The anticipation building for the release of EA Sports' College Football 25 continued on Friday, when the developers released overall strength rankings for the game's 25 teams.
The top 25 comes shortly after EA unveiled a list of the game's top offenses and defenses, as well as 25 stadiums as the “hardest places to play” to provide an extra challenge for opposing teams. With just three weeks left until the video game returns on July 19, we now know the 25 strongest teams that will be featured in the game.
Georgia's top offensive rankings also propel it to the top of the overall rankings, while Ohio State's No. 1 defense slides into No. 2. Oregon, Alabama and Texas round out the top five, with defending champion Michigan coming in at No. 11.
College Football 25 Power Rankings
Who is missing?
Why is Colorado here?
The Buffaloes are a bit overrated, as it seems highly unlikely that Colorado will be ranked 16th when the preseason poll is released in August, but Colorado has Travis Hunter and Shedul Sanders, arguably two of the highest-rated players in the game at their respective positions, which should give Colorado a boost.
Speaking of portal power players, Ole Miss should be ranked higher than some of the teams ranked higher. The Rebels have an experienced quarterback in Jackson Dart and added a ton of transfer talent this offseason. It's also pretty surprising to see Missouri not ranked in the top 25, considering the Tigers have arguably the best receiver in college football in Luther Baden III and an experienced quarterback in Brady Cook, and they're coming off an 11-win season. You could make an argument they should be in the top 15, not just the top 25. — Antonio Morales
Surprising top 10 teams?
Clemson's rise to No. 6 is noteworthy because Stewart Mandel ranked them 22nd in his Top 25 after spring training. It's no surprise that the Tigers will boast a top-five defense at the start of the season, but also a top-10 offense. The team has only two All-ACC players (tight end Jake Briningstall and offensive lineman Blake Miller) and didn't finish in the top 50 in scoring last season. Those involved in the evaluations are giving high marks to Cade Klubnick, Phil Mafa, Tyler Brown and the Tigers' chances of winning the ACC this season. — Max Olson
Wisconsin acquired Tyler Van Dyke through the transfer portal this offseason, and while there are upsides, I'm not sure the Badgers will crack the top 20. My model has them 36th at the start of the season, with their offense just cracking the top 50. If Van Dyke performs well, he could crack the top 20, but his up-and-down career at Miami shows that's far from a sure thing. Austin Mock
Must Read
(Screenshots courtesy of EA Sports)
