Scarlet Sunrise: ESPN ranked the top 25 college football stadiums — where does the 'Shoe come in?

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ESPN ranked the top 25 college football stadiums — where does the ‘Shoe come in?

ESPN asked 14 of its college football writers to rank the best stadiums in the sport. Each writer was asked to send in their top 20 stadiums, in order. A point system was implemented. Stadiums received 20 points for first-place votes, 19 for second-place votes, 18 for third-place votes and so on.

A total of 42 stadiums grabbed at least one vote, but ESPN ultimately compiled a top-25 venue ranking from the stadium’s top vote getters.

Ohio Stadium, or the Horseshoe — the ‘Shoe for short — came in at No. 7. Here’s what ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg wrote about the stadium in the piece:

“Arguably no college football stadium is more synonymous with its original shape than Ohio Stadium. The venue opened in 1922 as the nation’s first horseshoe-shaped stadium with double decks. Architect Howard Dwight Smith went with a horseshoe shape to accommodate track events in the open end, and so that all seats could face the field. The stadium is famously ‘on the banks of the Olentangy River,’ as legendary college football announcer Keith Jackson would say, but a bend in the river had to be straightened to accommodate the venue and natural drainage was rerouted into sewers.

“Although ‘The Horseshoe’ has been filled in by a grandstand behind the south end zone, Ohio Stadium will forever be known by its original shape. Before each game, the band famously performs Script Ohio, culminating with the dotting of the ‘i.'”

Adam Rittenberg, ESPN

Here’s the complete top 25 (point values are in parentheses):

1. Tiger Stadium, LSU (247)
2. Rose Bowl, UCLA (209)
3. Michigan Stadium, Michigan (182)
4. Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame (175)
5. Beaver Stadium, Penn State (172)
6. Husky Stadium, Washington (151)
7. Ohio Stadium, Ohio State (149)
8. Camp Randall Stadium, Wisconsin (133)
9. Bryant-Denny Stadium, Alabama (115)
10. Neyland Stadium, Tennessee (112)
11. Memorial Stadium, Clemson (105)
12. Michie Stadium, Army (94)
13. Kyle Field, Texas A&M (91)
14. Autzen Stadium, Oregon (90)
15. Lane Stadium, Virginia Tech (77)
16. Memorial Stadium, Nebraska (73)
17. Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn (69)
18. Sanford Stadium, Georgia (66)
19. Doak S. Campbell Stadium, Florida State (64)
20. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Florida (61)
21. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Ole Miss (51)
22. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, USC (44)
23. Kidd Brewer Stadium, Appalachian State (42)
24. Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Oklahoma (40)
25. Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Texas (38)

Breaking down PFF stats to know about Ohio State cornerbacks

Of the six Big Ten cornerbacks who were targeted 65-plus times last year, Ohio State’s Davison Igbinosun recorded the lowest reception percentage allowed (50.7%), according to Pro Football Focus. Igbinosun gave up 36 catches on 71 targets.

No other Buckeyes defensive player was targeted more than 48 times in 2023, per PFF. While, yes, Igbinosun allowed a team-high five touchdown passes and committed a defense-high six penalties, he also had a lower reception percentage allowed than Denzel Burke (52.1%) and Jordan Hancock (55.6%) and conceded fewer yards per reception (9.8) than Burke (11.1) and Hancock (10.7) last year, according to PFF.

Lettermen Row broke down more PFF stats like that in another cornerback-focused breakdown. Check it out here.

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• ‘You see him coming along’: Calvin Simpson-Hunt growing in competitive cornerback room

Three big predictions for Buckeyes loaded cornerback room

Ohio State is loaded at the cornerback position. The outlook of the position has changed compared to even just two seasons ago.

“Completely different. You know, we have a veteran group of guys,” Walton said this spring. “Denzel [Burke], Lathan [Ransom], [Jordan] Hancock, IGB [Davison Igbinosun], dudes that have played a lot now. They’re all returning starters. So those guys know the expectation, they know the standard.

“And they know how we need to play. So they help handle the little things now.”

With that in mind, Lettermen Row gave three big predictions for the Buckeyes’ cornerbacks in 2024. You can read about those here.

Counting Down

Buckeyes vs. Akron: 42 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 133 days

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