Tennessee not getting any love from EA Sports College Football 25

[HighRockvol]

I agree with you on those general points, I am just explaining why it is what it is. History plays a big part (even though it shouldn't) and people have seen Tennessee fail to live up to hype over and over again. They have seen Tennessee choke away games against Florida, Georgia, etc.

Explain Colorado then? They have sucked far longer than we have..

 

[volbound1700]

Explain Colorado then? They have sucked far longer than we have..

I can't. I mean there are some on the list that are unexplainable. Perhaps it is an FSU situation where a programmer is from Colorado or it is the Deon Bias (the latter being the most likely).

 

[WoodsmanVol]

Mind boggling to me that we didn’t make the top 25 offensive list

So what!? Just beat the disbelief out of every team that dares to share the field with ours. And when done, tell them, "thank you, ma'am."

 

[VolBalla2014]

I agree with you on those general points, I am just explaining why it is what it is. History plays a big part (even though it shouldn't) and people have seen Tennessee fail to live up to hype over and over again. They have seen Tennessee choke away games against Florida, Georgia, etc.

Just seems to me more that they inflated and deflated certain teams and their players ratings to fit them into their original idea of who should be the "good" and "bad" teams in the game. Colorado being a top 25 defense is absolutely absurd and there's no explanation possible besides they just wanted them to be better in the game

 

[YankeeVol]

So, a team ranked in the Top 25 the last 2 years (and will be ranked in the Preseason Polls for 2024), is somehow NOT in the Top 25 for either side of the ball...

 

[volbound1700]

Sounds like there is a lot of frustration about this, how about we email bomb EA? Does anyone on here know anyone that works for EA?

 

[cardvolfan]

lol wow, so they think schools like Arizona, Memphis, Kansas, and Virginia Tech will all have better offenses than Tennessee this year? LOL. LOLLL. I look forward to the inevitable "yeah we effed up" admission, because boy did they ever eff that up. I realize they'll say "oh it's because it's based on individual player ratings" or whatever, but if that's the case, then you messed up on those player ratings, buddies.

Just for laughs, I grabbed Memphis's rankings to compare against Tennessee's (just to pick one).

Tennessee's offensive rankings playing in the Southeastern Conference -

2021 - 9th
2022 - 1st
2023 - 19th

Memphis's offensive rankings against whoever-the-hell they played -

2021 - 36th
2022 - 39th
2023 - 14th

But Memphis with have the 19th best rated offense and Tennessee will go unranked offensively. Sure. Sure, that tracks. Idiots.

Either they: (A) Have zero clue what they are doing or (B) They have a hate-based bias with Tennessee for whatever reason.

 

[87&91ALUM]

Good! Great! I love the fact that we are considered "losers" by the major media and other programs. Nothing sets a team up for success better than being drug through the sports world's scum of hate filled mouth pieces. Go Vols! Keep that locker room motivational board covered with this BS. Use it and every other trash talker as motivation to beat all these "rated and ranked" teams.

 

[Delmar]

Good! Great! I love the fact that we are considered "losers" by the major media and other programs. Nothing sets a team up for success better than being drug through the sports world's scum of hate filled mouth pieces. Go Vols! Keep that locker room motivational board covered with this BS. Use it and every other trash talker as motivation to beat all these "rated and ranked" teams.

Maybe it’s just me but I don’t think video game programmers qualify as major media or experts in who has good offenses and defenses in college football. Not worth spending time discussing it unless you’re into video games.

 

[Ty4Vols]

I'll just wait for EA 2026

 

[WoodsmanVol]

Sounds like there is a lot of frustration about this, how about we email bomb EA? Does anyone on here know anyone that works for EA?

I'm sorry, that's a dumb idea. All that does is lend an aura of validation of their assessment of Vols fans.

 

[VolBalla2014]

Maybe it’s just me but I don’t think video game programmers qualify as major media or experts in who has good offenses and defenses in college football. Not worth spending time discussing it unless you’re into video games.

I'm pissed because I've been looking forward to this game for over a decade and I'll have to play every online game at a disadvantage because EA doesn't know college ball. I'll be damned if I'll play with any other team

 

[EaglesVols91]

I'm pissed because I've been looking forward to this game for over a decade and I'll have to play every online game at a disadvantage because EA doesn't know college ball. I'll be damned if I'll play with any other team

I’m hoping they update the game throughout the season like they do with madden. If so, hopefully TN will be great to play with online after we beat Oklahoma!

 

[VOL Campbell]

Willing to bet a multiple gig update will be pushed soon after product launch to fix all the Tennessee omissions....

 

[Mccage]

New qb is main issue most would say. Receiver Corp basically unproven. Meaning if two guys injured last year can play at a high level. TE position new folks as well. Two top running backs gone. So go figure why we rate low. Did that help possibly explain the lack of confidence in our offense?

No

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

Explain Colorado then? They have sucked far longer than we have..

Deion hype unfortunately.

 

[volbound1700]

I'm sorry, that's a dumb idea. All that does is lend an aura of validation of their assessment of Vols fans.

Honestly, the only super out tier is Colorado.

Michigan and others are getting crappy treatment as well.

 

[Lekvolrrah]

Just wait till I create my 6’2” 225lb tank of a running back and go undefeated in neyland for 4 years till I get drafted. Then they will have to respect us

Then you'll be looking for him in the rotation on game day

 

[WoodsmanVol]

Honestly, the only super out tier is Colorado.

Michigan and others are getting crappy treatment as well.

Don't care about Colorado, Michigan or anybody else. Only care about the Vols, and our fans.

 

[SpookyAction]

What more should people expect from them? "EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games." They aren't serious sports enthusiasts. They're tech nerds who spend their days developing computer games.

This is not how this works at all.
The teams that develop these video games understand the CFB game very well, and have to translate the "known quantities", which our team is lacking on both sides of the ball, in to statistical models. If they did not do an effective job, enthusiasts who play the game would abandon it quickly. Updates enable the creative teams to reflect the season's performances.

EA's football games are very popular because they are fun. With practice, anyone can take a #50 ranked team to the National Championship after playing a couple of seasons in the game. If you play a lot, a season takes about 14-15 hours of time on the controller. I played these games in my 20s and the EA NCAA Football games always had excellent gameplay . One of the big draws was the crowd chants and fight songs. If you play the game correctly, your opponent will be extremely tired of hearing Rocky Top over the deafening/shaky crowd noise at Neyland.

OVR is mostly based on the skills scores of returning producers from the year before. Our big deficit is we are not returning many proven offensive weapons.
VOLS fans are high on Sampson, but he has yet to prove he can carry the load.
When Bru went down last season, which WR stepped up?

I totally agree our offense is underranked, but who cares. Unproven QB, RBs, and WRs, and reloaded OLine means we'll have to earn respect the hard way. I figure we should be in the Top15 in OVR, but whatever, really, but not in proven assets yet.
Neyland and the Big Orange have not been examples of consistently elite CFB for almost 20 years. No one automatically puts us in the elite bracket like they did with the mid-2000s Fulmer teams that were given the benefit of the doubt every preseason.
On defense, we have no idea what our secondary will look like. And if our players step up and perform at Charlotte and Norman, the game updates will give our team's players stats and abilities that reflect their performance, for good or ill.

 

[SpookyAction]

I notice Washington is left out of the Top25 OVR as well. Again, it is a reflection that so much of their offensive production is gone.

 

[MoonshineVolunteer]

Just another thing for me to boycott.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

I stopped taking the game seriously whenever a Colorado player was on the front cover.

 

[HighRockvol]

This is not how this works at all.
The teams that develop these video games understand the CFB game very well, and have to translate the "known quantities", which our team is lacking on both sides of the ball, in to statistical models. If they did not do an effective job, enthusiasts who play the game would abandon it quickly. Updates enable the creative teams to reflect the season's performances.

EA's football games are very popular because they are fun. With practice, anyone can take a #50 ranked team to the National Championship after playing a couple of seasons in the game. If you play a lot, a season takes about 14-15 hours of time on the controller. I played these games in my 20s and the EA NCAA Football games always had excellent gameplay . One of the big draws was the crowd chants and fight songs. If you play the game correctly, your opponent will be extremely tired of hearing Rocky Top over the deafening/shaky crowd noise at Neyland.

OVR is mostly based on the skills scores of returning producers from the year before. Our big deficit is we are not returning many proven offensive weapons.
VOLS fans are high on Sampson, but he has yet to prove he can carry the load.
When Bru went down last season, which WR stepped up?

I totally agree our offense is underranked, but who cares. Unproven QB, RBs, and WRs, and reloaded OLine means we'll have to earn respect the hard way. I figure we should be in the Top15 in OVR, but whatever, really, but not in proven assets yet.
Neyland and the Big Orange have not been examples of consistently elite CFB for almost 20 years. No one automatically puts us in the elite bracket like they did with the mid-2000s Fulmer teams that were given the benefit of the doubt every preseason.
On defense, we have no idea what our secondary will look like. And if our players step up and perform at Charlotte and Norman, the game updates will give our team's players stats and abilities that reflect their performance, for good or ill.

Come on they have colorado top 10 and top 25 in both offense and defense you can’t take that seriously

 

[secking]

lol wow, so they think schools like Arizona, Memphis, Kansas, and Virginia Tech will all have better offenses than Tennessee this year? LOL. LOLLL. I look forward to the inevitable "yeah we effed up" admission, because boy did they ever eff that up. I realize they'll say "oh it's because it's based on individual player ratings" or whatever, but if that's the case, then you messed up on those player ratings, buddies.

Just for laughs, I grabbed Memphis's rankings to compare against Tennessee's (just to pick one).

Tennessee's offensive rankings playing in the Southeastern Conference -

2021 - 9th
2022 - 1st
2023 - 19th

Memphis's offensive rankings against whoever-the-hell they played -

2021 - 36th
2022 - 39th
2023 - 14th

But Memphis with have the 19th best rated offense and Tennessee will go unranked offensively. Sure. Sure, that tracks. Idiots.

Supposedly, they used last years stats and returning production. Call it the Milton effect. Plus returning QBs got a big bump for these rankings.

Memphis was #6 in the nation last year at 39.6, UT was 37th in the nation last year at 31.8 ppg.