cdj
06-24-2025, 02:59 PM
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Following Tuesday's College Football 26 Dynasty & Team Builder Deep Dive, EA announced the Top 25 Toughest Places to Play (TPTP).
While the Top 25 TPTP lacked the ensuing conversation the CFB 25 reveal did - Texas A&M at #1?!? - it isn't without controversy.....the list is the exact same as the one EA quietly added into an early season title update for CFB 25.
As noted by Operation Sports at the time (https://www.operationsports.com/college-football-25-toughest-places-to-play-rankings-updated-lsu-tops-list/), an August 29, 2024 Title Update for CFB 25 updated the TPTP, putting LSU at #1 and dropping Texas A&M all the way to #11, among other changes. This change was not noted or announced by EA. (LSU was believed to be the #1 TPTP based on pre-release content until the EA reveal. Some believed the list was altered for marketing reasons then reverted back to proper form in the silent update.)
While the TPTP will always draw some fan debate and ire, the most valid complaints are likely among schools who just missed the ranking.
In CFB 25, Arkansas, Boise State, and Virginia Tech dropped out of the Top 25 in the silent update. All three finished with winning home records in 2024, including Boise State's 7-0 record. #25 Mississippi State went 2-5 and #23 Oklahoma State went just 2-4, yet both remain in the Top 25 TPTP.
Continue on to see the Top 25 Toughest Places to Play in College Football 26 - barring any silent update - and teams that should be in consideration.
Rank
Team
Stadium
4-Year Total
10-Year Total
Streak
1.
LSU
Tiger Stadium
24-4 (.857)
54-11 (.831)
W2
2.
Penn State
Beaver Stadium
24-5 (.828)
58-11 (.841)
W3
3.
Ohio State
Ohio Stadium
27-3 (.900)
63-5 (.926)
W1
4.
Georgia
Sanford Stadium
25-0 (1.000)
56-5 (.918)
W32
5.
Alabama
Bryant-Denny Stadium
27-1 (.964)
65-3 (.956)
W12
6.
Clemson
Memorial Stadium
23-4 (.852)
63-5 (.926)
L1
7.
Florida
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
19-7 (.731)
48-14 (.774)
W4
8.
Oklahoma
Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
22-4 (.846)
55-7 (.887)
W2
9.
Oregon
Autzen Stadium
26-1 (.963)
55-8 (.873)
W15
10.
Michigan
Michigan Stadium
28-2 (.933)
58-10 (.853)
W1
11.
Texas A&M
Kyle Field
21-7 (.750)
50-17 (.746)
L1
12.
Tennessee
Neyland Stadium
25-4 (.862)
49-21 (.700)
W8
13.
Texas
Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium
22-5 (.815)
45-17 (.726)
W3
14.
Florida State
Doak S. Campbell Stadium
16-11 (.593)
42-23 (.646)
L3
15.
Wisconsin
Camp Randall Stadium
16-12 (.571)
47-18 (.723)
L3
16.
South Carolina
Williams-Brice Stadium
20-8 (.714)
41-27 (.603)
W3
17.
Auburn
Jordan-Hare Stadium
16-14 (.533)
47-24 (.662)
W2
18.
Washington
Husky Stadium
22-5 (.815)
52-13 (.800)
W20
19.
Iowa
Kinnick Stadium
22-6 (.786)
52-15 (.776)
W5
20.
Utah
Rice-Eccles Stadium
20-5 (.800)
48-13 (.787)
L4
21.
Notre Dame
Notre Dame Stadium
21-5 (.808)
54-10 (.844)
W6
22.
NC State
Carter-Finley Stadium
22-6 (.786)
49-18 (.731)
L1
23.
Oklahoma State
Boone Pickens Stadium
21-6 (.778)
48-17 (.738)
L4
24
Michigan State
Spartan Stadium
17-10 (.630)
41-25 (.621)
L1
25
Mississippi State
Davis Wade Stadium
16-13 (.552)
40-28 (.588)
L1
Credit: 4- & 10-year totals courtesy teamrankings.com
Others worth consideration:
Team
Stadium
10-year total
JMU
Brideforth Stadium
63-7
Memphis
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium
58-11
Appalachian State
Kidd Brewer Stadium
52-9
Jacksonville State
Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium
51-12
Liberty
Williams Stadium
50-11
Boise State
Albertsons Stadium
50-12 (W12)
Sam Houston
Shell Energy Stadium
49-14
Missouri
Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium
49-19
Ole Miss
Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
48-20
Kennesaw State
Fifth Third Bank Stadium
47-14
Army
Michie Stadium
47-15
Miami
Hard Rock Stadium
47-17
Marshall
Joan C. Edwards Stadium
46-17
Kentucky
Kroger Field
46-26
Toledo
Glass Bowl
45-13
BYU
Lavell Edwards Stadium
45-16
USC
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
45-17
Cincinnati
Nippert Stadium
45-19
UCF
Acrisure Bounce House
45-19
Coastal Carolina
Brooks Stadium
45-20
Air Force
Falcon Stadium
44-14
Washington State
GESA Field at Martin Stadium
44-16
Kansas State
Bill Snyder Family Stadium
44-21
San Diego State
Snap Dragon Stadium
44-21
Pittsburgh
Acrisure Stadium
44-22
Delaware
Delaware Stadium
43-18
SMU
Gerald J. Ford Stadium
43-18
West Virginia
Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium
43-19
Ohio
Peden Stadium
42-14
Louisville
L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium
42-21
TCU
Amon G. Carter Stadium
42-21
Minnesota
Huntington Bank Stadium
42-24
Louisiana
Cajun Field
41-18
Troy
Veterans Memorial Stadium
41-19
Western Kentucky
Houchens Industries - L.T. Smith Stadium
41-19
UTSA
AlamoDome
41-21
Iowa State
Jack Trice Stadium
41-24
Georgia Southern
Allen E. Paulson Stadium
40-18
Houston
TDECU Stadium
40-20
Arizona State
Sun Devil Stadium
40-21
North Carolina
Kenan Memorial Stadium
40-24
UAB
Protective Stadium
36-9*
Credit: 10-year totals courtesy 2025 Phil Steele Preview Magazine
Following Tuesday's College Football 26 Dynasty & Team Builder Deep Dive, EA announced the Top 25 Toughest Places to Play (TPTP).
While the Top 25 TPTP lacked the ensuing conversation the CFB 25 reveal did - Texas A&M at #1?!? - it isn't without controversy.....the list is the exact same as the one EA quietly added into an early season title update for CFB 25.
As noted by Operation Sports at the time (https://www.operationsports.com/college-football-25-toughest-places-to-play-rankings-updated-lsu-tops-list/), an August 29, 2024 Title Update for CFB 25 updated the TPTP, putting LSU at #1 and dropping Texas A&M all the way to #11, among other changes. This change was not noted or announced by EA. (LSU was believed to be the #1 TPTP based on pre-release content until the EA reveal. Some believed the list was altered for marketing reasons then reverted back to proper form in the silent update.)
While the TPTP will always draw some fan debate and ire, the most valid complaints are likely among schools who just missed the ranking.
In CFB 25, Arkansas, Boise State, and Virginia Tech dropped out of the Top 25 in the silent update. All three finished with winning home records in 2024, including Boise State's 7-0 record. #25 Mississippi State went 2-5 and #23 Oklahoma State went just 2-4, yet both remain in the Top 25 TPTP.
Continue on to see the Top 25 Toughest Places to Play in College Football 26 - barring any silent update - and teams that should be in consideration.
Rank
Team
Stadium
4-Year Total
10-Year Total
Streak
1.
LSU
Tiger Stadium
24-4 (.857)
54-11 (.831)
W2
2.
Penn State
Beaver Stadium
24-5 (.828)
58-11 (.841)
W3
3.
Ohio State
Ohio Stadium
27-3 (.900)
63-5 (.926)
W1
4.
Georgia
Sanford Stadium
25-0 (1.000)
56-5 (.918)
W32
5.
Alabama
Bryant-Denny Stadium
27-1 (.964)
65-3 (.956)
W12
6.
Clemson
Memorial Stadium
23-4 (.852)
63-5 (.926)
L1
7.
Florida
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
19-7 (.731)
48-14 (.774)
W4
8.
Oklahoma
Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
22-4 (.846)
55-7 (.887)
W2
9.
Oregon
Autzen Stadium
26-1 (.963)
55-8 (.873)
W15
10.
Michigan
Michigan Stadium
28-2 (.933)
58-10 (.853)
W1
11.
Texas A&M
Kyle Field
21-7 (.750)
50-17 (.746)
L1
12.
Tennessee
Neyland Stadium
25-4 (.862)
49-21 (.700)
W8
13.
Texas
Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium
22-5 (.815)
45-17 (.726)
W3
14.
Florida State
Doak S. Campbell Stadium
16-11 (.593)
42-23 (.646)
L3
15.
Wisconsin
Camp Randall Stadium
16-12 (.571)
47-18 (.723)
L3
16.
South Carolina
Williams-Brice Stadium
20-8 (.714)
41-27 (.603)
W3
17.
Auburn
Jordan-Hare Stadium
16-14 (.533)
47-24 (.662)
W2
18.
Washington
Husky Stadium
22-5 (.815)
52-13 (.800)
W20
19.
Iowa
Kinnick Stadium
22-6 (.786)
52-15 (.776)
W5
20.
Utah
Rice-Eccles Stadium
20-5 (.800)
48-13 (.787)
L4
21.
Notre Dame
Notre Dame Stadium
21-5 (.808)
54-10 (.844)
W6
22.
NC State
Carter-Finley Stadium
22-6 (.786)
49-18 (.731)
L1
23.
Oklahoma State
Boone Pickens Stadium
21-6 (.778)
48-17 (.738)
L4
24
Michigan State
Spartan Stadium
17-10 (.630)
41-25 (.621)
L1
25
Mississippi State
Davis Wade Stadium
16-13 (.552)
40-28 (.588)
L1
Credit: 4- & 10-year totals courtesy teamrankings.com
Others worth consideration:
Team
Stadium
10-year total
JMU
Brideforth Stadium
63-7
Memphis
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium
58-11
Appalachian State
Kidd Brewer Stadium
52-9
Jacksonville State
Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium
51-12
Liberty
Williams Stadium
50-11
Boise State
Albertsons Stadium
50-12 (W12)
Sam Houston
Shell Energy Stadium
49-14
Missouri
Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium
49-19
Ole Miss
Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
48-20
Kennesaw State
Fifth Third Bank Stadium
47-14
Army
Michie Stadium
47-15
Miami
Hard Rock Stadium
47-17
Marshall
Joan C. Edwards Stadium
46-17
Kentucky
Kroger Field
46-26
Toledo
Glass Bowl
45-13
BYU
Lavell Edwards Stadium
45-16
USC
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
45-17
Cincinnati
Nippert Stadium
45-19
UCF
Acrisure Bounce House
45-19
Coastal Carolina
Brooks Stadium
45-20
Air Force
Falcon Stadium
44-14
Washington State
GESA Field at Martin Stadium
44-16
Kansas State
Bill Snyder Family Stadium
44-21
San Diego State
Snap Dragon Stadium
44-21
Pittsburgh
Acrisure Stadium
44-22
Delaware
Delaware Stadium
43-18
SMU
Gerald J. Ford Stadium
43-18
West Virginia
Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium
43-19
Ohio
Peden Stadium
42-14
Louisville
L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium
42-21
TCU
Amon G. Carter Stadium
42-21
Minnesota
Huntington Bank Stadium
42-24
Louisiana
Cajun Field
41-18
Troy
Veterans Memorial Stadium
41-19
Western Kentucky
Houchens Industries - L.T. Smith Stadium
41-19
UTSA
AlamoDome
41-21
Iowa State
Jack Trice Stadium
41-24
Georgia Southern
Allen E. Paulson Stadium
40-18
Houston
TDECU Stadium
40-20
Arizona State
Sun Devil Stadium
40-21
North Carolina
Kenan Memorial Stadium
40-24
UAB
Protective Stadium
36-9*
Credit: 10-year totals courtesy 2025 Phil Steele Preview Magazine