By Pat Welter

Future scholars will surely detect a precipitous dip in productivity from the male subset circa the week July 19, 2024. Some will argue the decline started a few days earlier on the 16th, EA Sports College Football 25’s early access release date.

“I have no idea,” NC State head coach Dave Doeren said when asked what his ranking should be in the game during an interview session at the ACC Kickoff in Charlotte. “It’s funny all these people are getting pissed off by the rankings, we have nothing to do with any of that. Whatever they rank me they rank me. “

“No, I haven’t played,” Doeren responded to a follow up. “I haven’t played video games…well I take that back. We have one of those old video game things, “Dig dug” and “Galaga”, so I’ve done that. I don’t spent my time playing video games.”

Dig dug is a maze arcade game for the Atari system released in 1982. Galaga is a shooter arcade game from 1981 and considered one of the greatest video games of all-time according to my quick wiki-pedia search. Until this month, EA’s classic college football game was a relic of the past I used to tell young people about too.

Now if you’re of Doeren’s generation you’re probably rolling your eyes at all of the hype over this game, but this is about more than just a bunch of millennials (my generation) getting nostalgic about their youth. The game franchise has had several names over the years which relate to its complicated relationship with the NCAA. It started as “Bill Walsh College Football” in 1993. By 1996 it was “College Football USA”, and finally became “NCAA Football” in 1997 with “NCAA Football 98”.  (They always rounded up the year, not sure why, maybe a mental trick like pricing something at $.99 instead of $1.00)

The game always had to dance around the crumbling facades of amateurism and the “student-athlete.” The cover athlete was a player no longer in college football, typically a Heisman winner from the previous year. Florida QB Danny Wuerffel, Michigan CB/WR Charles Woodson, and Texas RB Ricky Williams graced the first three. The first copy I ever owned was of Florida State quarterback Chris Weinke. Weinke was 28 years old when the Carolina Panthers drafted him in 2001. Some amateur.

Despite the hoops the game had to leap through, it was a joy for anyone who loved the sport. The graphics on my PlayStation 2 were powerful enough to make it look and feel like real football. I used to run the triple option with Notre Dame, something you couldn’t experience in EA’s NFL counterpart, Madden. The players had the same numbers and relative abilities of the actual team rosters, but had generic faces and different names. If you were running the game’s dynasty mode, the current players would cycle out for imagined recruits. I’d argue we don’t have the current NIL landscape without the college football video game.

In 2013, the NCAA didn’t renew its licensing agreement with the game due to legal issues with player’s name, image, and likeness. The case was Ed O’Bannon v. NCAA. O’Bannon was a former UCLA basketball player who challenged the NCAA’s use of player’s likeness in their games. Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson was the last player featured on the cover of NCAA Football 14, the final edition of the game until now.  In 2015 an appeals court ruled that the NCAA was violating the law.  After several other court cases college athletes officially became able to benefit financially off their name, image and likeness in July of 2021.  With the wheels already in motion in February of 2021, EA Sports tweeted “College football is coming back.”

Athletes don’t get paid much for their likeness appearing in the game, $600 is the reported amount, but for many getting to play as yourself after all these years is enough.

NC State vs. UNC

“Right now I’m an 84,” UNC senior wide receiver JJ Jones said when I asked him his ranking. “I would have been cool with an 80, honestly I’m in a video game, I can’t complain.”

Jones sat down with me to play the game at the ACC Kickoff in Charlotte. At the Hilton Uptown Hotel, the conference rooms are filled and decorated with ACC team uniforms, helmets, mannequin and colors as coaches and players from the conference’s 17 schools descend upon the city to be interviewed by local and national media. Prominently displayed near the escalator is a tented lounge area set up for anyone who wants to try out the long awaited game.

“Mic check, 1-2-3-4-5-6, we are here at ACC media day,” Jones cheerfully said into the wireless mic I placed on him. “About to beat Pat in NCAA, probably by 40, but who knows.”

Jones has been playing and streaming games versus his teammates on social media since the game came out. I tell him I probably haven’t played since I was in high school in 2006. Weinke’s NCAA 2002 the last copy I actually owned. He selects UNC as his team, for tv purposes I go with rival (although some UNC fans debate that) NC State.

“This matchup has not gone well for you guys the last few years,” I laughed.

“No it has not,” Jones said with sarcastic knowing.

“We have a lot of guys on this squad that are ready to get back at this team,” Jones said when I asked if this was the year. “I’ve never beat State, it’s been tough for me. I’m 0-3 versus them, I’ve got to get one out.”

In 2021 in Raleigh, NC State scored two touchdowns in 26 seconds to beat UNC 34-30, erasing a late 9 point Carolina lead in the final two minutes. At Chapel Hill in 2022 UNC lost 30-27 in double overtime on a missed field goal. Then last year UNC inexplicably didn’t show up at Carter-Finley Stadium losing 39-20, in a game that was 20-0 in the second quarter.

As realistic as the game’s stadiums and run outs are, Jones and I set up a game that was complete fantasy until this year.

“National championship?” I question as Jones selects the quarter length, game time and venue. “It could happen, 12 team playoff.”

“It could happen,” Jones laughed. “You never know.”

Carolina’s roster getting significantly less buzz at ACC Kickoff than the last two campaigns headlined by quarterbacks Sam Howell and Drake Maye, but Jones still feels confident.

“A lot of people are sleeping on us,” Jones said. “We have three great quarterbacks in that room who could really be some of the best quarterbacks in the conference.”

Redshirt sophomore Conner Harrell, Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson and Arkansas transfer and former Maye/Howell backup, Jacolby Criswell, are the quarterbacks in question, but College Football 25 thinks it already knows the answer.

“The game went ahead and chose Max Johnson the starter,” I laughed. “Is this controversy, is this news?”

“It was kind of funny when them two were sitting next to each other [playing the game] earlier,” Jones laughed. “It is what it is they are both good quarterbacks. I will say in this game Max is really slow.”

Video game Max knows how to keep his receiver happy. Jones has him throw deep to himself on the first play.

“Not bad, not bad,” Jones shook his head as my NC State secondary breaks up the deep ball thanks to some help from the cover 2 safety.

Jones (via Max) followed up the incompletion with a thirty yard dart to tight end Bryson Nesbit over the middle.

“I will say Bryson is one of the best players in this game,” Jones said. “He’s not that big in real life, let’s be honest.”

“He’s kind of built like a wide receiver,” I agreed.

“In this game they have him built like he’s Rob Gronkowski.”

As I play, the nostalgia comes back, it’s like being in a college dorm again. When I was a senior at Providence College I used to do comedic play by play when my roommates played video games. I didn’t consider I’d actually end up in sports media as a profession at the time. Jones has NFL aspirations, but is committed to becoming a sportscaster after his playing career is over. He studies media and journalism at school and was a roaming reporter for the Tar Heels throughout ACC Kickoff.

“The story of it started when I was in little league,” Jones said. “A local news station came by and they tried to record some of the players and my line was ‘we’ll be right back’ that’s all I had to say. We went live on air, I looked at that screen and blanked out immediately.”

“I got made fun of all year from my mom, my dad, people at school so I made a vow to never mess up on camera again, so now I’m going to be a broadcaster,” Jones finished.

I may have not played the college football video game since I was in school, but I have played Madden and after stopping Jones on his first drive, the familiar controls come right back.

“I’m from the Myrtle Beach area so I got to see him play down there, really cool guy,” Jones said as I dropped back with new NC State quarterback Grayson McCall. Jones abruptly cuts himself off as I find Wesley Grimes deep.

“Am I about to score on you first play!?” I yelled. “First. play. Wolfpack.”

Grimes breaks a tackle and trots into the endzone for six, Jones cannot believe it.

“Old man still got it,” I laughed.

“I let him score if we are going to be honest,” Jones said to the camera.

If Jones wasn’t sitting upright then, he was after I took a 14-0 lead with a Jordan Waters five yard run.

“Hey man, good tv,” Jones laughed.

“As we know these UNC NC States can flip on a dime,” I had said right before the touchdown.

I’ve longed argued that video game play has largely contributed to what we see in modern football. Shotgun spread, passing every down, going for it on fourth were the methods of choice by 2000’s Madden and NCAA gamers well before they became fashionable in College Football and the NFL. I could say the same thing about the elimination of the mid range game in the NBA. Dunks and threes are the way to play NBA 2K. Jones taking it a step further going for it on every fourth down, attempting every two point conversion and onside kick.

“Gotta get rid of the ball,” Jones said frustrated after failing a two point conversion. He scored on a touchdown pass to Nesbit on a play he called “unbreakable.” After recovering Jones onside kick, I quickly scored again.

“K.C. Concepcion!” I declare emphatically. After the extra point (no two points for me until I need them) it’s 21-6.

“I hate this guy!” Jones painfully laughed.

As it becomes clear we aren’t going to be able to finish a full game in time, Jones and I agreed to call it at the half. We got a finish worthy of a NC State vs. UNC classic.

Another classic finish

Jones found Nesbit again on a 60 yard catch and run to make it 21-12.

“Shoutout Bryson, best tight end in the country,” Jones said.

With Jones confidence rising, I feel myself start to tense up. It’s just a video game, but the competitiveness is real.

“Are you serious bro?” Jones said as I hit NC State’s tight end Justin Jolly on a 25 yard corner route on a laser from McCall. It’s 28-12 and Jolly celebrates by rocking the baby to sleep.

“Is that Atlanta? That’s Atlanta,” Wes Durham said.

Yes the voice of the ACC, Wes Durham, is now watching and commenting on our game. UNC linebacker Power Echols is watching, so is R.L. Bynum of the Tar Heel Tribune.

“We are playing for the national championship,” Jones responded.

Down, but not out, Jones answered with a wheel route to Omarion Hampton. 75 yard catch and run on the first play following my kick off.

“Wee,” Jones said as Hampton dived into the end zone for effect.

“That’s the most emotion you’ll see from Omarion ever,” Jones laughed as Hampton’s avatar flexed demonstratively in the end zone. “That’s not real.”

Jones called a fake field goal and converted to make it 28-20 NC State with 1:30 to play. Jones onside kick attempt failed again. I manage to get one first down before coming up on 3rd and 1 with :30 to go.

“Do I play clock or play to win?” I said.

I decide to pass and Jones immediately made me regret the decision. I have McCall force a stick route and Gibson McRae intercepted the pass.

“This is where his athlete clutch gene kicks in,” I said.

Jones gets into the red zone with one deep shot down the field, then hits Nesbit again to make it 28-26 with seven seconds to play, but wait a flag is on the field.

“Holding?” I said hopefully.

“Late hit,” Durham said knowingly already in mid-season form before the replay even started.

The call is on UNC, touchdown stood. Jones needed a two point conversion to tie, two points he’d been chasing all game.

“My heart is pounding,” I said.

Silence from the crowd that’s gathered as Jones dropped back. He had Johnson scramble to the right and threw a pass into double coverage.

“And it’s picked!” I said with a sigh of relief.

“Bryson was wide open,” several people from the crowd said.

“Bro I was being selfish,” Jones responded.

Jones pass ironically was intended for….himself.

The last ditch onside kick effort fails.

“You won’t throw a Hail Mary,” Jones dared.

I run a jet sweep and run out the clock. 28-26 NC State the final.

“Great game, amazing game,” Jones said as he shook my hand.

“Hey better to lose in this, than in real life to the Wolfpack,” I said.

“Absolutely,” Jones agreed.

Future scholars won’t remember the 28-26 UNC vs. NC State first half national championship played in Atlanta via a Charlotte Hotel, but those who witnessed it will. The real matchup between UNC and NC State on November 30th can only hope to live up. We are living in a new college football world, this season many will spend it in the virtual one.

Source: wralsportsfan.com