We wanted to see how the North Texas teams would do if we simulated their seasons in the new college football video game.
DALLAS — EA College Football 26 released to the public on Thursday, marking the second year of the game after a decade-long absence.
The game’s return last summer was a massive success, with more than 2.2 million people playing the game during an early-access period before its launch. We broke down the best rated teams in the game and the highest-rated players on Texas universities in this article.
Now that the game is out, we decided to simulate the 2025-26 season for the North Texas universities – SMU, TCU and UNT – to see how they fared. Here were the results:
SMU
- Record: 10-3 (6-2 in ACC, 4th) – Made College Football Playoff (CFP) as No. 9 seed, but lost to No. 8 seed Florida, 30-27
- Result:
- Started out the season 8-0, but lost to eventual ACC runner up Miami (14-2), Miami went on to national championship as the No. 3 seed and lost to No. 1 Texas.
- Missed ACC title game (Miami vs. Duke; Duke upset Miami in ACC championship).
- SMU still made CFP as the last available at-large team; 3 ACC teams in the field
- Champions ranked below SMU: No. 10 seed Duke, ACC champ; 11 seed Iowa State, Big 12 champ; 12 seed UNLV, MWC champ)
- Key wins: vs No. 12 Baylor (11-3), @ Clemson (9-4)
- Key losses: vs. No. 2 Miami (14-2), vs. Louisville (9-4)
- Offensive stats:
- 5th-best offense in nation yards per game (457.9)
- 23rd-ranked scoring offense in the nation/2nd in ACC (35.6 ppg)
- Defensive stats:
- 3rd-worst defense in AAC YPG (415)
- Scoring defense was 6th-best in ACC (24.3 ppg) – “bend but don’t break” defense
- T-2nd in ACC in INTs (15) – T-8th nationally
- Top passer: Jennings: 68% completion, 4,335 yards, 31 touchdowns 5 interceptions; 160 rushes, 349 rushing yards, 5 rushing touchdowns
- Top rusher: T.J. Harden: 201 rushes, 914 yards, 9 touchdowns
- Top receiver(s): 2, 1,000 yard receivers: Jalen Cooper (61 receptions, 1,086 yards, 6 touchdowns); Romello Brinson (73 receptions, 1,051 yards, 15 touchdowns)
- Leading tackler: Rocket Rahimi (90 tackles)
- No national awards won by players or coaches: Closest was Isaiah Nwokobia for Jim Thorpe (3rd), Nagurski (5th), Bednarik (5th); Kevin Jennings for Davey O’Brien (7th)
TCU
- Record: 7-6 (4-5 in Big 12, 10th) – bowl eligible, beat San Diego St. in Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, 41-13
- Result:
- Season opener win against Bill Belichick and UNC on the road, started 2-0 but lost to SMU, which started a slump.
- The Horned Frogs lost six of their next seven games, beating only Kansas State in that timespan. The losses came against ranked SMU, ranked Arizona State, ranked Colorado, ranked Baylor and ranked Iowa State
- Key wins: @ UNC, vs No. 22 BYU
- Key losses: vs No. 7 SMU, @ No. 21 Arizona St, vs No. 17 CU, vs No. 12 Baylor
- Offensive stats:
- 5th-best offense in yards per game in Big 12 (425.9)
- 9th in scoring offense (32.1 ppg)
- Defensive stats:
- 4th-worst defense yards per game in Big 12 (416.7)
- 3rd-worst in scoring defense (30.1 ppg)
- Top passer: Josh Hoover was second in the Big 12 in passing yards (4,124), third for touchdowns (34), threw the most interceptions in the Big 12 (12)
- Top receiver: Jordan Dwyer led the Big 12 in receiving yards (1,459), third in receptions (88), second in touchdowns (13)
- Leading tackler: Channing Canada (90 tackles)
- No national awards won by players or coaches: Closest was Dwyer in Biletnikoff (6th)
North Texas
- Record: 5-7 (3-5 AAC, 9th in AAC) – missed bowl game
- Result:
- Started out 3-1 with wins over Army and Western Michigan, then lost three in a row (South Alabama, N0. 25 USF, UTSA)
- Finished 2-3 down the stretch
- Key wins: @ Western Michigan (9-5 and eventual MAC Champs)
- Key losses: South Alabama, USF, UTSA (the three-game losing streak)
- Offensive stats:
- 6th-best offense in American Athletic Conference (AAC) for yards per game (385.4)
- 6th worst scoring offense (26.2 ppg)
- Defensive stats:
- 3rd-worst (10/13) in yards per game allowed (436.3)
- Middle of AAC (6th out of 13) in scoring defense (28.8 ppg allowed)
- Top passer: Reese Poffenbarger – 54% completion, 3,438 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions; 114 rushes, 91 yards, two touchdowns
- Top rusher: Shaadie Clayton-Johnson – 150 carries, 669 yards, 13 touchdowns
- Top receiver(s): Four receivers had similar numbers – Dalton Carnes (60 receptions, 888, yards, 9 touchdowns), Landon Sides (66-832-2), Simeon Evans (57-695-4), Tre Williams III, TE (57-619-3).