Penn State is poised to be inside or on the cusp of the top 10 teams when EA Sports releases its overall rankings Friday. That’s because the Nittany Lions, who have the game’s No. 12 overall offense, have its ninth-ranked defense. The makers of the first college football video game in years put those numbers out on Thursday, 22 days before it is available to the general public on July 19. Pre-order buyers will gain access on July 16.
First-year coordinator Tom Allen has many pieces back from a unit that ranked No. 3 in scoring defense, No. 2 in total defense, and No. 2 in yards per play nationally a year ago under Manny Diaz, who is now the head coach at Duke, of course.
As for the game’s overall defense rankings, the top 10 includes a few other Big Ten foes. Ohio State leads the way. But, Oregon, Michigan, also make the cut. Here’s how that list shakes out:
1: Ohio State – 96 OVR
2: Georgia – 94 OVR
3: Oregon – 90 OVR
4: Alabama – 90 OVR
5: Clemson – 90 OVR
6: Notre Dame – 90 OVR
7: Michigan – 90 OVR
8: Texas – 88 OVR
9: Penn State – 88 OVR
10: Utah – 88 OVR
Penn State defense ready for next steps under Allen
It goes without saying that Allen walks into a difficult situation. As James Franklin admitted during the hiring process, not everyone can take over a highly successful unit and somehow find a way to improve it. But, that’s what the 54-year-old is tasked with. He must replace four NFL Draft picks plus two undrafted free agents and cornerback Johnny Dixon, who would have found himself in one of those two groupings if not for an injury that continues to leave him unsigned.
The safeties room headlined by Kevin Winston Jr., Jaylen Reed, and Zakee Wheatley, will lead the Lions’ defense. Middle linebacker Kobe King will quarterback Allen’s unit with help from breakout candidate Tony Rojas, among others. And, up front, newly-minted end Abdul Carter and 2023 co-starter Dani Dennis-Sutton will lead the way, and there is a sizable veteran presence on the interior to go with a mixture of newcomers and returners at cornerback.
The Penn State defense may have a new leader and new faces at key spots. But, it will aim to look as good, even if in a slightly different way, as the 2023 version of it did.
“Guys gotta make plays,” Allen told BWI. “You gotta make tackles. I think there’s that fine line between the two. You still want to continue to push the envelope, be aggressive. But you also have to make sure at the end of the day, if they gotta have a 13, 14 play drive, that’s tough to do against a really good group of players.
“That’s where I want to make sure we’re not giving up those explosive plays. Because, that’s how you get beat and get a negative result. I want to be aggressive, without question, but not reckless. I guess that’s probably the best way to say it. You can be a little bit more on the side of keeping things in front of you. But at the same time, we’re going to be aggressive. That’s just what I believe in.”
Where does EA Sports College Football 25 rank the Lions offense?
It places Andy Kotelnicki’s attack at No. 12 overall. Big Ten newcomer Oregon is No. 2, while Ohio State is listed at No. 5. Georgia leads the way. And, Alabama and Texas at Nos. 3 and 4, respectively, round out the top five.
The post Penn State defense listed among top 10 in EA Sports College Football 25; where do the Lions rank? appeared first on On3.