First Down Kentucky: Toughest Places to Play in College Football

What’s the toughest place to play in college football? It’s a question that gets asked often without ever receiving a direct answer. EA Sports inserted itself into the conversation and it sparked the perfect debate for the internet in the final week of June.

When College Football ’25 rolls out in July, home-field advantage will play a factor. They’ve ranked the 25 best venues in college football based on historical win percentages, attendance, and more.

It’s difficult to reach a consensus, but most people agree that Death Valley at night where dreams go to die, and yet Tiger Stadium is not No. 1 on this list. Four of the top five hail from the SEC and 12 of the Top 25, with Mississippi State’s cowbells ringing in at No. 25. Kentucky will play at three of these venues this fall.

NEW: Top 25 Toughest Places to Play in EA Sports College Football 25🔥

Do you agree? ⬇️https://t.co/cpYrwlTUak pic.twitter.com/btJTEc3eC9

— On3 (@On3sports) June 25, 2024

What makes finding a win at some of these venues so difficult is the team that calls it home. Sanford Stadium is an outstanding venue, but it’s the team that makes the task so daunting, not necessarily the atmosphere. You could make a similar point about the climate. Winning in The Swamp is so difficult because there’s a heat index of 101 on a Saturday afternoon in September. Andy Staples has seen more venues outside of the SEC, but here’s how I would rank the stadiums where I’ve watched the Wildcats.

1. Tiger Stadium
2. Kyle Field
3. Williams-Brice Stadium
4. Neyland Stadium
5. Sanford Stadium
6. The Swamp
7. Davis Wade Stadium

As much as I loathe South Carolina fans, you gotta give them some credit. That stadium is electric for night games. I have not visited every SEC stadium, but two more boxes will be checked this fall when Kentucky takes its talents to the 40 acres and The Grove.

Who’s the Most Underrated Kentucky Football Player for Mark Stoops?

It’s a question I posed today for our friends on KSBoard. Garrett “Juice” Johnson is my top pick and I don’t think it’s very close. Some wouldn’t consider him one of the three best receivers of the Stoops era, and yet he’s top five in school history in career receptions and receiving yards. Defensively, it’s trickier, but Calvin Taylor Jr. and CJ “Poop” Johnson were game-wreckers at defensive tackle.

There were a few other interesting submissions from readers. Offensive linemen Jon Toth, Logan Stenberg, Darian Kinnard, and Luke Fortner received some love. Josh Forrest and Javess Blue were a few names from the past rarely mentioned.

Who else did we miss? Continue the conversation on KSBoard, the KSR Message Board. New members can try 1 month for $1.

Ohio Recruits Playing Small School College Football

Vince Marrow had his eyes on a few 2025 prospects from Winton Woods as underclassmen. Justin Hill‘s stock soared, likely landing a spot at Ohio State, while Raphael Greene trended in the other direction. The enormous offensive lineman announced today that he will attend Toledo.

While recruiting Dayton Trotwood-Madison teammates OT Jermiel Atkins and 2026 DL Jamarcus Whyce, Vince Marrow also threw a scholarship to Jahmale Clark. The cornerback shared he’ll be announcing a decision this week, choosing between Kentucky, Youngstown State, UMass, and UMass. One of these is not like the other. Don’t anticipate any sort of news for the Wildcats.

An NFL Hallmark Movie

Hallmark movies have a grip on one demographic ahead of the holiday season and now they’re trying to branch out to reach a new one. How do you captivate a male audience that’s being drug through one cheesy rom-com after another? Partner with the NFL.

You’ll never guess which team they’re choosing for this cross-over event. The team that attracted millions of new fans because the star tight end began dating the most famous woman in the world. Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story begins production next month in Kansas City and will feature scenes from Arrowhead Stadium. A small snippet of the movie’s description from a press release that oozes Hallmark bologna:

“In Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, Alana Higman is sure that her family’s lifelong history as Kansas City Chiefs superfans makes them a frontrunner to win the team’s ‘Fan of the Year’ contest. Derrick, Director of Fan Engagement, is tasked with evaluating how Alana and her family stack up against the other two finalists. As the pair spends time together, it’s clear there’s a spark between them but when her grandfather’s vintage Chiefs, good luck winter hat goes missing, Alana begins to doubt everything she believed about fate, destiny and even questions her future with Derrick – unless, that is, a little Christmas magic can throw a Hail Mary.”

Yikes. Let’s finish this post by cleansing our pallet with some much-needed humor from Martin Short.