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re: What do you think is the toughest SEC venue to play in?
Posted on 8/10/16 at 10:09 am to Sancho Panza
Posted on 8/10/16 at 10:09 am to Sancho Panza
LSU/FL are on their own level. TN and Arkansas are the next loudest.
0
Posted on 8/10/16 at 11:05 am to Tigerfan56
There are ways to scientifically look at this....
Going back since 1992, you can compare each SEC's home winning percentage against ranked opponents to their road winning percentage against ranked opponents:
1. LSU +26.0% at home compared to on the road
2. Florida +19.2%
3. Mississippi St. +17.4%
4. Tennessee +13.5%
5. Texas A&M +13.3%
6. Arkansas +11.5%
7. S. Carolina +9.9%
8. Kentucky +8.1%
9. Auburn +8.0%
10. Ole Miss +6.5%
11. Missouri +5.5%
12. Vanderbilt +4.5%
13. Alabama -2.4%
14. Georgia -11.7%
Since 1992, Alabama and Georgia have actually faired better in games vs. ranked teams on the road than they have at home. My dawgs have been particularly worse at home, with a record of 14-24 against ranked teams (36.8%) compared to a much better 16-17-1 record on the road (48.5%).
There is also an additional way to look at it: Point differential at home compared to on the road in games vs. ranked teams:
1. Arkansas +15.7 pts in games at home compared to on the road
2. Vanderbilt +14.8 pts
3. Auburn +13.8 pts
4. Missouri +13.5 pts
5. Miss. St. +12.4 pts
6. Texas A&M +11.9 pts
7. Ole Miss +10.8 pts
8. LSU +10.1 pts
9. Florida +10.0 pts
10. S. Carolina +6.3 pts
11. Kentucky +4.1 pts
12. Alabama -1.2 pts
13. Tennessee -2.23 pts
14. Georgia -2.4 pts
If you take each of those two categories and divide each team's totals by the #1 team's totals in each category, you'll see how each team stands on a percentile basis. Then take those two percentiles and average them together. This is how it turns out:
1. LSU- 82.1
2. Miss. St.- 72.9
3. Arkansas- 72.1
4. Florida- 68.8
5. Texas A&M- 63.3
6. Auburn- 59.5
7. Vanderbilt- 55.9
8. Missouri- 53.5
9. Ole Miss- 47.0
10. S. Carolina- 39.0
11. Kentucky- 28.6
12. Tennessee- 18.9
13. Alabama- -8.3
14. Georgia- -30.2
This is confirmation of what I've always felt about Georgia: While Athens can't be beat from a full gameday experience, the crowd advantage just isn't there in big games. I've also never been very impressed with the noise level in Tuscaloosa.
And of course, LSU comes out #1 in home field advantage... living up to their reputation.
While this formula does show teams like Mississippi State and Arkansas much tougher to beat when they are at home compared to when they are on the road, it doesn't necessarily mean they are "tough venues". They produce the #2 and #3 advantage, respectively, but that's comparing it to their relative abysmal road record in big games.
I would have ranked the 3 toughest venues as LSU, Florida, and Auburn... and this exercise pretty much confirms my personal belief.
Going back since 1992, you can compare each SEC's home winning percentage against ranked opponents to their road winning percentage against ranked opponents:
1. LSU +26.0% at home compared to on the road
2. Florida +19.2%
3. Mississippi St. +17.4%
4. Tennessee +13.5%
5. Texas A&M +13.3%
6. Arkansas +11.5%
7. S. Carolina +9.9%
8. Kentucky +8.1%
9. Auburn +8.0%
10. Ole Miss +6.5%
11. Missouri +5.5%
12. Vanderbilt +4.5%
13. Alabama -2.4%
14. Georgia -11.7%
Since 1992, Alabama and Georgia have actually faired better in games vs. ranked teams on the road than they have at home. My dawgs have been particularly worse at home, with a record of 14-24 against ranked teams (36.8%) compared to a much better 16-17-1 record on the road (48.5%).
There is also an additional way to look at it: Point differential at home compared to on the road in games vs. ranked teams:
1. Arkansas +15.7 pts in games at home compared to on the road
2. Vanderbilt +14.8 pts
3. Auburn +13.8 pts
4. Missouri +13.5 pts
5. Miss. St. +12.4 pts
6. Texas A&M +11.9 pts
7. Ole Miss +10.8 pts
8. LSU +10.1 pts
9. Florida +10.0 pts
10. S. Carolina +6.3 pts
11. Kentucky +4.1 pts
12. Alabama -1.2 pts
13. Tennessee -2.23 pts
14. Georgia -2.4 pts
If you take each of those two categories and divide each team's totals by the #1 team's totals in each category, you'll see how each team stands on a percentile basis. Then take those two percentiles and average them together. This is how it turns out:
1. LSU- 82.1
2. Miss. St.- 72.9
3. Arkansas- 72.1
4. Florida- 68.8
5. Texas A&M- 63.3
6. Auburn- 59.5
7. Vanderbilt- 55.9
8. Missouri- 53.5
9. Ole Miss- 47.0
10. S. Carolina- 39.0
11. Kentucky- 28.6
12. Tennessee- 18.9
13. Alabama- -8.3
14. Georgia- -30.2
This is confirmation of what I've always felt about Georgia: While Athens can't be beat from a full gameday experience, the crowd advantage just isn't there in big games. I've also never been very impressed with the noise level in Tuscaloosa.
And of course, LSU comes out #1 in home field advantage... living up to their reputation.
While this formula does show teams like Mississippi State and Arkansas much tougher to beat when they are at home compared to when they are on the road, it doesn't necessarily mean they are "tough venues". They produce the #2 and #3 advantage, respectively, but that's comparing it to their relative abysmal road record in big games.
I would have ranked the 3 toughest venues as LSU, Florida, and Auburn... and this exercise pretty much confirms my personal belief.
Posted on 8/10/16 at 11:35 am to TouchdownTony
I don't think it is much fan support as it is the design of the stadium. I never thought BDS sounded like 100K crowd is sitting in it. The noise seams to dissipate differently then Ben Hill or Sanford. The more open the stadium, the louder it seems.
Posted on 8/10/16 at 11:52 am to Tigerfan56
quote:
I'll say Florida
In all seriousness, catching a game in the swamp with my son is on my bucket list. I've had friends that went and had a phenomenal time.
Posted on 8/10/16 at 11:54 am to blacknblu
quote:I'll be there to offer you some food and beer my friend
In all seriousness, catching a game in the swamp with my son is on my bucket list. I've had friends that went and had a phenomenal time.
Posted on 8/10/16 at 11:55 am to spincycle81
quote:
I'll be there to offer you some food and beer my friend
Outstanding!
Posted on 8/10/16 at 12:01 pm to Prof
quote:
What game was that?
It wasn't a game, it was a scrimmage LSU had the last time they were up in Knoxville.
Posted on 8/10/16 at 12:05 pm to joshua2571
quote:
Death Valley doesn't scare anybody anymore.
Yeah. That one win every 10 years or so really took the fear out of MSU.
Posted on 8/10/16 at 9:58 pm to madmaxvol
quote:
That was the end of the 38-7 massacre LSU handed Dooley's team in 2011. The height of the Dooley era.
I honestly don't remember that game.
Posted on 8/10/16 at 10:47 pm to bamabenny
quote:You mean the first half of a big SEC game at Night.
I hate LSU, but nobody gets louder for the first half than those drunk cajuns
2nd half loudness depends on the score...........
Posted on 8/11/16 at 6:30 am to BHMKyle
quote:
Going back since 1992, you can compare each SEC's home winning percentage against ranked opponents to their road winning percentage against ranked opponents
There's no way I can take your post seriously.
There's way too many variables that skew those numbers.
This post was edited on 8/11/16 at 6:36 am
Posted on 8/11/16 at 6:31 am to LSU Patrick
quote:
Yeah. That one win every 10 years or so really took the fear out of MSU.
Congrats on beating a bad team 4 times out of 5.
Posted on 8/11/16 at 6:32 am to Tigerfan56
Alabama. My guess is they have the highest winning percentage in the SEC at home.
Posted on 8/11/16 at 7:29 am to LSU Patrick
quote:
Yeah. That one win every 24 years or so really took the fear out of MSU.
Fify
Posted on 8/11/16 at 7:39 am to joshua2571
quote:
Death Valley doesn't scare anybody anymore.
Win there 1 time in 20 years an now you aren't scared.
Posted on 8/11/16 at 8:50 am to Emanonion
It's dependent on how the team is doing, I went to Bama during UT's streak over them and they weren't loud, Neyland in the last decade hasn't been impressive for the most part but in the 90's Neyland could bring it.
Posted on 8/11/16 at 8:52 am to TouchdownTony
quote:
THE SINGLE MOST overrated stat in football is home field advantage
No. Lol. No. Maybe they exist, but I doubt if you can list even one major college football program with a better road record over time than their home record. Being at home is DEFINATELY an advantage.
Posted on 8/11/16 at 9:02 am to Kentucker
I swear Neyland was louder before they closed in the upper deck in 1996, capacity was like 92,000. I guess it was the acoustics or something. 
. I remember being at a Bama game and I couldn't here my buddy yelling at me sitting beside me.
. I remember being at a Bama game and I couldn't here my buddy yelling at me sitting beside me. Posted on 8/11/16 at 9:21 am to PurpleandGeauld
quote:
Maybe they exist, but I doubt if you can list even one major college football program with a better road record over time than their home record
No shite. Every major college football program plays at least 2-3 cupcakes at home each year.
Most schools don't get the luxury of playing at Western Kentucky or Kent St.
This post was edited on 8/11/16 at 9:30 am
Posted on 8/11/16 at 9:37 am to pvilleguru
Loudest I have been too:
1.Bama ( fans know when to get loud. Bama does a good job of keeping crowd engaged. I hate that S&C coach voice over though)
2.LSU
3.A&M
4.Starkville(2014 was loud as anyplace)
5.UT ( 2004 and 2013 my only times there so the noise didn't last long)
6.UGA( outside of black jerseys and "revenge" games didn't get loud outside of a few times....auburn has crapped the bed last few to Athens though)
7-13. Who cares
Never been to mizzou
1.Bama ( fans know when to get loud. Bama does a good job of keeping crowd engaged. I hate that S&C coach voice over though)
2.LSU
3.A&M
4.Starkville(2014 was loud as anyplace)
5.UT ( 2004 and 2013 my only times there so the noise didn't last long)
6.UGA( outside of black jerseys and "revenge" games didn't get loud outside of a few times....auburn has crapped the bed last few to Athens though)
7-13. Who cares
Never been to mizzou
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