The EA Sports College Football 26 pros are already hard at work devising the best strategies. You’ve got two main aspects, offensive and defensive playbooks. But everyone knows you need a good offensive playbook to really put the pressure on your opponent. That’s why in this article, we’re counting down the best offensive playbooks in CFB 26.
Whether you’re playing against a team that loves to blitz or players who heavily prefer man-coverage, these playbooks are designed to give you the best counters. At the end of the day, it really depends on your personal playstyle, but if you’re looking for the most successful playbooks, make sure to check out all of these.
Oregon State
There are very few playbooks that receive a unanimous vote of approval from the community, and Oregon State’s offensive playbook is one of them. One of the main things a playbook needs to have is versatility. You don’t want to be running an overly-offensive playbook because your opponent will be able to read and counter it easily.
You get a nice blend of RPOs alongside short pistol and shotgun spreads. This allows you to keep your opponent on edge, especially when successfully executing RPO plays. Some of the top plays in Oregon’s playbook are Gun Y Off Trio Close and Gun Wing Pair.
You can always play around with different formations within these plays, switching up sides to whatever makes you feel comfortable. But due to its high variability and easy understanding, expect to see it frequently in online games.
UAB
Next up, we’ve got a team not a lot of people would expect, the UAB Blazers. Even though the Blazers didn’t have the most impressive season in 2024, it didn’t stop EA from giving them one of the most balanced playbooks in CFB 26. UAB’s playbook has a great mix of run and pass plays that allow players to switch things up. They’ve got some popular formations from CFB 25 like Gun Tight Y Off, making it a pretty good pickup overall.
Now, the Blazers aren’t known for their RPOs or triple-option plays. But using formations like the Jet Touch Pass or Jet Split Zone from the Gun Tight Y Off play can score you some easy yards. If you’re looking for run plays for those massive yard gains, look to plays like Sprint Smash. The name gives it away. You pass the ball off to the screen, who is undefended, and they break free to run deep into the flat.
This playbook is good for getting a basic understanding of different formations. While it does have a high skill ceiling, you can use it casually without investing too much time. It also has one of the new formations called Gate, so do check it out if you’re curious.
UCLA
We mentioned how being too focused on either run or pass plays can reduce a playbook’s effectiveness, but not when it’s as solid as UCLA’s offensive playbook. At a glance, you’ll find a lot of great pass plays in their playbook mixed with some run plays as well. Plays like the Gun Duece Close O1 Trap and Gun Bunch Verts really stand out, and are seen to be successful in most cases.
While it’s true that RPOs and triple-option plays have taken over the meta, it’s nice to play simple yet effective playbooks sometimes. You won’t need to read the R (Read) or P (Pitch) defender, nor set a hot route just before the snap. The downside is that your plays will be slightly more predictable, so pulling them off might not be as easy, especially if the opposition knows your playbook.
A key play in the UCLA Bruins’ playbook is the Clearout SE Out. This explosive play can get you an insane amount of yards if pulled off correctly. Rather than having your receivers do a streak run, you can choose a fade route. This will allow them to pull away from the main defense towards the sidelines. If you manage to pull off the throw, that’s an easy 50+ yards every time.
USF
USF’s offensive playbook isn’t just successful, it’s unique. This is one of the few playbooks that utilizes those corner pockets of the field that most teams don’t. The wide formation is not the easiest to pull off, however, since you’ll need a good read on the opposing defenders. Also, if they know you’re not taking the risk of throwing the ball deep into the flat, the chances of this playbook succeeding drastically decrease.
The best play to start with would be the Gun Wide Bunch RPO Read Screen. This is a read-play, so again, it comes down to decision-making. You’ll have two receivers on the wide end to make a vertical run, but you can choose to make a handoff if you’re playing against man coverage.
The good thing with RPOs is the ability to choose. Make a quick pass if you see the opponent blitzing you, or run down the middle if you’re facing zone coverage. This playbook excels at beating man coverage because the WRs spread the central defense thin enough for you to break out from the middle.
Maryland
For players looking to go all-in on powerful formations, Maryland might be the ideal choice. Maryland’s offensive playbook might look quite similar to the one in CFB ’25, and that’s because a lot of the meta plays are included in this playbook. Gun Normal Y Off Close PA Snag and Y Sail are some of the popular plays included in CFB 26.
As with most top offensive playbooks, Maryland also has a mix of both run and pass options. You can also opt for a power run play with their heavy I-set formation. They have some great plays to help push you over that finish line and get the touchdown you’ve been craving.
Houston
Houston has also made the list this year with their pass-heavy offensive playbook. Not everyone wants to go for those big, highlight vertical runs, and Houston provides you with the exact opposite. Go for short passes, covering a few yards at a time but minimizing the risk of interceptions. These plays are also great to frustrate your opponent into making a mistake, since they might be anticipating a vertical run at some point.
So, what does the Houston offensive playbook have? Normal Y Off Close is a great play to start with, followed by Y Off Trips and Trips TE. Now, we’re not mentioning any plays in particular because each play differs quite a bit here. This is a solid playbook overall, and you can play most of these plays in any situation.
Just remember that Houston specializes in pass-heavy plays, so try and stick to those. If you’re making run plays, go through a few formations to understand how to tweak them. Also, you won’t see a lot of auto-motion plays here, so if you’re someone who relies on the element of surprise in your playbooks, this one might not be for you.
Penn State
We’re halfway through the list, and we still haven’t gotten an offensive playbook that specializes in RPOs. Penn State is here to change that with its unique and fully loaded playbook. CFB 26 received a long list of new plays, and a large percentage of those were credited to Penn State. Multiple new Wildcat and Gadget options were introduced for players to choose from.
But back to RPOs. This strategy is by far one of the most successful plays you can call. Waiting for the defense to make the first move and countering their play can get you some good double-digit yards. Penn State also features one of the best QBs this season, Drew Allar, who will help you run these plays successfully.
A few great plays from the Penn State playbook are Wildcat Trips TE, Gun Split Y Off MTN Triple Option LT, and Double MTN Read Option. Keep in mind that the latter two formations have auto-motion routes, meaning your receivers will run automatically to switch positions after the snap. This allows for new plays and an added layer of complexity.
Oklahoma
Moving to simpler playbooks, we have Oklahoma. Oklahoma’s offensive playbook isn’t very diverse, mostly consisting of shotgun plays. But that’s where the strength lies. With a multitude of variations within a single play, you can confuse your opponent by making different calls each down without them understanding what’s happening.
You can start with the Shotgun Double Y Off Wk or just the Y Off Wk to get the ball rolling. Both these plays can help gain those initial yards till the red line. If you’re wanting to play it a bit more risky, they also have power run plays like Power I Tight PA Power O. These will send your receivers deep into the opponent’s territory, making for a very threatening run.
Rice
If you’re tired of repeating old formations and want to try something new, Rice’s playbook fits that description exactly. The Rice Owls have received a bunch of new plays in their offensive playbook in CFB 26. Are all of them good? Probably not. But they’ve got enough to put them in the top 10 best offensive playbooks.
The playbook takes RPOs to the next level by introducing a new option: holding the ball with a short run on the QB, followed by a pass to the WR. This helps throw off the defense on who to mark and often allows your QB some breathing room to make a decision. On top of that, there’s a very minimal chance of a short pass getting intercepted compared to one made deeper into the field.
Rice’s playbook has a few new options, so they’re still being tested by players. However, some of the best formations we’ve seen so far in the playbook are the Pistol Wingback and the MTN Triple Option STR/WK. If you decide to stick it out with Rice’s playbook, make sure to have good Awareness stats, as it increases your QB’s chances of making quick decisions in CFB 26.
Iowa
Iowa’s offensive playbook is the complete opposite of Oklahoma’s. They have a heavy focus on run plays. The benefit of these simpler playbooks is that they cut out the decision-making factor, yet maintain some effective plays. This playbook is ideal for players who love throwing long passes into the deep or having their receivers run a fade into the opponent’s flat.
For Iowa, you’ll want to go with run plays more often. They excel at Shotgun Double Stack HB Slip Screen or Curl Flat. But a really interesting play is the Four Verticals. You guessed it, four WRs all running a vertical route on opposite sides of the field. This could be great practice for getting the hang of vertical runs and even hot routes, if you’re changing them pre-snap. While this playbook might not work at the higher ranks against veteran players, it is a great start to your CFB 26 journey.
