College football is one of the United States' most treasured sports. The combination of university loyalty and the borderline crazed love of American football makes NCAA Football a boiling point for pure fandom and fun. Many hope that the video game adaptation of NCAA Football finally makes a return one day soon.
With COVID-19 effecting video games, sports, and entertainment, the yearning for NCAA Football may be stronger than ever. If the game were to return today, there are some amazing teams in college football that would be a blast to play, with some superstar talent being the main reason why.
ESPN recently ran a poll asking which sports game fans would want to see return the most. Even with classics like SSX, NFL Street, Fight Night, and ESPN's NFL 2K on the list, it was NCAAFootball that got the most nods. It could be because there are some awesome college football teams out there. And with the looming fear of Coronavirus stepping in and messing things up this year, a video game version of NCAA Football would be a great way to take control of those dynamic squads.
Clemson Tigers
It's hard to argue that Clemson wouldn't be the most fun team to play in a potential NCAA Football 2020, as Clemson has been one of the best teams in college football over the past half-decade. Although the team came in second place last year, it won the NCAA Championship in 2016, with now NFL star Deshaun Watson leading, and 2018.
The 2018 team was led by current Heisman Trophy favorite Trevor Lawrence. The offensive fireworks would be on full display in NCAA Football, with RB Travis Etienne toating the rock and Justyn Ross catching deep balls from Lawrence. It's likely that Clemson will make a deep run this year, Trevor Lawrence will win the Heisman and go number one overall in the draft, and one day perhaps be the cover athlete of Madden.
Ohio State Buckeyes
The current college rankings have Ohio State as the number two team in the country, and for good reason. Along with excellent coaching and recruiting, which means off-the-charts talent on the field, the team is being led by the dynamic Justin Fields at QB. Fields threw 41 touchdowns last season, with only 3 interceptions.
The Ohio State defense is also stacked, with multiple players on the team considered in the top 25 in college football on that side of the ball. Even in the classic NCAA Football games, the defensive side of the ball was excellent at shifting momentum and changing the course of games. Ohio State seems stacked to be able to control the game from any aspect.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama may not be considered the number one team in college football anymore, as it has been for seemingly the past decade, but that doesn't mean the team wouldn't be a blast to play in NCAA Football. QB Tua Tagovailoa may have moved on to the NFL and Madden 21, but not having top tier QBs never stopped the Alabama Crimson Tide in the past.
The best teams in NCAA Football are the ones that can dominate in all phases. It's hard to imagine Alabama not being able to dominate with WRs like Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith, RB Najee Haris, defensive studs like Dylan Moses and Patrick Surtain, and a massive offensive line.
LSU Tigers
LSU just lost the Heisman Trophy winner, as Joe Burrow went number one overall to the Bengals. It will not be easy for LSU to win back to back National Championships without its amazing quarterback, but remarkable coaching by Ed Orgeron and top-notch recruiting will help.
Throwing the ball and stopping the pass are two important keys to winning in NCAA Football. Many argue that LSU has the best receiver in Ja'Marr Chase (a player who could one day be a top 10 receiver in the NFL). Camp battles will be insane, because the best cornerback in college football may be LSU's Derek Stingley Jr. With such top tier talent, the Tigers would be a super fun team to play in NCAA Football.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
The running game is perhaps more prevalent in NCAA Football than in a game like Madden. OSU's Chubba Hubbard may have the best name in football, and he may be the best RB as well. Sometimes a single star can make one team fun to play as, even if it isn't considered a top 5 type team. The fact that the Cowboys also have WR Tylan Wallace, a 1,000-yard breakout star last season, certainly helps as well.
Penn State Nittany Lions
If defense wins championships, then the Lions have a shot to win in 2020. Linebacker Micah Parsons is perhaps the best defensive player in the nation, and already an almost surefire first-round pick in the NFL draft. Sometimes it's really fun to play the heel in video games, to just annoy the opposition. Controlling Micah Parsons in the middle of the field to intercept passes, rush the passer, and destroy the opponent's run game is a great way to have a blast.
Honorable Mentions
There are just so many really good football teams in college ball. It's almost impossible to name all the great ones, and of course, most people will be loyal to their own favorite teams regardless of which is best.
There are a few quarterbacks in college football that have the chance to make their teams instantly fun to play with. A quick peek into a crystal ball indicates that North Carolina's Sam Howell, Texas QB Sam Ehlinger, Miami's D’Eriq King, SC's Kedon Slovis, Fighting Irish QB Ian Brook, or Iowa State's Brock Purdy could be a top 10 QB in Madden one day.
Teams like Georgia (with QB Jamie Newman), Auburn, Oklahoma, Florida, and Oregon all have legitimate shots at National Title runs this year, and thus will be dynamic teams to play as in a potential NCAA Football. Gamers, football fans, Twitter, and the internet all want NCAA Football to return, as it has overwhelming support from so many. If it were to return, there would be no shortage of awesome teams to play as.
NCAA Football 2020 is not confirmed to be in development.