With just a few days to go before the July 19 release of EA SPORTS College Football 25 — July 16 for deluxe edition pre-orders — 247Sports was granted exclusive, early access to the highly anticipated comeback.
The team at 247Sports took advantage of that opportunity and test drove the game with full autonomy, diving deep with the top teams in the game. Today, we’re focusing on team previews of EA’s top five teams: Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon, Alabama and Texas.
Having played the game and utilizing advice from 247Sports’ experts across the country, we hope our tip sheets enhance your gameplay so you can make the most out of College Football 25 with our expert analysis and tips. Stay tuned in the next few days for more team previews!
Below, we’ve outlined the best way to use the top five teams.
Best offensive and defensive scheme for top 5 teams
No. 1 Georgia
“I would go with a shotgun, 3-receiver, 1-back set with this Georgia offense. The Bulldogs are deep at tight end again, but I think they’ll be at their most dangerous with wideouts Dominic Lovett, Colbie Young and Dillon Bell all on the field together. Let quarterback Carson Beck cook airing the ball out while also getting running back Trevor Etienne going on the ground.
I’d go with a nickel look with this Georgia defense. I’d get Mykel Williams going off the edge, let linebackers Smael Mondon and CJ Allen patrol the middle of the defense, and count on star safety Malaki Starks to track down balls in the back of the defense.” — Jordan D. Hill, Dawgs247
Read more about how to best use Georgia in College Football 25
No. 2 Ohio State
“Definitely 11 personnel (one tight end, one running back) for OSU’s offense. Get three wide receivers on the field — Emeka Egbuka, freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith and either Carnell Tate or Brandon Iniss — and then rotate TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins at tailback.
“Defensively? Mix things up, but the base 4-2-5 is your best bet. Ohio State is loaded on the D-line and especially in the secondary. Linebacker? We shall see.” — Dave Biddle, Bucknuts247
Read more about how to best use Ohio State in College Football 25
No. 3 Oregon
“I’d choose an offensive playbook built around a lot of RPO action with Dillon Gabriel as the quarterback. You’ll want to use his threat of running the football to your advantage, and you’ve got a nice safety net if he gets hurt, starting with last year’s starting quarterback at UCLA, Dante Moore, as his backup. Use Gabriel’s legs and the speed and playmaking ability at receiver to open up the middle of the field for your running game to unleash fury.
“On the defensive side of the football, Oregon’s secondary has elite cornerbacks and ball-hawking safeties on the roster, so take advantage of your ability to cover 1-on-1 and attack the QB with pressures from the edges or up the middle.” — Matt Prehm, DuckTerritory
Read more about how to best use Oregon in College Football 25
No. 4 Alabama
“With the hire of Kalen DeBoer, Alabama’s offensive playbook should be a lot of fun to play with. DeBoer runs a pro-style offense with spread concepts. He gets his playmakers in space, gets them the ball, and lets them go to work. Jalen Milroe will be a central focus as the quarterback, but a tandem of rising stars at running back and receiver should make the Tide’s offense one of the more fun teams to play with in the new game.
“Defensively, Alabama is switching to Kane Wommack’s 4-2-5 swarm defense in 2024, which has subtle differences from Nick Saban’s traditional 3-4, pressure-first, man-coverage defense. A lot of the Tide’s personnel is still built to run Saban’s defense and is talented enough that any playbook should be available to you. In that sense, it could be fun to experiment with different schemes and coverages.” — Cody Goodwin, Bama247
Read more about how to best use Alabama in College Football 25
No. 5 Texas
“Go Air Raid: With having one of the higher-rated quarterbacks in the game with Quinn Ewers on your team, I’d be looking to air it out and get the ball to the Longhorns’ receiver room that resembles a track team. Although Texas has running back talent to more than make an impact, you have to take advantage of a veteran quarterback with a dangerous receiver room playing behind one of the top offensive lines in the nation.
“On defense I’ll likely be rolling with the 4-2-5. In Anthony Hill Jr. you’ll have should have one of the top linebackers in the game to make an impact against the run, even with the Longhorns not having any standouts on the interior defensive line. A season after its secondary perhaps cost it a national championship, Texas is rich at defensive back, so feel confident in safeties Andrew Mukuba and Derek Williams Jr., with Malik Muhammad and Gavin Holmes at cornerback and Jahdae Barron at nickel.” — Jordan Scruggs, Horns247
Read more about how to best use Texas in College Football 25
