Have you ever wondered: What if Ferris played in the MAC alongside Central and Western Michigan?
Would Ferris get swamped or would they be able to hold their own versus the top-level collegiate competition? Well, with the season on hold until at least January 1, we may finally get an opportunity to try and answer this question using video games.
NCAA Football 14 was a videogame released to PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 consoles on July 9, 2013. It was the last college football game ever released, making it one of the most revered sports videogames on the market with a google user rating of 97%.
One of the many unique features that this game offers is called Team Builder. This feature allowed the community to create any fictional team you wanted online. You could import any logos, and jersey, and most importantly, any player into a created team. This allowed the game to stay updated throughout the last seven years.
After importing the Bulldogs, many roster changes had to be made to reflect the 2019-2020 roster. This was the roster that ended the season with a 12-1 record and a national semi-final appearance. This included graduated players such as quarterback Travis Russell, defensive end Austin Edwards, and quarterback Jayru Campbell.
Entering the season as Coach Tony Annese, the team will be running an offense based on the video game’s version of Ohio State. The spread option playbook that Ohio State runs is the best virtual comparison to the unique offense that the Bulldogs run weekly.
The defensive playbook will be based on a 4-2-5 scheme that will utilize Ferris’ strong defensive backfield and defensive line.
The schedule will give fans a unique chance to see how Ferris would stack up against each of its fellow Michigan schools. After an opening game versus Wyoming, Ferris will then travel to Michigan State. A trip to the Big House is then on the platter with Michigan being game three.
After games against UAB, Miami of Ohio, Ohio University, and Toledo, the Bulldogs will then face every other Michigan school in the MAC. Games against Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, and Central Michigan make up the final month of the season along with a game against Northern Illinois.
Virtual ESPN’s preseason rankings were not kind to this unknown Ferris State squad, ranking the team dead last in its initial 126 team rankings.
The season will be a full simulation, with full 15-minute quarters and no user input on the game. A week one recap will be available in the September 16 edition of The Torch.