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USA Today
9 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
What is Texas A&M football's overall raking in EA Sports College Football 26?
With mixed reviews from college football fans across the country, EA Sports College Football 26 officially dropped the top 25 overall teams in the video game that drops on July 10. Among those top-rated teams in this year's edition was the Texas A&M Aggies, who are the No. 8 program in the game with a team ranking of 88 overall. The school ranks as the fourth-best overall team in the Southeastern Conference, with Alabama ranked No. 1, Texas at No. 2, and Georgia at No. 6 in the official ratings before the 2025-2026 campaign begins. While Aggie fans are tired of seeing the team ranked high each preseason, resulting in disappointing results, the 2025 preseason just feels different. While EA Sports provided overalls for each program in the top 25, the company released the best offensive and defensive units in this year's edition. Texas A&M ranks at No. 12 in both categories with a 90 overall defense and an 89 overall offense. Here is the full list of team overalls in the 2026 edition: Team Overalls Much to the chagrin of Aggie fans, the rankings also faced much backlash from fans in the replies of the official drop, specifically regarding the game's top 10 teams. The Crimson Tide ranked as the best overall team is extremely generous considering the program did not reach the College Football Playoff last year and head coach Kalen DeBoer is in just his second season at the helm, with many questions about who will step up at the quarterback position. As you can imagine, those same feelings toward Alabama were made against the Aggies being at No. 8 on this list, after finishing the season with a loss in the Las Vegas Bowl to the USC Trojans. The ratings in the game will be adjusted accordingly to how the season progresses, however. With potentially one of the best running back rooms in the country featuring a healthy Le'Veon Moss, Rueben Owens and Amari Daniels, sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed and wideouts like NC State transfer KC Concepcion, the Aggies' offense could lead this team to become one of the best in the SEC this season. The 89 overall ranking is justifiable, but the concerns on defense leave me with questions on how EA Sports formulated the rankings. Regardless, the EA Sports College Football 26 video game will release in 13 days on Xbox and PlayStation. The standard edition is $69.99, with the deluxe and MVP editions costing $99.99 and $149.99, respectively. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN analyst ranks USC's Ja'Kobi Lane as top wide receiver prospect for 2026 NFL draft
After a relatively quiet freshman season in 2023, USC wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane broke out last fall. Following a massive performance in the Trojans' Las Vegas Bowl victory over Texas A&M. Lane now enters 2025 as an unquestioned leader in USC's wide receiver room. Lane's breakout attracted the attention of not just his Trojans teammates, but NFL Draft scouts as well. Recently, ESPN analysts Matt Miller and Jordan Reid released lists of their top prospects at every position for the 2026 NFL Draft. Reid was very high on Lane, ranking his as his top wide receiver on the board. Here is what Reid had to say about Lane: "I have the 6-4, 195-pound redshirt sophomore ranked higher than everyone and will continue to reside on that island," Reid wrote. "But he is a polarizing prospect who has many scouts needing to see more. Despite 12 touchdowns last season, Lane had only 528 receiving yards and was held below 50 yards in eight of USC's 13 games. There isn't a true WR1 in this class yet, so, with a bit more consistency, Lane has the opportunity to rise and be the first receiver off the board." As Reid highlights, Lane certainly showed major flashes of his potential last season. But he still has a way's to go in terms of establishing himself as an elite NFL prospect. Fortunately for Lane, he will have plenty of opportunities to do so this fall.
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
USC Football Preview 2025: Lincoln Riley On the Hot Seat? Be Careful What You Wish For
Make sure you take a giant deep breath on this one, everyone, as you're busy fanning the flames under the hot Lincoln Riley. He'll only be 42 when the season starts, and there are decades of football coaching ahead for the guy who took Oklahoma to four straight conference championships with four straight College Football Playoff appearances, and he went 10-2 in his final season before leaving for USC.(By the way, Oklahoma is 22-17 with two losing seasons in the last three since Riley left.) X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN USC Offense BreakdownUSC Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to SeasonCompletely lost in the fog of hysteria by those who expected a national title run in Year Two at USC, and absolutely in Year Three, was that Riley went 11-3 in his first season after taking over a floundering 4-8 blew off the offensive pop and ripped on the defense. And then, last year, his Trojan D allowed 134 fewer points than the 2023 version. That didn't seem to matter because the team kept losing in brutally painful fashion. No, it wasn't okay to go 6-6 in USC's first year in the Big Ten - seriously, I have no skin in this game as the apparent leader of the Lincoln Riley PR Club - but it opened with a win over LSU, closed with a Las Vegas Bowl win over Texas A&M, and five of the six losses were by one score. In the other defeat, USC was about to go in and tie Notre Dame late, and then came the two monster pick-sixes by the Irish to screw that lost to Michigan with 37 seconds to play. It gave up the game-winning score to Minnesota with 57 seconds left, and to Maryland with 53 seconds to go. It lost to Penn State in a wild overtime firefight, and came up just short at Washington. As it turned out, Notre Dame and Penn State were pretty good - they played each other in the College Football Playoff semifinals - and those other four losses were the four games played outside of Los Angeles and Las yeah, yeah, but it's USC. Most of those losses shouldn't have been that close to begin with. And yes, it's Lincoln Riley. His first year was fantastic, but going 15-11 over the last two years wasn't okay. And this is where cooler, critical minds have to try to calm everyone down going into this supposedly do-or-die season for the Riley has a funky way of hiring great coaches who leave, and then do big things somewhere Kiffin might be the best football coach going - seriously, what he did at Florida Atlantic, and what he's doing at Ole Miss, is next to was handed USC when it was deep in a coma after the ridiculous punishment for Reggie Bush doing NIL before it was cool. The expectations were high with a huge 10-2 season, the program had to rebuild, and he got is now 44-18 at Ole Miss, after winning two conference titles with two 11-win seasons in three years at FAU. Ed Orgeron went 6-2 with USC in 2013 when Kiffin was launched. Okay, so his time in Baton Rouge imploded in the end, but his 2019 LSU team had, arguably, the greatest season in college football Sarkisian's situation was far different, and there were far more important personal issues when he departed USC, but ultimately, he became the one who made Texas a national championship power again. He won 25 games in his first three years in Austin - one fewer than Riley has won so far at USC. Pete Carroll didn't win a national title until his fourth season, John McKay started 8-11-1, and …USC has the talent and the schedule - even with road games at Notre Dame, Oregon, Illinois, and Nebraska - to have a breakthrough season as a Big Ten program. So yes, USC needs to win more now for Lincoln Riley to stick around. At the very least, it has to look like he's close to making USC into USC again, and it starts with getting more out of the … USC Offense BreakdownUSC Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Texas A&M Football: 2025 Aggies Season Preview and Prediction
Texas A&M Football: 2025 Aggies Season Preview and Prediction originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Texas A&M is typically good but not great. They've averaged eight victories since joining the SEC in 2012. Last season, their first under coach Mike Elko, they were 8-5. This year could be better if Reed continues to progress and personnel holes are adequately patched. But major defensive improvement is needed to break out of the eight-win rut. Advertisement ORDER NOW: Athlon Sports 2025 College Football Preview Guide More SEC team previews: Alabama | Arkansas | Florida | Georgia | Kentucky LSU | Mississippi State | Missouri | Oklahoma | Ole Miss South Carolina | Tennessee | Texas | Vanderbilt Texas A&M 2025 Season Preview and Prediction Previewing Texas A&M's Offense for 2025 Guess the highest-scoring SEC team in conference games last season: It was Texas A&M. That may be surprising, but the Aggies averaged 29.4 points in SEC play and exceeded 30 points in five of eight conference games. They could be even better in 2025. That will depend largely on sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed, who showed promise in passing for 1,864 yards and rushing for 543 last season. Advertisement Transfer receivers KC Concepcion (NC State) and Mario Craver (Mississippi State) add much-needed speed. The Aggies also welcome the return of All-SEC running back Le'Veon Moss, who rushed for 765 yards despite missing all or most of five games because of injury. A&M's offensive line should be among the best in the conference, maybe even the nation. Tackle Trey Zuhn III has all-conference credentials. Guards Chase Bisontis and Ar'maj Reed-Adams should also contend for postseason accolades. Center Mark Nabou Jr. is back after missing almost all of last season because of a torn ACL. Related: Ranking the SEC Coaches for 2025 Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Previewing Texas A&M's Defense for 2025 After squandering a 17-point lead in a Las Vegas Bowl loss to USC, A&M head coach Mike Elko ranted about failed zone coverage, poor tackling and overall defensive futility. Once a premier defensive coordinator, Elko will resume calling that side of the ball. Still, a lot needs correcting, especially in the pass defense, which ranked 13th in the SEC. Advertisement All-SEC cornerback Will Lee III and nickelback Tyreek Chappell, also back from injury, are dependable. Transfers Jordan Shaw (Washington) and Julian Humphrey (Georgia) could upgrade coverage. The pass rush is also a concern. Defensive end Cashius Howell had four sacks last season. Nobody else on the roster had more than 2.5. Run defense is an issue, too. A&M allowed more runs of at least 20 yards (19) than any other team in the SEC. Linebackers Taurean York and Scooby Williams are solid, but improvement is needed. Aggies coach Mike Elko | Jake Crandall-Imagn Images Previewing Texas A&M's Specialists for 2025 Groza Award semifinalist Randy Bond converted 83.3% of his field-goal attempts (20-of-24) in 2024. He's made 59 field goals in his career and has hit from 55 yards. Punter Tyler White has a big leg but needs to be more consistent. Sophomore Terry Bussey has vast potential on kick returns. Kick coverage must improve. National Ranking: 19 More SEC team previews: Alabama | Arkansas | Florida | Georgia | Kentucky LSU | Mississippi State | Missouri | Oklahoma | Ole Miss South Carolina | Tennessee | Texas | Vanderbilt Advertisement Related: College Football Rankings: Projecting the Top 25 Teams for 2025 Related: SEC Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2025 Related: Athlon Sports 2025 College Football Preview Magazine Available Now This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Who benefits from College Football Playoff expansion to 16 teams?
When Oregon State went 9-3 during the 2022 regular season – its best season in 16 years – the Beavers earned a trip to the Las Vegas Bowl. If a 16-team College Football Playoff had been in place that season, the Beavers would have qualified. Conference commissioners are debating the playoff's future format for 2026 and beyond, and momentum swells behind growing the playoff from 12 to 16 teams. Advertisement If the playoff indeed expands by four teams, it will become a more attainable destination for three-loss teams from coast to coast. No two-loss team ever qualified for the playoff until the playoff grew from four to 12 teams. No three-loss team has ever qualified, but my analysis of the 11-year playoff era shows that at least two three-loss teams would have made the playoff each year if a 5+11 playoff format had been in place during those seasons. That 5+11 model is the favored format by the Big 12 and ACC, and it's gaining support within the SEC, too. In that model, the top five conference champions would gain automatic bids, and the remaining 11 spots would be filled via at-large selection. The Big Ten favors a different 16-team model in which most qualifiers would gain entry via an auto-bid process. For the purposes of my analysis, I used the 5+11 framework. South Carolina linebacker Bam Martin-Scott (22) pursues Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard (5) as he carries the ball during the first quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The analysis became tricky, because so many teams changed conferences in the past 11 years. I counted teams in the conferences that they'll call home in 2026. So, a bid for Texas counted toward the SEC, a bid for Oregon counted for the Big Ten, and so on. In some years when Texas or Oklahoma, now in the SEC, won the Big 12, I awarded an automatic bid to the Big 12's runner-up. Other years, I assigned the Big 12's auto bid to Central Florida or Cincinnati – those schools are now in the Big 12 – when those schools were highly ranked and won conference championships. Assigning the Group of Six's automatic qualifier became a chore in certain years, too, because of conference realignment. Advertisement You could conduct this analysis in slightly different ways, but it wouldn't change the upshot that a 16-team playoff would have been a boon for three-loss teams these past 11 years. FALL FROM GRACE: SEC explanations shows its no longer top playoff dog NO CUPCAKES: If SEC wants playoff respect, it needs tougher games Last season, a trio of three-loss SEC teams – Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina – would have qualified. The SEC and Big Ten would have benefited most from the four extra at-large spots, as compared to a 12-team playoff, but teams from the Big 12, ACC, the reconstructed Pac-12 and Notre Dame also would have grabbed last-four-in spots in some years. Advertisement In 2014, a whopping seven teams with three losses scattered across each of the Power Four conferences would have qualified for a 16-team playoff using the 5+11 format. Oh, and how about this: The playoff would have featured its first four-loss teams. Auburn (2016), Stanford (2017) and Texas (2018) were four-loss teams ranked high enough to crack a 16-team playoff. In other words, once the playoff hits 16 teams, it's no longer a destination reserved for the elite. Kentucky, Northwestern could have made 16-team playoff Based off past results during the playoff era, the four extra at-large bids would have helped teams ranging from Northwestern, Kentucky, UCLA, Washington State and Georgia Tech to blue bloods like Alabama and Michigan. Advertisement 'Sixteen teams, you'd get more people excited about it, more people in play,' said Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin, a proponent of a 16-team playoff. Beyond the 16 teams that qualify would be many more remaining in playoff contention into November. The 12-team playoff "created a lot of interest," Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said during a call with reporters. "Going to 16 teams, I think, there's more of that.' The four-team playoff became an exclusive party reserved for top-perch programs like Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Clemson. A 16-team playoff would broaden avenues of access to the middle class and even traditionally lower-tier teams within power conferences that could align the stars and crack the bracket with a 9-3 record. Advertisement Blue-blooded Alabama twice would have been among the last-four-in in a 5+11 playoff format. That's also true of fellow blue bloods like Michigan and Notre Dame. Also, though, Northwestern twice would have qualified in the last-four-in. Three times in the past 11 years, Ole Miss would have been in the last-four-in of a 5+11 playoff, ranking the Rebels as the biggest beneficiary of the playoff expanding by four teams. Is it any wonder Kiffin wants 16 teams? Expanded College Football Playoff would help blue bloods, too Here are some other findings from my analysis applying the 5+11 format to the past 11 seasons: Advertisement ∎ Alabama and Ohio State never would have missed the playoff. Georgia would have qualified in nine of 11 seasons, and Clemson would have qualified eight times. ∎ Notre Dame is among the programs that would have qualified seven times. ∎ The Big Ten would have led with 53 bids, followed by the SEC's 51, meaning each conference would have averaged more than four bids per year. The Big 12 and ACC would have averaged more than two bids per year. ∎ Fourteen of the SEC's 16 programs would have qualified at least once, with Arkansas and Vanderbilt as the only exceptions. ∎ Twelve of the Big Ten's 18 programs would have qualified at least once. The non-qualifiers would have been Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Purdue and Rutgers. Advertisement ∎ The Big Ten would have peaked at six bids but never qualified fewer than four teams. ∎ The SEC's bid total would have bottomed out at three bids but peaked with seven bids in 2018 and again in 2023. ∎ Thirty-one programs would have qualified as a last-four-in team at least once throughout the 11 years. No wonder the 16-team playoff concept gains steam. The four extra spots would help a wide range of programs gain playoff access. College football accelerates away from an era that demanded an undefeated or one-loss record to make an elitist playoff, and toward a terrain in which 9-3 equals a playoff berth instead of a mid-tier bowl bid. Advertisement Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@ and follow him on X @btoppmeyer. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College Football Playoff expansion to 16 teams. Who benefits most?
