EA Sports’ trail of breadcrumbs stoking anticipation for the release of College Football 25 continued Friday as the developers revealed their overall power ranking of the game’s 25 teams.
This top 25 comes on the heels of EA releasing lists of the game’s top-ranked offenses and defenses as well as the 25 stadiums offering an extra challenge to visiting teams as Toughest Places to Play. With just three weeks remaining until the video game returns on July 19, we now know the 25 strongest teams the game has to offer.
Georgia, which claimed the top spot in the offensive rankings, reigns supreme in the overall list as well, while Ohio State, with its No. 1 defense, slides in at second. Oregon, Alabama and Texas round out the top five, with defending national champion Michigan coming in at No. 11.
College Football 25 power rankings
Who’s missing?
Why is Colorado here?
It seems highly unlikely that Colorado will be ranked 16th when the preseason polls drop in August, so the Buffaloes are a tad over-ranked. But they do have Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, who will likely be two of the game’s highest-rated players at their respective positions, which gives Colorado a boost.
Speaking of portal power players, Ole Miss should be ranked higher than several of the teams ranked ahead of it. The Rebels have an experienced quarterback in Jaxson Dart and added a bunch of talent via transfer this offseason. No Missouri in the top 25 is also pretty wild considering the Tigers are coming off an 11-win season with arguably the best receiver in college football, Luther Burden III, and an experienced quarterback, Brady Cook. An argument could be made for them to be in the top 15, not just the top 25. — Antonio Morales
Surprise top-10 team?
It’s notable that Clemson is all the way up at No. 6, considering Stewart Mandel ranked them No. 22 in his post-spring top 25. It isn’t too surprising the Tigers will have a top-five defense in the game at launch, but they also have a top-10 offense. That unit only returns two All-ACC players (tight end Jake Briningstool, offensive lineman Blake Miller) and didn’t finish in the top 50 in scoring last season. The folks involved in ratings are clearly high on Cade Klubnik, Phil Mafah, Tyler Brown and the Tigers’ chances of winning the ACC this season. — Max Olson
Wisconsin picked up Tyler Van Dyke from the transfer portal this offseason, and while the upside is there, I’m not sure I’m on board with a top-20 ranking for the Badgers. My model has them pegged at 36th heading into the season, with the offense just cracking the top 50. If Van Dyke plays to his abilities, maybe a top-20 finish is possible, but his up-and-down career at Miami shows that’s far from a sure thing. — Austin Mock
Required reading
(Screenshot courtesy of EA Sports)