Oregon football atop Big Ten in EA Sports’ College Football 25 preseason rankings
By Ethan Lee
Ahead of the start of the 2024 Oregon football season, the Ducks have earned a strong spot in the EA Sports College Football 25 preseason power rankings. The Oregon Ducks may be new to the Big Ten, but EA Sports is among those who seemingly believe the Ducks have done more than enough to sit atop the conference right now.
The Ducks don’t technically hold the top spot by themselves. And if you’re looking at how the rankings are set, it’s not set as a tie even though the Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon Ducks have identical overall ratings of 93.
As for the rest of the Big Ten? Well, there’s a decent little gap between the likes of Ohio State and Oregon at the top and then the next batch.
EA Sports College Football 25 overall team rankings: Big Ten well represented
After the Buckeyes and Ducks sit at No. 2 and No. 3 respectively in the overall power rankings, Penn State comes in at No. 9 with an 88 overall rating. The Michigan Wolverines, with an identical rating, (along with the likes of Utah, Florida State, Miami, Texas A&M, and Ole Miss Rebels) come in at No. 11, according to EA Sports.
In the overall team power rankings, the Big Ten showcases its strength with several teams in the top 25:
- Ohio State Buckeyes (93 OVR) - No. 2
- Oregon Ducks (93 OVR) - No. 3
- Penn State Nittany Lions (88 OVR) - No. 9
- Michigan Wolverines (88 OVR) - No. 11
- Wisconsin Badgers (87 OVR) - No. 18
- Iowa Hawkeyes (87 OVR) - No. 25
This isn’t the end all be all, but the Oregon Ducks, set to join the Big Ten in 2024, have already made a pretty good impression on folks as they get set for this new conference. I’d say that bodes well for the Oregon State football program.
Big Ten defenses shine in EA Sports College Football 25 rankings
Big Ten football is just about synonymous with defense. Thankfully, the Oregon Ducks have some solid talent on this side of the ball, which helps them fit in perfectly with the new conference (at least it appears that way right now):
- Ohio State Buckeyes (96 OVR) - No. 1
- Oregon Ducks (90 OVR) - No. 3
- Michigan Wolverines (90 OVR) - No. 7
- Penn State Nittany Lions (88 OVR) - No. 9
- Iowa Hawkeyes (88 OVR) - No. 13
- Wisconsin Badgers (86 OVR) - No. 15
The Ohio State Buckeyes are leading the way and there’s a decent gap between them and the Ducks, but (ranking wise), it’s not close to being a concerningly-wide gap.
Oregon football’s offense leads Big Ten in EA Sports College Football 25 rankings
The Big Ten, generally speaking, isn’t exactly known for having the most exciting college football offenses on earth. But, well, the Oregon football program shines in this area (especially in recent years). So, it shouldn’t shock anyone that Oregon would lead its new conference in this ranking.
- Oregon Ducks (94 OVR) - No. 2
- Ohio State Buckeyes (89 OVR) - No. 5
- Penn State Nittany Lions (87 OVR) - No. 12
This is another area where Oregon is technically tied with someone else, but the Ducks come behind that other team. Like Oregon, Georgia also has a 94 overall rating in offense, but EA Sports gave the Bulldogs the top spot in the rankings.
EA Sports’ College Football 25’s Toughest Places to Play: Big Ten stadiums stand out
The Oregon Ducks are on the outside looking in when it comes to having their stadium in the top 10 of the current EA Sports College Football 25’s Toughest Places to Play, but Autzen Stadium is packed right into the midst of the Big Ten’s stadiums that earned a spot in the top 25. And that’s not a bad spot for Autzen Stadium to be (even if it does deserve more respect).
- Ohio Stadium - Ohio State Buckeyes (No. 4)
- Beaver Stadium - Penn State Nittany Lions (No. 6)
- Camp Randall Stadium - Wisconsin Badgers (No. 7)
- Autzen Stadium - Oregon Ducks (No. 11)
- Michigan Stadium - Michigan Wolverines (No. 16)
- Kinnick Stadium - Iowa Hawkeyes (No. 20)
The Oregon Ducks stack up well against the rest of the Big Ten in these rankings. Of the newcomers to the conference, Oregon is the only one that really stands out and seems capable of measuring up well in the new league for this season. At least that’s what these rankings say. We’ll see what actually happens this year.