The Oregon Ducks were newcomers to the Big Ten in 2024, yet they left their mark on the conference in more ways than one. The Ducks won the conference in their debut season and spent much of the season ranked as the No. 1 team in the country before ultimately losing in the College Football Playoff to Ohio State.

Buckeyes star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith had plenty of praise for Oregon during Big Ten media days, telling SI's Bri Amaranthus that fans at Eugene's Autzen Stadium certainly made for a difficult playing environment.

"It was rockin'. Probably the loudest that I've ever been in. The fans was definitely getting hype, crowd was––couldn't hear anything. Probably the best stadium I played in last year," Smith said.

When asked if he felt Ohio State and Oregon were building something of a Big Ten rivalry, Smith said, "Kind of, a little bit. That's how I think it's going, the way it's going."

While some of the gargantuan stadiums that host teams in the SEC and other top Big Ten programs typically generate most of the hype in terms of stadium noise, after his first season of college football, Smith was ready to declare Autzen Stadium as the loudest venue he's had to play.

During his freshman season with the Buckeyes, Smith made trips to Michigan State's Spartan Stadium and Penn State's Beaver Stadium, among other notable locations, but he claims that Oregon provided the loudest environment.

For a stadium that seats just 54,000, compared to the 106,500 able to fit in Beaver Stadium, Ducks fans certainly know how to make their presence felt when the team is playing at home.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ohio State Star Jeremiah Smith Has Surprising Pick for Loudest Opposing Stadium.

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