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Operation Sports
Operation Sports
Christian Smith

This Fan Ranked All College Football 26 Teams by Stars for Online Dynasty

We’ve been talking a lot about Dynasty Mode in College Football 26 over the past few weeks. And how can we not? The mode is arguably one of, if not the, deepest experiences you can have on a console-based sports game, and the possibilities are endless. Do you want to rebuild a once-great program? That’s possible! Looking for something with a bit more difficulty? The game’s got that, too! But, is there any definitive ranking for Dynasty Mode saves, and which teams are the most ripe for long-term building? One fan certainly thinks so!

A few weeks ago, YouTuber Dominate CFB Dynasty posted a video to his channel, ranking each team in terms of Dynasty Mode viability. To make things even more helpful, he divided each team based on their prestige rating (or star rating). And the work that’s been put in here is excellent!

How The Rankings Were Made

As with any ranking/tier system worth its salt, Dominate CFB Dynasty had a criterion for where he placed each team. According to the video (which I kindly embedded above), each of the following factors was taken into consideration, though special emphasis was placed on the first four in particular:

  • Team Prestige
  • Overall Rating
  • Pipeline Ranking
  • Young Talent Score
  • Conference Prestige
  • Athletic Facilities
  • QB Play

After factoring in all of these aspects, Dynasty applied them a ranking and sorted each team into categories based on their prestige level (1-5 stars).

The College Football 26 Dynasty Mode Rankings

Upon giving each team an assessment, the YouTuber gave each team a Dynasty Mode ranking. On the far right, the total ranking number can be seen, whilst each team’s individual rank within their star group can be seen to the left of each team’s name.

Here’s a link to the original document should you want to see it for yourself. To give things a bit more focus, here are the best teams for each star ranking, and why each team could be a fun challenge.

  • Alabama (5 stars): Not surprising, considering the Crimson Tide has failed to win a national championship since the departure of Nick Sabin.
  • Texas (4.5 stars): Always one of the stronger college football programs in the country, but has fallen behind the Georgias and Ohio States of the world in terms of prestige over the last decade or so.
  • Texas A&M (4 stars): Another legacy school that has always been incredibly popular and prestigious, but hasn’t reached the pinnacle of collegiate football in almost a century. Not a bad challenge if you want to take an already popular school with a decent pipeline to glory.
  • Auburn (3.5 stars): Believe it or not, it’s been 15 years since the Cam Newton-led Tigers beat the Oregon Ducks to capture the 2010 national championship. Since then, those peaks have been firmly in the rearview. It might be time to change that.
  • Missouri (3 stars): Under coach Eli Drinkwitz, Mizzou has been incredibly competitive and has won two straight Bowl Games going into 2025. But maybe, you think you can displace Drinkwitz and do even better?
  • Vanderbilt (2.5 stars): In the early 20th century, Commodores football was a dynasty. Now, it’s lost in the shuffle of the SEC. Work your way to some conference championships, a few bowl wins, and maybe even beyond.
  • Purdue (2 stars): We talked about it in a previous piece, but Purdue was once a very competitive team back in the day, and even developed a rivalry with the famous Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the team’s tenure under Joe Tiller. Prove to the nation that Purdue isn’t just a basketball university.
  • South Florida (1.5 stars): Despite not being a decorated program, the South Florida Bulls have a passionate Tampa-based fanbase and a ton of investment incoming, including a $340 million stadium. What better way to christen that new home than to start building something special and long-term?
  • Old Dominion (1 star): I’m not gonna lie and say that Old Dominion is the most attractive project in the world. But, it beats out the other 1-star options. Also, being based in Virginia, you’ll have access to a pipeline that consistently churns out good talent should you be able to instill a last winning culture.

Kent State was chosen as the top 0.5-star team, but its only competition was Akron.

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