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In case you've been living under a rock, next week marks the release of College Football 25, which is easily the most-hyped sports video game of this generation.
In the lead-up to the July 19 release, the developers at EA Sports have released an early look at the top-ranked teams as well as the top-100 players by overall rating. To nobody's surprise, both lists are headlined by Georgia and Ohio State, the two favorites by the latest college football championship odds.
That perfect harmony only goes so far. Take Colorado, which is ranked 16th by EA Sports but is a long shot by the College Football Playoff odds. It's a similar story for a team like Clemson, which ranks sixth in the game but outside the top 10 across our best sports betting sites.
Meanwhile, Georgia's Carson Beck is the Heisman odds favorite but isn't even the top-ranked QB i n the game. That would be Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, a 40/1 Heisman long shot who is favored to go No. 1 overall by the 2025 NFL Draft odds.
Who are the best teams in College Football 25?
First, let's take a look at the overall team ratings in College Football 25, which could shed some light on which schools might be overlooked in the betting market.
Here's a look at the top 25 teams by overall rating, along with their offensive and defensive ratings (if available) and their best college football odds to win the national championship across our best college football betting sites:
| Team (OVR) | Offense (rank) | Defense (rank) | Title odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia (94) | 94 (1st) | 94 (2nd) | +325 via bet365 |
| Ohio State (93) | 89 (5th) | 96 (1st) | +450 via bet365 |
| Oregon (93) | 94 (2nd) | 90 (3rd) | +1000 via bet365 |
| Alabama (92) | 91 (3rd) | 90 (4th) | +1500 via BetMGM |
| Texas (92) | 91 (4th) | 88 (8th) | +850 via FanDuel |
| Clemson (90) | 87 (10th) | 90 (5th) | +5000 via FanDuel |
| Notre Dame (90) | 85 (17th) | 90 (6th) | +2500 via bet365 |
| LSU (90) | 89 (6th) | 84 (16th) | +2000 via Caesars |
| Penn State (88) | 87 (12th) | 88 (9th) | +2500 via Caesars |
| Utah (88) | 87 (11th) | 88 (10th) | +6600 via bet365 |
| Michigan (88) | N/A | 90 (7th) | +2800 via FanDuel |
| Florida State (88) | 83 (22nd) | 88 (11th) | +2800 via FanDuel |
| Miami (88) | 89 (7th) | N/A | +6600 via bet365 |
| Texas A&M (88) | 85 (18th) | 84 (19th) | +4500 via DraftKings |
| Ole Miss (88) | 87 (13th) | N/A | +1700 via Caesars |
| Colorado (87) | 89 (8th) | 84 (20th) | +30000 via FanDuel |
| Oklahoma (87) | 83 (23rd) | 88 (12th) | +7000 via FanDuel |
| Wisconsin (87) | N/A | 86 (15th) | +25000 via DraftKings |
| USC (87) | 83 (25th) | 86 (16th) | +6500 via DraftKings |
| Virginia Tech (87) | 83 (24th) | 86 (14th) | +40000 via bet365 |
| NC State (87) | 87 (16th) | N/A | +15000 via BetMGM |
| Kansas (87) | 87 (14th) | N/A | +25000 via FanDuel |
| 87 (15th) | N/A | +30000 via FanDuel | |
| Oklahoma State (87) | N/A | 84 (21st) | +25000 via FanDuel |
| Iowa (87) | N/A | 88 (13th) | +30000 via bet365 |
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Obviously, the first reaction to this list should be utter shock that Colorado (87 OVR) is rated so highly in the game. While some might see the disparity between the Buffaloes' ratings and odds and feel tempted to unload on a long-shot bet – and hey, it's your money – this feels like a classic case of EA Sports inflating the most hyped team in college football to juice sales. (It's their money, too!)
If you're looking for long shots relative to their team ratings, I'd much prefer to bet on a team like Kansas (87 OVR), Arizona (87 OVR), or Iowa (87 OVR) at similar odds. All three won nine or more games last year and feature a top-15 offense or defense, per EA, which I trust a little more given the lack of buzz around those programs.
One thing these ratings don't properly account for? Coaching. That has me drawn to two other teams on this list: Alabama (92 OVR) and Utah (88 OVR), both of whom are underrated in the betting market based purely on team ratings, too.
Yes, Nick Saban has left his post, though Kalen DeBoer is one of the best coaches in the country and will enjoy six top-100 players at his disposal, according to EA.
Utah doesn't have any, but Kyle Whittingham has led the Utes to double-digit wins in three of the last five years and has a deep roster that can make some noise in 2024.
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Who are the best players in College Football 25?
This likely won't be quite as instructive as comparing team ratings to title odds, as the Heisman Trophy is almost always awarded to a quarterback or (rarely) another skill-position player. Clearly, other positions matter, which is why seven of the top 10 players by overall rating are offensive linemen or defenders.
Another way this list could be useful is betting on player props during the season. While these ratings obviously aren't gospel, they're probably the best shorthand we have for college football player skill ratings (duh) and will be constantly updated throughout the season. Here's a look at where you can bet on college player props by state.
For now, let's identify the top 25 premier skill-position players (QB, RB, WR) in College Football 25 and see where those players sit in the preseason Heisman market:
| Player (OVR) | Position (team) | Heisman odds |
|---|---|---|
| Ollie Gordon II (96) | Oklahoma State (RB) | +7500 via FanDuel |
| Travis Hunter (95) | Colorado (WR) | +6000 via DraftKings |
| Quinshon Judkins (95) | Ohio State (RB) | +10000 via FanDuel |
| Luther Burden III (94) | Missouri (WR) | +8000 via DraftKings |
| Tetairoa McMillan (94) | Arizona (WR) | +15000 via FanDuel |
| Shedeur Sanders (93) | Colorado (QB) | +4000 via FanDuel |
| Carson Beck (93) | Georgia (QB) | +800 via DraftKings |
| Emeka Egbuka (93) | Ohio State (WR) | +12000 via DraftKings |
| Omarion Hampton (93) | North Carolina (RB) | +35000 via DraftKings |
| TreVeyon Henderson (93) | Ohio State (RB) | +12000 via FanDuel |
| Jaydn Ott (93) | California (RB) | +20000 via DraftKings |
| Quinn Ewer s (92) | Texas (QB) | +1000 via FanDuel |
| Dillon Gabriel (92) | Oregon (QB) | +800 via DraftKings |
| Tahj Brooks (92) | Texas Tech (RB) | +30000 via FanDuel |
| Devin Neal (92) | Kansas (RB) | +20000 via Caesars |
| Ashton Jeanty (91) | Boise State (RB) | OFF |
| Tory Horton (91) | Colorado State (WR) | OFF |
| Donovan Edwards (91) | Michigan (RB) | +10000 via DraftKings |
| Tez Johnson (91) | Oregon (WR) | OFF |
| Nicholas Singleton (91) | Penn State (RB) | +20000 via FanDuel |
| Damien Martinez (91) | Miami (RB) | +15000 via DraftKings |
| RJ Harvey (91) | UCF (RB) | OFF |
| Jalen Milroe (90) | Alabama (QB) | +1600 via FanDuel |
| Jaxson Dart (90) | Ole Miss (QB) | +1600 via DraftKings |
| Jalon Daniels (90) | Kansas (QB) | +3500 via DraftKings |
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Once again, if the ratings are to be trusted, Shedeur Sanders (93 OVR) is the best bet on the board to win the Heisman Trophy at 40/1. He's the top-rated quarterback in the game for a top-20 team with a top-10 offense … or so the developers say. I'm a lot more skeptical, though I'd rather bet Sanders to win this award than Colorado to win it all.
On the other end, I'm a little surprised to see Jalen Milroe (90 OVR) with such a low overall rating relative to his peers. He combined for 3,365 yards and 35 touchdowns last year to lead Alabama to the CFP and finish sixth in Heisman voting – the highest by any returning player. He'd be my bet to win this year, though clearly, the developers aren't as gung-ho.
Conversely, Jalon Daniels (90 OVR) has the same rating as Milroe but is dealing at more than double the price to win the Heisman Trophy. His candidacy will depend a lot on how well Kansas navigates the new-look Big 12, but the developers see the Jayhawks as a top-25 team with a top-15 offense, so I'm intrigued by his 35/1 odds.
Beyond the quarterbacks, the name that jumps off the board to me is UNC's Omarion Hampton (93 OVR). He was the first player I bet to win the Heisman in January when he opened at +50000, and he's the only skill-position player in EA's top 10 with longer than 150/1 odds.
And then, of course, there's star running back Ollie Gordon II (96 OVR), the third-ranked player in the entire game. Off-the-field issues aside, the Oklahoma State rusher tallied 2,062 yards and 22 touchdowns from scrimmage last year while finishing seve nth in Heisman voting. At 75/1, he's a long shot worth monitoring in 2024.
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College Football 25 FAQs
College Football 25 is set to release on Friday, July 19. You can pre-order the deluxe edition or MVP Bundle to play the game early on Tuesday, July 16.
Georgia has the highest overall rating (95) of any team in College Football 25. The Bulldogs also rank first in offensive rating (94) and second on defense (94).
Michigan cornerback Will Johnson is the highest-ranked player in College Football 25 with a 96 overall. That's tied with LSU tackle Will Campbell and Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II for the best overall rating in the game.
Georgia is the favorite to win the College Football Playoff with odds as short as +300. Those odds imply a 25% probability that the Bulldogs will claim their third national championship in the last four seasons.
Georgia's Carson Beck is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy with odds as short as +650, implying a 13.33% chance he'll become the third Bulldog to win it and first since Herschel Walker in 1982.
College football odds pages
| CFP National Championship Odds | SEC Odds | Big 12 Odds | Bowl Season Odds & Info |
| Heisman Trophy Odds | Big Ten Odds | Pac-12 Odds | MAC Odds |
| College Football Playoff Odds | Mountain West Odds | ACC Odds |
Here are our
best college football betting sites:
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