Mizzou, Kansas and K-State appear in EA Sports College Football top-25 rankings

Excitement has been overwhelming for the upcoming EA Sports College Football 25 launch, a return of a beloved video-game franchise after a decade.

As we get closer to the July 19 release date, EA has been implementing its “rankings week”, with Thursday’s drop being the game’s top offenses and defenses.

The game’s top 25 on both sides of the ball analyzed all 134 FBS team rosters with the help of Pro Football Focus, according to EA’s website, to establish the rankings. As EA revealed the lists on Thursday morning, Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri found their names included.

Mizzou was the highest-ranked of the three teams, the only program to crack the top 10 in either offense or defense. The Tigers checked in at No. 9 offensively, earning an 89 overall rating, the same as four other teams on the list (No. 5 Ohio State, No. 6 LSU, No. 7 Miami, No. 8 Colorado).

Led by the trio of Brady Cook, Luther Burden III and Cody Schrader, the Tigers’ offense averaged an SEC top-5 435.1 yards per game in an 11-2 campaign that took Mizzou to a Cotton Bowl victory over Ohio State, the program’s first-ever New Year’s Six bowl victory.

Cook (3,317 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns) and Burden (1,212 receiving yards, 9 touchdowns) will both be featured in College Football 25.

Kansas also appeared on the offense rankings, checking in at No. 14 with an 87 overall rating (same as No. 10 Clemson, No. 11 Utah, No. 12 Penn State, No. 13 Ole Miss, No. 15 Arizona and No. 16 NC State).

The Jayhawks are coming off a 9-4 season with their first bowl game win (Guaranteed Rate Bowl against UNLV) in 15 years, with an offense led by quarterback Jason Bean after Jalon Daniels was sidelined with a back injury. Daniels and running back Devin Neal (1,280 rushing yards, 17 total touchdowns) will be featured in the game.

Defensively, Kansas State came in at No. 24 at 84 overall (same as No. 19 Texas A&M, No. 20 Colorado, No. 21 Oklahoma State, No. 22 Louisville, No. 23 North Carolina, No. 25 Florida).

The Wildcats, with a 9-4 record and Pop Tarts Bowl win over NC State, allowed 21.2 points per game last season, good for No. 2 in the Big 12 (second to now-departed Texas). The Wildcats also allowed 370.3 yards per game, which ranked third in the conference.

For Kansas State, quarterback Avery Johnson will be featured in the game ahead of his first season as a starter.

Other notable rankings: Georgia had the No. 1 offense and No. 2 defense. Ohio State had the No. 1 defense.

Other releases throughout the week included EA’s top 25 Toughest Places to Play, which featured four SEC locations (No 1. Texas A&M, No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 LSU and No. 5 Georgia) in the top 5. Ohio State took the No. 4 spot in that list. There were no Big 12 schools listed.

EA also dropped a “Sights and Sounds Deep Dive” this week, giving fans a first look at all the traditions, mascots and broadcast calls from Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler.

Mizzou’s “Big MO” bass drum is seen alongside some other traditions in the video, including Iowa’s “Hawkeye Wave” to the UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital and Notre Dame’s “Play Like A Champion Today” sign.