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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →By EA SPORTS’ June 27, 2025 launch ratings, Alabama is the highest-rated team overall in College Football 26, at 89. Texas, Penn State, Ohio State, and Arizona State share the top offense rating at 91; Alabama leads the defense list at 96. These are EA’s game ratings—not a current real-world ranking or a measure of which team is most fun or easiest to play.
How to read the College Football 26 team rankings
EA published separate top-25 lists for overall team, offense, and defense ratings in its June 27, 2025 Campus Huddle article. The tables below preserve EA’s listed order, including where teams share a rating; EA did not state a tie-break method. A team’s position in one list does not determine its position in the others.
EA also cautioned in the article: “Note: Player ratings in the Campus Huddle article are not final.” Treat these as launch-era, pre-release ratings, not a verified live roster snapshot.
Top 25 teams by overall rating
Alabama leads EA’s launch overall table with an 89 rating. Eight teams are listed at 88; the order shown is EA’s published order, not an asserted distinction in score among those teams.
#1 Best Overall
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| EA-listed rank | Team | Overall rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 89 |
| 2 | Texas Longhorns | 88 |
| 3 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 88 |
| 4 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 88 |
| 5 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 88 |
| 6 | Georgia Bulldogs | 88 |
| 7 | Clemson Tigers | 88 |
| 8 | Texas A&M Aggies | 88 |
| 9 | Oregon Ducks | 86 |
| 10 | LSU Tigers | 86 |
| 11 | Miami Hurricanes | 86 |
| 12 | Florida Gators | 86 |
| 13 | Texas Tech Red Raiders | 86 |
| 14 | Arizona State Sun Devils | 85 |
| 15 | Michigan Wolverines | 85 |
| 16 | Ole Miss Rebels | 85 |
| 17 | Oklahoma Sooners | 85 |
| 18 | Indiana Hoosiers | 85 |
| 19 | SMU Mustangs | 84 |
| 20 | Tennessee Volunteers | 84 |
| 21 | Missouri Tigers | 84 |
| 22 | Auburn Tigers | 84 |
| 23 | Duke Blue Devils | 84 |
| 24 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 82 |
| 25 | Illinois Fighting Illini | 82 |
Top 25 offenses
Four teams share the highest offense rating: Texas, Penn State, Ohio State, and Arizona State, each at 91 in EA’s 2025 launch table. EA lists them in that order.
| EA-listed rank | Team | Offense rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas Longhorns | 91 |
| 2 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 91 |
| 3 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 91 |
| 4 | Arizona State Sun Devils | 91 |
| 5 | Clemson Tigers | 89 |
| 6 | LSU Tigers | 89 |
| 7 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 89 |
| 8 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 89 |
| 9 | Florida Gators | 89 |
| 10 | Miami Hurricanes | 89 |
| 11 | Indiana Hoosiers | 89 |
| 12 | Texas A&M Aggies | 89 |
| 13 | Georgia Bulldogs | 87 |
| 14 | Oklahoma Sooners | 87 |
| 15 | SMU Mustangs | 87 |
| 16 | BYU Cougars | 87 |
| 17 | Baylor Bears | 87 |
| 18 | Texas Tech Red Raiders | 87 |
| 19 | Oregon Ducks | 85 |
| 20 | Ole Miss Rebels | 85 |
| 21 | USC Trojans | 85 |
| 22 | Boise State Broncos | 85 |
| 23 | Iowa State Cyclones | 85 |
| 24 | Nebraska Cornhuskers | 85 |
| 25 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 85 |
Top 25 defenses
Alabama is first in EA’s defense table at 96. Texas and Penn State follow at 94 apiece.
Rank #2
- Bring Glory Home in EA SPORTS College Football 26
- Experience college football from high school recruit to the Heisman
- Forge your legacy as a coach.
| EA-listed rank | Team | Defense rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 96 |
| 2 | Texas Longhorns | 94 |
| 3 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 94 |
| 4 | Georgia Bulldogs | 92 |
| 5 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 92 |
| 6 | Michigan Wolverines | 92 |
| 7 | Oregon Ducks | 92 |
| 8 | LSU Tigers | 92 |
| 9 | Texas Tech Red Raiders | 92 |
| 10 | Clemson Tigers | 90 |
| 11 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 90 |
| 12 | Texas A&M Aggies | 90 |
| 13 | Tennessee Volunteers | 88 |
| 14 | Indiana Hoosiers | 88 |
| 15 | Miami Hurricanes | 88 |
| 16 | Duke Blue Devils | 88 |
| 17 | Oklahoma Sooners | 88 |
| 18 | Illinois Fighting Illini | 86 |
| 19 | Kansas State Wildcats | 86 |
| 20 | Ole Miss Rebels | 86 |
| 21 | Pittsburgh Panthers | 86 |
| 22 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 84 |
| 23 | Arizona State Sun Devils | 84 |
| 24 | Iowa Hawkeyes | 84 |
| 25 | Florida Gators | 84 |
Which list should you use to choose a team?
- Want the highest listed whole-team rating? Start with the overall table; Alabama leads it.
- Want a highly rated offense? The four teams tied at 91 top the offense table.
- Want a highly rated defense? Alabama leads, with Texas and Penn State next at 94.
These are three distinct comparisons of EA’s game ratings. They do not establish that a team is universally easiest, strongest in every play style, or most enjoyable to use.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the later in-game Top 25 poll differs
EA’s in-game Top 25 poll is a separate, performance-based ranking that updated each regular-season week to reflect the previous week’s games. In EA’s December 9, 2025 final regular-season poll, Indiana was No. 1, followed by Georgia, Ohio State, Texas Tech, and Oregon. That later poll measures the season’s in-game results; it is not a revision of the June launch rating tables.
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Quick Recap
Best Value
- Standard Edition for Xbox Series X (disc) includes the full EA SPORTS College Football 27 game. Not compatible with Xbox One.
- DYNASTY BLUEPRINT – Control your program’s future with recruiting, NIL, staff, facilities, and Athletic Director Expectations..
- ROAD TO GLORY – Build your player, explore new positions, earn NIL deals, chase the Heisman, and raise your Legacy Score.
- MASCOT MASHUP – Play as your favorite mascot, collect 120+ icons, and compete in wild 11-on-11 matchups full of school spirit.
Rank #4
- Bring Glory Home in EA SPORTS College Football 26
- Experience college football from high school recruit to the Heisman
- Forge your legacy as a coach.
Rank #3
- Standard Edition for PlayStation 5 (disc) includes the full EA SPORTS College Football 27 game.
- DYNASTY BLUEPRINT – Control your program’s future with recruiting, NIL, staff, facilities, and Athletic Director Expectations..
- ROAD TO GLORY – Build your player, explore new positions, earn NIL deals, chase the Heisman, and raise your Legacy Score.
- MASCOT MASHUP – Play as your favorite mascot, collect 120+ icons, and compete in wild 11-on-11 matchups full of school spirit.
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