GameSpy Preview of NCAA Football 10

The NFL draft was recently held, and many of the biggest stars of the NCAA are now collecting paychecks in the pros. Three of the NCAA Football cover athletes went in the first round of the draft, with quarterback Mark Sanchez going to the New York Jets with the fifth overall pick, wide receiver Michael Crabtree headed to the San Francisco 49ers with the tenth, and defensive end Brian Orakpo going to the Washington Redskins snapped up with the 13th overall pick.





Former Utah QB Brian Johnson, on the cover of the PS3 version, led his team to a 13-0 season (the only Division I team to go undefeated) and an upset victory against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. He still went undrafted, proving that there's no justice in this world.





While the professional futures of these talented young athletes are a hot topic these days, the college game remains a fan favorite with many football fans. In that spirit here are some of the coolest new features to expect in NCAA Football 10.










First and Ten: Team Builder





NCAA Football's long-lost Create-a-School mode is back and better than ever, but you're going to be designing your dream team online, not in-game. This web-based feature will allow you to design your school down to the minutest of details. You'll have access to things like custom uniforms, logos, stadiums, mascots, player ratings, and so on. These teams can then be downloaded from EA's servers into your game, and even shared with friends. I can't wait to create a grown-up version of my favorite Pee Wee league team, the 2006 Los Alamitos Pee Wee Griffins starring #5, Cody Paul.






Second and Long: Season Showdown





The Season Showdown is a new competition that matches up your virtual school's team (powered by their fans) against the team that they play in the real world that week. It effectively allows you to play along with your favorite school's in-game community as part of a team effort, fighting for pride and bragging rights. Players will earn credits during play which can then be allotted to that team in categories like vs. CPU play, online showdowns, and even web trivia. Participation is the key here, and an ongoing season-long competition should keep players dialed in to NCAA Football 10 non-stop, except when their team's games are being televised, of course.

















Third and Short: Game Planning





The opposing quarterback throws a deep pass, and my receiver is well-positioned to defend. Do I want him to swat the ball away, or take the riskier option and go for the pick? Previously, this was either left to chance or my own decision at the controls. Now with the new Game Plan feature, you can choose to assign strategies to every position and role on the field. You can ask your offensive linemen to avoid holding penalties (conservative) or block longer (aggressive). It's all about risk vs. reward. Your linebackers may make bigger plays if you always go for the big hits, but you may also give up a big play that could have been avoided if you went for the sure tackles. More customization and coaching options are always better.





Touchdown! New Gameplay Features





Okay, I'll confess. I'm absolutely horrible at playing defense. I can score like nobody's business, but whenever I'm on the defensive side of the ball I always end up picking the least effective player on my team and praying that I'm not in a position where I have to make a big play. EA is obviously sympathetic to my plight, as it's introducing a couple new features that will make the game a whole lot more fun for me, especially when I'm not carrying the ball.










It starts with the new Player Lock feature. You can pick any player on the field, on offense or defense, and choose to stay with him for the entire play. The camera will actually shift perspective to show you the field from their vantage point. Whether you're a linebacker or a corner, a lineman or a safety, you'll never look at defense the same way. While Player Lock will change things up more on defense, it can also be used to lock onto a receiver on offense, if you feel you can run a more effective route, or burn a defender more easily than the AI.





But what if you're like me and you're terrified of being caught outside of your zone, or have trouble keeping in step with opposing receivers? The new Defensive Assist has got your back. Think of it as adding a touch of the All-Play system from the Wii football games. Defensive Assist will control nearly all aspects of play for you, including movement and coverage. It won't go for the interception or hit stick tackles, but it's relatively simple to concentrate on these moves when everything else is taken care of by the AI. This new feature will let defensive neophytes focus more of their attention on the offense instead of just the player or zone they're covering.





Extra Point: EA hires EA





Erin Andrews, voted "America's Sexiest Sportscaster" by Playboy Magazine, will be dropping knowledge from the sidelines in NCAA Football 10. While this won't mean much in terms of gameplay, Andrews scores big in the hearts of college sports fans.

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