5 ‘College Football 25’ Rankings EA Sports Should Fix Before Game’s Release

EA Sports gave college football fans plenty to debate this week, with the release of its top 25 offenses, defenses, overall team power rankings and toughest places to play in the upcoming “EA Sports College Football 25.”

The top programs don’t come as a major surprise. Georgia tops the overall and offensive rankings, while the stacked Ohio State defense leads the way on that side of the ball with a 96 rating, the highest in the game for any unit at the moment. Both are hard to argue.

The stadium ranking brought even more debate, with Texas A&M’s Kyle Field ranked as the toughest venue, topping the list over the most popular choice, LSU’s Tiger Stadium.

Luckily, ratings in modern sports video games update and evolve, and these lists probably will look different as time goes on. EA still has a few weeks until the game’s July 19 launch date, though, so we at Athlon Sports have some critiques:

1. Colorado is massively overrated on both sides of the ball in EA Sports College Football 25

Colorado took significant steps forward in year one under Deion Sanders and should be primed to do the same in 2024. But it seems unlikely that the next step will be a move into the top 25. Nevertheless, EA’s rankings released this week pose Colorado as an impressive, well-balanced team.

The Buffaloes are rated an 87 overall , coming in at No. 16 in the country, with the same rating as teams such as Arizona, Iowa, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The Buffs are an 89 overall on offense, with EA slotting them into the No. 8 spot in all of college football. The offensive rating ties them with Ohio State, LSU, Miami and Missouri.

Of those teams, only Colorado and Missouri bring back their quarterbacks from a year ago. Ohio State and Miami might have upgraded at the position, at least on paper, through the transfer portal, while LSU has the unenviable task of replacing Heisman winner Jayden Daniels. Even so, looking at 2023 metrics, it is hard to defend Colorado’s presence in this group, even with the return of Shedeur Sanders after an impressive individual performance in 2023. In ESPN’s preseason 2024 SP+ ratings , which factor in recruiting and returning production, LSU’s offense ranks third, followed by Missouri (eighth), Miami (18th) and Ohio State (20th). Colorado comes in at 46th.

Sanders and his staff went to great lengths to fix the offense’s biggest issue, an ineffective line, but that is typically a difficult unit to revamp on the fly through recruiting or the transfer portal. If the line coalesces and gives Shedeur time to work, the Buffaloes may be able to field a top-25 unit. That is a big if.

The bigger issue comes on defense, where, despite finishing in the bottom 10 in the FBS in both yards and points allowed per game, Colorado is rated an 84 and ranked No. 20 in the game. The team isn’t without talent, of course. Cover athlete Travis Hunter is one of the most talented defensive backs in the country, and the Buffs staff worked the transfer portal hard, bringing in defensive line contributors from schools such as Arizona State, LSU and Pitt. The defense likely will improve, but will it go from bottom 10 to top 25 in a single year, while facing some impressive Big 12 defenses? It seems unlikely.

2. Somehow, the SEC might be underrated in the college football video game

It’s difficult to imagine SEC college football programs not getting the respect they deserve, but that appears to be the case for some teams with these early EA Sports ratings.

The league is well represented in the rankings. Georgia (95 overall) is the highest-rated team in the game, with Alabama (92), Texas (92) and LSU (90) joining them in the top 10. Seven SEC programs are included in the full top 25 released Friday. For comparison, Athlon Sports’ latest top 25 projection includes seven SEC programs among the top 13 teams, with nine making the full list. That includes programs left out entirely of EA’s Top 25: Missouri and Tennessee.

Mizzou returns one of the most explosive offenses in college football after a fantastic 11-2 season that culminated in a Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State. That unit is ranked ninth by EA Sports, but the defense is outside of the top 25, which drags the Tigers out of the overall rankings completely . Tennessee is also absent from all three rankings lists . One can argue that the offense will be unproven with new starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, even after the promise he showed against Iowa’s elite defense at the Citrus Bowl. The Vols also have an impressive array of talent at the skill positions. The defense, meanwhile, is loaded in the front seven, led by a potential No. 1 NFL Draft pick in edge rusher James Pearce Jr.

Even a team like Ole Miss, which dominated the transfer portal this offseason while bringing back a top quarterback in Jaxson Dart, is ranked curiously low at 13th in offense and 15th overall. The defense, which missed the top 25, is ranked 15th in preseason SP+.

3. Iowa’s elite defense deserves some respect from EA Sports

The Hawkeyes offense shouldn’t be anywhere near the top 25 until new offensive coordinator Tim Lester proves he’s turned things around from the woeful Brian Ferentz era in Iowa City. However, Kirk Ferentz and his staff keep Iowa in the Big Ten conversation with an elite defense. EA rates Iowa’s defense an 88, which ranks 13th nationally. Meanwhile, SP+ has Iowa’s defense ranked No. 2, behind only Ohio State (EA’s top defense as well).

Iowa’s 87 overall rating (ranked 25th) feels fair, and one could argue that the Hawkeyes are a fringe top 25 team. (Athlon ranks the Hawkeyes outside of the top 25 ). The defense deserves far more credit than this, however.

4. The same goes for Oklahoma State’s offense

There probably isn’t a more proven offensive force in college football than Cowboys running back Ollie Gordon, who rushed for 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2023. He won a slew of awards, including the Doak Walker and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, and he placed seventh in Heisman voting. He should be a candidate for the sport’s greatest honor once again this year, as he headlines a unit that returns 90% of its production from a year ago, per ESPN .

Oklahoma State has seventh-year senior Alan Bowman under center. He is unlikely to contend for many postseason awards but gives Mike Gundy’s offense an experienced, steady hand. The Cowboys also have a solid group of returning weapons in the passing game, including the team’s two leading receivers from a year ago, Brennan Presley and Rashod Owens.

Oklahoma State’s defense is also an impressive veteran unit, and EA Sports’ ratings reflect that, giving the Cowboys an 84 and ranking them No. 21. The team is an 87 overall and No. 24 in the game, below where it should be considering whom the Pokes have returning on offense.

5. Nebraska deserves spots on defense and toughest places to play in EA Sports College Football 25

Most Nebraska fans would admit that the program has been in a rough spot for years. The Cornhuskers haven’t reached a bowl game since 2016 and last won 10 games in 2012 — their second season in the Big Ten. After a 5-7 debut for Matt Rhule, the Huskers don’t deserve a spot anywhere near the offensive top 25. The defense, however, should get some love.

Tony White’s defense brings back seven returning starters, including three of its top four tacklers from 2023. Nebraska finished No. 11 in total defense and No. 13 in scoring defense, carrying a team with one of the Power 5’s worst offenses to the precipice of a bowl.

The Huskers’ fan support hasn’t meaningfully wavered, continuing a 396 game sellout streak that dates to 1962. Even so, Memorial Stadium couldn’t crack EA’s “toughest places to play” list that was released Tuesday .

Luckily for those who plan to use Nebraska in dynasty mode, this part of the game should evolve, as EA is introducing “dynamic attendance,” which will improve a team’s home-field advantage if it plays well throughout a season.

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