College football kicks off
7/21/2006

Inside the new 'NCAA Football 07' video game

EA Sports' "NCAA Football 07" messes with a good thing -- and actually improves it.

Not only do you have more formations and plays to choose from, but different schools run different plays from the same formation. In other words, USC doesn't run quite the same I formation that Texas runs. That's a welcome punch of realism, compared with previous versions of "NCAA Football."

As a student-athlete, you now have to attend classes and pass college football-related trivia tests to keep your eligibility. In last year's game, all you had to worry about was your on-the-field performance in the race for the Heisman Trophy.

Two kinds of jukes are at your disposal: a hard feint that really fakes out defenders and a subtle move that let's you stay in stride. The tacklers are smarter than in previous years, so it's harder to fool them, and once they grab you, you're going down. This year's running game is harder than last year's.

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