Colorado is a bit overrated in EA Sports’ new college football game.
He Top 25 Schools Team Ratings The game launched Friday as EA builds anticipation for the first college football video game in 11 years. “College Football 25” is the first game since “NCAA Football 14.”
More than 10 years ago, users had to manually add player names to each team’s roster. This year, players had the opportunity to participate in the game thanks to the NCAA’s current name and image rules, and the vast majority of players across the country will participate in the game, although Texas’ Arch Manning is a notable exception.
The long break between games has generated a lot of anticipation for “College Football 25.” And it’s a little strange that EA Sports doesn’t seem to understand who is and who isn’t ready to be great next season.
Colorado was 4-8 a season ago and 1-8 in the Pac-12. However, the Buffaloes are apparently the 16th best team in the game and are ahead of schools like Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee and Kansas State.
According to the overall rankings of the top 25 teams released Friday, Colorado is ranked 87th overall and is the best team among at least nine other teams that share that overall ranking. All of the teams ranked 17-25 are at 87 overall, and it’s not like Colorado is at the top of the bracket because of the alphabet. Arizona sits at 23rd with the same overall rating.
In reality, video game rankings don’t matter at all, but EA’s rankings have been baffling as they’ve been posted all week. The Buffaloes’ defense is ranked No. 20 despite allowing 6.3 yards per play in 2023, and the offense is ranked No. 8 and ahead of Ole Miss and Kansas despite a rushing attack that averaged 2.3 yards per carry last season.
Yes, Colorado returns star QB Shedeur Sanders and star CB/WR Travis Hunter along with a remade roster via the transfer portal. But there’s no guarantee the offensive line issues that plagued the Buffaloes in 2023 will go away, and a big improvement on defense isn’t a sure thing, either.
If you want to look at it another way, Colorado is the 16th team in the video game despite having a projected win total of 5.5 at BetMGM and +2000 odds to make the 12-team College Football Playoff. Those CFP odds are likely inflated, too; the Buffs have been one of the most heavily bet-on teams since Deion Sanders arrived in Boulder ahead of the 2023 season.
Colorado’s inclusion in the top 25 feels a lot like a tool designed to draw attention to the video game. Nowhere in the top 25 are Missouri or Tennessee, two programs that had much better 2023 seasons and harbor legitimate playoff hopes. Both the Tigers and Volunteers are at +180 to make the 12-team field. Ole Miss, the team one spot ahead of Colorado in EA’s rankings, is better than even the money to make the playoffs at -130.
But using Colorado to generate hype doesn’t make sense, either. The long hiatus between iterations of college football video games has made “College Football 25” one of the most anticipated sports games in years. EA Sports didn’t need to hype Colorado (or other units like USC’s No. 16 defense or Clemson’s No. 10 offense) to get people to buy the game. If anything, it might sway opinion the other way. You don’t have to look far to find a college football fan who thinks there are dozens of teams with a better roster than the Buffaloes.
Maybe EA Sports will have a dynamic ranking system that adjusts to real-world performance when the season starts. Otherwise, there’s a real risk that Colorado is simply working toward bowl eligibility in real life while dominating the Big 12 on its console.
1. Georgia (95 total)
2. Ohio State (93)
3. Oregon (93)
4. Alabama (92)
5. Roof tiles (92)
6. Clemson (90)
7. Notre Dame (90)
8. LSU (90)
9. State of Pennsylvania (88)
10. Utah (88)
11. Michigan (88)
12. State of Florida (88)
13. Miami (88)
14. Texas A&M University (88)
15. Old lady (88)
16. Colorado (87)
17. Oklahoma (87)
18. Wisconsin (87)
19. United States Code (87)
20. Virginia Tech (87)
21. State of North Carolina (87)
22. Kansas (87)
23. Arizona (87)
24. Oklahoma State (87)
25. Iowa (87)
