Best EA Sports College Football 25 Offensive and Defensive Playbooks

Few behind-the-scenes tasks in EA Sports College Football 25 are as frustrating as finding the best offensive and defensive playbooks. You rarely feel like you have the playbook you really want, and trying to sort through your various options with so little guidance doesn’t exactly expedite the process. Besides, it’s all about how a playbook feels rather than how it looks.

Truth be told, choosing the right playbook comes down to your personnel, practice, and a lot of patience. If that sounds like a tedious nightmare to you, though, then here’s a brief look at your best overall options on both sides of the ball.

Best Offensive Playbooks In EA Sports College Football 25

The best EA Sports College Football 25 offenses tend to be dynamic, explosive, and far more unconventional than what you’d expect to run in Madden NFL. That said, there are a variety of top-tier options in the game that fit any number of personnel packages and playstyles.

Arizona

The Arizona Wildcats may have the best overall offensive playbook in EA Sports College Football 25. Granted, it’s pretty much all about the pass (to put it mildly), but this playbook’s emphasis on trio formations forces your opponents to awkwardly stack their defenses on one side of the field. Even if you can’t hit one of the three primary receivers, your Tight End and Running Back will often have the field to themselves. It’s a fairly simple but explosive passing attack that really shines with a mobile quarterback who can stretch plays.

Texas

While not the most exciting playbook on digital paper, the Texas offensive has a lot going for it. Along with an overall solid series of reliable offensive plays, it grants you access to many motion formations and some fantastic RPO plays. If you’re fairly confident in your key players, it’s a great option with explosive potential.

Air Force

If you want to go all-in on option plays (which is a viable strategy), Air Force might be your best bet. Much of this playbook is designed around direct snaps to your quarterback that give them the option to either run it themselves, complete quick passes, or hand-off/toss to the running back. With the right personnel, you can confound and overwhelm any defense with this playbook designed to allow you to think on your feet. Just know that your players will take a beating when you run this style of offense. 

Hawaii

Another pass-heavy option, the Hawaii playbook is a pretty elaborate variation of the run-and-shoot offense. Basically, this playbook is designed to scheme your wide receivers open by utilizing a series of audibles and motions during the pre-snap process. If you have the right wide receivers and are comfortable reading and reacting to defenses, this playbook can feel like a cheat code. 

Michigan

If you’re looking for a Madden-style “pro” offensive playbook, you’re probably looking for what Michigan has to offer. It doesn’t bring a lot of flash to the party, but it does offer one of the best blends of shotgun and under-center formations in the game. Those transitioning from Madden may have the easiest time using this playbook to get their feet under them. Whether you ever abandon it is up to you. 

Mizzou

The Mizzou offense initially appears to be pretty run-heavy, and it’s certainly a fantastic playbook for teams with a strong backfield. However, this offense is designed around allowing you to establish the run before utilizing options, shotgun formations, and some of the most devastating play-action passes in the game. It’s those play-action passes that make this offense so much more explosive than it initially appears to be. 

Oregon

Shotgun fans are going to love this playbook that is pretty much built around variations of that formation. Yes, that means running a lot of up-tempo pass plays with spread offenses, but what makes the Oregon playbook so unique is the number of effective shotgun runs you’ll also have access to. The ability to run so many explosive plays from that formation grants this playbook a surprising level of consistency for such a dynamic scheme. Of course, you always run the Wildcat if you’re feeling crazy. 

UNLV

If UNLV doesn’t have the best playbook in the game, they certainly boast the most unique playbook. It’s a little more run-heavy, but it’s really designed to utilize different formations on nearly every play or otherwise always offer you at least one play for every situation. You’ve got to learn to love this one, but it’s the most dangerous offensive playbook in EA Sports College Football 25 when properly wielded. 

Best Defensive Playbooks In EA Sports College Football 25

To be very honest with you, playing defense in EA Sports College Football 25 is kind of a nightmare. It’s not a lot of fun, and it can be incredibly difficult to actually stop a roper opposing offense. That said, these are your best defensive playbook options.

3-3-5

If you have the personnel required to utilize a more aggressive defense, you probably want to run the 3-3-5. The balk of this book is designed to get to the quarterback and either sack him (which is preferable) or otherwise force him to make a quick throw into your secondary. If you can’t get the QB in time and if you don’t trust your coverage players, you’re going to have a bad time with this formation. However, it generally offers one of the more “safe” aggressive strategies in the game. 

4-2-5

The 4-2-5 is really the only other defensive playbook in the game that’s worth considering for the majority of teams. Its four-man defensive front can certainly get to the QB, but the real goal here is to stop the run, apply a bit of pressure, and then cover the middle of the field against those short passes that offenses love to rely on. You won’t get burned often with this formation, and you’re really only ever a couple of backfield stops away from turning the tide.