And I thought people were up in arms about the offensive rankings!
EA Sports continued their rankings week showcase on Thursday by releasing their top 25 offenses in the upcoming “EA Sports College Football 25” video game.
Naturally, not everyone was happy with the game developer’s decisions. I mean, come on, we’re sports fans. Everyone is biased toward their team and their players! Sports fans live for an argument! EA Sports helped fuel those arguments with a few, let’s say, questionable ratings.
No matter, it’s just a game and they probably had good explanations for their rankings. Let’s cut EA some slack!
That feeling lasted for about 20 minutes until they released their top 25 defensive units in the game. If you are an Iowa fan, you’ve probably already raged on social media about the team’s placement and ratings. You’ve probably joined the hundreds of other fans out there pulling their hair out seeing USC and Colorado on a list of the best defenses in college football.
Thankfully, there were a lot more Big Ten programs featured on the defensive list than the offensive list. Here are the Big Ten teams that cracked the top 25 overall defenses list.
USC Trojans
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
National Ranking: No. 16
Overall Defensive Rating: 86 Overall
For more information, visit Trojans Wire.
Wisconsin Badgers
![](https://hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/109/2023/10/USATSI_21648520.jpg)
Oct 14, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson (2) is tackled by Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Ricardo Hallman (2) and safety Hunter Wohler (24) during the first quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
National Ranking: No. 15
Overall Defensive Rating: 86 Overall
For more information, visit Badgers Wire.
Iowa Hawkeyes
![](https://hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/109/2023/10/1712275449-1.jpg)
(Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
National Ranking: No. 13
Overall Defensive Rating: 88 Overall
Penn State
![](https://hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/109/2023/11/USATSI_21928344.jpg)
© Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK
National Ranking: No. 9
Overall Defensive Rating: 88 Overall
For more information, visit Nittany Lions Wire.
Michigan Wolverines
![](https://hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/109/2023/12/USATSI_22023702.jpg)
© Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
National Ranking: No. 7
Overall Defensive Rating: 90 Overall
For more information, visit Wolverines Wire.
Oregon Ducks
![](https://hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/109/2023/09/1670989953.jpg)
(Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
National Ranking: No. 3
Overall Defensive Rating: 90 Overall
For more information on Oregon, visit Ducks Wire.
Ohio State Buckeyes
![](https://hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/109/2023/05/USATSI_20468827.jpg)
Joseph Scheller-The Columbus Dispatch
National Ranking: No. 1
Overall Defensive Rating: 96 Overall
For more information on Ohio State, visit Buckeyes Wire.