College Football Expert Highlights One School Among Toughest Places to Play originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Autzen Stadium is once again getting its flowers as one of the most intimidating venues in college football.
Advertisement
CBS Sports analyst Josh Pate placed Oregon at No. 4 on his list of the “12 Toughest Places to Play” in a recent episode of Josh Pate’s College Football Show.
The Ducks ranked behind only Tennessee, LSU, and Penn State, and found themselves ahead of traditional powerhouses like Alabama, Clemson, and Ohio State.
“I got Autzen Stadium at number 4,” Pate said. “We went up there for the Ohio State game this past year. Incredible. I was with several Ohio State people… they came out there and it was like they might as well have been taking notes.”
Pate compared the game-day experience in Eugene to what fans see in bigger stadiums across the country. Despite Autzen’s smaller capacity, he said, it’s among the loudest and most electric atmospheres in the sport.
CBS Sports’ Josh Pate on “Josh Pate’s College Football Show”YouTube
“They went out there and saw this place has a fraction of the capacity as our place,” Pate said. “And it’s louder. It’s crazier in here. Why is that? Well, that’s part of the beauty of college football.”
Advertisement
Oregon came in at No. 9 on EA Sports’ own list of the toughest places to play, which Pate said inspired his own rankings. According to the CBS analyst, EA was selling the Ducks short.
Oregon will be in action when it hosts Montana State on Saturday, August 30. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. PST at Autzen Stadium.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.