Maybe they are trying to accomplish different things? When it comes to getting the top 25 right in college football, it is about figuring what teams are on their way to being most deserving of making the expanded College Football Playoff. When it comes to video games, it is all about selling merchandise. Let's just say that EA College Football 26's top 25 teams are wild and all over the place.
While I am all in favor of this game being out there for the masses, as it helps create new fans for the greatest sport on Earth, I think some people are going to be quite disappointed with how Electronic Arts ranked its 25 best teams in the second installment of its rekindled college football franchise. While every team ranked in the top 25 has some validation for being there, its order is out of whack.
According to EA Sports, these are the 25 best teams in college football heading into this season.
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Texas Longhorns
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Clemson Tigers
- Texas A&M Aggies
- Oregon Ducks
- LSU Tigers
- Miami Hurricanes
- Florida Gators
- Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Arizona State Sun Devils
- Michigan Wolverines
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Oklahoma Sooners
- Indiana Hoosiers
- SMU Mustangs
- Tennessee Volunteers
- Missouri Tigers
- Auburn Tigers
- Duke Blue Devils
- South Carolina Gamecocks
- Illinois Fighting Illini
If you wanted a visual representation of that, here is a sweet graphic put forth by On3 over on X.
NEW: EA Sports College Football 26 Top 25 teams in the game🎮
— On3 (@On3sports) June 27, 2025
Do you agree? 🤔https://t.co/3CMjGoM08E pic.twitter.com/BTmj0jJ1ug
I will now touch on the five teams that I think are ranked either way too high or way too low in all this.
5. No. 12 Florida Gators: Ranked too high
Personal biases aside, the Florida Gators coming in at No. 12 is still a little too rich for my taste. Yes, I understand that they have one of the best on-the-rise quarterbacks in the game this year in DJ Lagway, but have you seen how difficult Florida's schedule is? Perhaps EA Sports made the Gators a handful of spots better than expect to help counterbalance. I am a believer in this team, but come on!
I would only have Florida ranked a few spots worse than this. I do not know who is ranked behind them I would definitely put ahead of them, it does not land well with me to see Arizona State two spots back of them at No. 14. Florida should be right around where Oklahoma is at No. 17. Even though I may like No. 24 South Carolina than most everyone. Florida is a top-16 team, not a top-12.
Truth be told, I had to find five and Florida coming in at No. 12 was always going to be fifth in this post.
4. No. 24 South Carolina Gamecocks: Ranked too low
My utter infatuation with LaNorris Sellers and this year's South Carolina Gamecocks will surely get the best of me. They are they only team on this list that I think is grossly undervalued by EA Sports when it comes to their top 25. I would argue that they and Big Ten contender Illinois should be much higher than No. 24 and No. 25, respectively. The disrespect Sellers and South Carolina are getting is absurd.
Let me put it to you this way. If South Carolina were to take the place of either Florida at No. 12 or Texas Tech at No. 13, I would have no issues with it. Florida being closer to the top of the spot could be justified because of DJ Lagway. I understand that Behren Morton could be really good for the Red Raiders, but what has Texas Tech ever showed us? At least with South Carolina, I know they can win.
I would have blown yet another gasket had the Gamecocks not even been a top 25 team this season.
3. No. 13 Texas Tech Red Raiders: Ranked too high
Are we really doing this again? I swear, every time the Texas Tech Red Raiders have somewhat good vibes coming out of Lubbock, the national media crowns them far before they are ready. We did this two years ao with the Red Raiders, and look where that got us. While I do have them in the top-half of the Big 12, seeing Texas Tech at No. 13 is patently ridiculous. The team is maybe top-five in its league!
Although I am good with having Texas Tech ranked inside the top 25 in this exercise, I would have had them in the low-20s or very high teens, not anywhere close to No. 13. This ranked is egregious, but there are others that are far greater causes for concern than a potentially fun offense to be had at Texas Tech. This may end up being the 2024 version of Colorado, where it is overstated, but it is fine.
Head coach Joey McGuire is the master negotiator, as he knows everyone at every single banquet.
2. No. 8 Texas A&M Aggies: Ranked too high
What on god's green earth are we doing here? I remember way back in the day doing a phone interview with Jesse Palmer, and he told me something I will never forget: Never trust Texas A&M under any circumstances, ever... Although I love the job Mike Elko is doing since coming back to College Station, is Marcel Reed the guy to get the most out of this Collin Klein-led offensive attack?
If all goes according to plan, maybe Texas A&M can be the fourth or four SEC teams to make the playoff. As it is with every team on this list, I am good with them being in the top 25. However, I would have no issues whatsoever with adding a one in front of the Aggies' ranking. If it was 18, I would like it a lot more. I am willing to eat crow when it comes to A&M, but when have they ever made me do so?
At the very least, Texas A&M is beyond Georgia and Texas, although I have thoughts on Alabama...
1. No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide: Ranked too high
I do not see it. Make it make sense! Why should the Alabama Crimson Tide, of all teams, be the No. 1 rated team in the game?! Nick Saban does not coach this team any more. That would be Kalen DeBoer and his millions of assistants. Are we really going to live in a world where Ty Simpson is the starting quarterback on the No. 1 team in the world, according to a dang vidya game. What on Earth?
Alabama should be a top-10 team, but probably closer to No. 8 than to No. 5. I would take all six of the teams immediately ranked after them in Texas, Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame, Georgia and Clemosn ahead of the Crimson Tide. While I do think Alabama can contend for a playoff berth, under no reasonable circumstances should this be the No. 1 team in the land of EA College Football 26, y'all.
This has to be a helmet play or something, but I am just not seeing this out of Alabama for this year.