Introduction

I went to Wal*Mart a few months ago. That’s not unusual. Living in small town America means that Wal*Mart represents the only real shopping option. While there, I went into the clearance section. Again, not anything new. I often peruse the deals in clearance to see if I can get school supplies or cheap Pop figures. However, this time, I found both College Football 25 and FC25 for the PS5 for $15 each. I haven’t yet played FC25, but I can say without hesitation that College Football 25 is a gift.

Some History

I last played the series back on the PS3 when they called it NCAA Football 25 and none of the names matched actual players. Now, in this era of NIL, each player gets representation in the game. While I’m happy for them, I ultimately don’t care who populates my teams.

That’s because the only mode I ever play is the Road to Glory mode. I love designing my own player, working against the odds to reach the starting lineup and leading my team to a national championship. In the previous version, I played a WR/CB two way player that won the Heisman as a sophomore and led the team to a number 1 ranking during his junior year. I don’t think I ever finished that player’s career because life got in the way.

Now, Back to the Present

For my first character, I chose a wide receiver again. I couldn’t see a way to make him a two way player, so I only played the one position this time. I started on Air Force, by no means a friendly school to wide recievers. However, I showed my grit and determination by blocking well and playing slot receiver for a team that started 0-9 and won the final three with me as starter.

I then entered the transfer portal and went to Tulane. We made it to the college playoffs every year (fortelling Tulane’s rise this year), losing in the second round during my sophomore year, losing in the championship my junior year, and finally winning it all in my Heisman winning senior year.

I recently finished a round playing as a quarterback, starting at Kennesaw State. I led them to a national championship win over Ohio State that year. My work done in Georgia, I came home to help my local team the University of Massachusetts. You may recognize them as the team that hasn’t won a game in over two years. Not so in the fictional world with Shawn Lucas as quarterback. No, they produced a two time Heisman winning running back (his sophomore and junior year) and three Heisman finalists this past year. I have yet to upload screenshot proof of that feat, but they will come sooner rather than later. I also won back to back national championships in my junior and senior year and went undefeated in both seasons.

The Verdict

You’d think it might get boring defeating mid-major and FCS schools 49-10 every single week. So far, it hasn’t. Having finished the latest round with UMass, I think I want to try a defensive player next. Perhaps a linebacker. Maybe for the University of Hawai’i? Who knows? The sky’s the limit. And, that’s part of the reason that College Football 25 is a gift.