen has not yet led Buffalo to the Super Bowl in his five seasons as the starting QB, he is still widely regarded as one of the best in the league due to his combination of passing and running that makes him one of the hardest players to defend.

With that being said, there will always be some who are skeptical. Here’s why one defensive coordinator put Allen in tier 2 as part of the survey:

“I’m not sure he (Allen) can win you a game as a dropback passer consistently, which is part of the Tier 1 description. I think Allen, Lamar (Jackson) and Jalen (Hurts) all fit into that high Tier 2 category. The running is a weapon, but if you are down two scores or 10 points, you might have an issue.”

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