NCAA Football 08: A New Season

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You already know that Zabransky is on the cover. You already know that trick plays are back, Campus Legend is in, and the marketing guys are hyping up a new leadership feature for the back of the box.

But the question we all have for NCAA Football 08 is the same question every fan asks of their own team come autumn: How's it look on the field? We had a chance to check it out at EA Tiburon this week and the prognosis is good. NCAA runs at a smooth 60 frames per second, has gang tackles, bruising hits and raucous crowds that don't stop for anything, not even the pause menu.

While we didn't get our hands on NCAA, the new football engine that EA Tiburon is using for both football titles on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 is just plain rad. Gone are the days of running out of bounds because you're stuck in some animation. The focus on the field is dynamic gameplay, and thanks to a new branching animation system, your quarterback can sprint left on the option, get gang-tackled, pitch the ball to a halfback before falling down, who then sprints to the sideline to outrun a defensive end before cutting straight upfield, hurdling into the air before being spun around by a mean-spirited free-safety that doesn't like guys hurdling on his football field. The ball is knocked out, a senior stud cornerback picks it up, spins an O-lineman out of his shoes and takes it to the house.

Our senior CB happens to be an impact player, and his influence extends to the rest of his team. As part of NCAA Football 08's Lead By Example feature, the rest of the team is so enamored with our senior CB's score that they are in the zone, bursting with confidence, ready to run right over their opponents straight to the nearest sorority house. Tri-Delts be afraid -- be very afraid.

Actually, don't be that afraid. There are no girlfriends in the next-gen debut of Campus Legend, the stellar create-a-player mode analogous to Madden's Superstar mode. This season, you create a stud, create a high school and jump right into the state championship playoffs. If you went to IGN High in San Francisco, you'll play on the local field against the likes of Oakland, San Jose and powerhouse Chico. If you reach the finals you'll play on one of the NCAA stadiums for the state championship. Scouts will take notice of your play, and the farther you lead your team the more scholarship offers you are going to get. If you stink it up, you can still walk-on at your favorite school (and clean the seniors' jocks, you scrub.).

Campus Legend makes great use of the new Super Sim feature that allows you to skip single plays or to the next change of possession. You can still watch every play from the sideline through the eyes of your legend, but you can also skip ahead to the next time he takes the field. Super Sim is available in every game, which will come in handy during Dynasty mode when you want to get your second stringers on the field to mop up.

Your legend's day is broken up into mornings, afternoons and evenings. You have to hit the books in the morning and attend class, making sure you stay eligible with a 2.0 GPA. We're not exactly sure how you do that since there are no student exams, as in last year's current-gen title. Maybe you just happen to have all of Maurice Clarett's professors and skate through. In the afternoon, you head to practice and get your 10 reps. The better you do the more points you earn. The more points you earn the better chance you have of overtaking the next teammate on the depth chart -- a real challenge for a freshman trying to supplant, say, USC's John David Booty.

At night you can study the playbook for a little awareness boost or you can play hoops with your friends and get a little jump boost (or roll your ankle and miss the big game). There's no word yet on if EA has included Hummer racing as part of a NCAA Rules Violation minigame.

But if you're sentimental like us, NCAA Football 08 will save all of your big plays in a single game. You can then select from your special memories, choose a few different camera angles and create a video highlight for your own use or to upload online to show your friends. Don't like movies? Fine, take a few photos instead. At the end of the day, your movie clips and photos can be put on the jumbo-tron in your favorite team's shrine (the front end menu). Also in the shrine is a huge trophy case that you fill as you win historic or rival games. ESPN's Chris Fowler jumped on board to give a little bit of history for each of the trophies.

We, of course, saved the best for last. NCAA 08 will include possibly the single greatest sports feature of all time: The Weather Channel. That's right, EA penned a deal with the network so that every game will kick-off with the exact weather conditions at that very moment in wherever the heck you are playing. Hurricane season in South Florida at 3 a.m.? Game on.

It's early, but EA managed to get us excited about NCAA 08 after we were let down from NCAA 07 a year ago. It's not all bowl games and cheerleaders, however. We saw a returner call a fair catch on a kick off and a running back skate through a tackle. But it's early -- pre alpha, in fact. If NCAA 08 continues on the path it's on, probation will finally be over.

Stay tuned for our hands-on impressions later this month.