Boca Raton, FL.- We are at a very intriguing time of the year right now. College football returns NEXT month, and to hold us over until then, EA Sports is getting set to launch their third and latest installment in their revitalized College Football series. College Football 27 will have its worldwide release on July 9th for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC. However, people who buy the deluxe edition of the game can get on the gridiron on July 6th, and people who have the MVP+ Membership get even earlier access to the game right now.
Gamers get to witness the pageantry, tradition, and atmosphere of their favorite programs being pulled from real life and shown inside the game, and that is no different for fans of the Florida Atlantic Owls.
With CFB27’s trial release being out for a little over 24 hours, I’ve been locked in on my TV logging way too many hours than I’d like to admit- and here’s my favorite moments.
THE MAIN MENU
It all starts with the brand-new main menu screen (as shown above), where the FAU theming is more than put on display here. From things like a makeshift FAU field with an FAU-branded blimp hovering atop, to a ticket stub of a memorable Owls’ game against rival FIU from 2017, as well as the team’s signature ‘turnover chain’ proudly put on display for Owl fans alike to see, this team-specific menu screen is a lot of fun to marvel at.
ROSTERS AND PLAYER/TEAM RATINGS
Florida Atlantic is checking into CFB 27 at a 76 OVR (tied-4th in the American Conference) with a 78 OVR offense (tied-3rd in the American) and a 75 OVR defense at the game’s launch. The Owls also come in at a 1-star prestige rating in the game’s titular “Dynasty” mode, giving players who aren’t quite familiar with the program an opportunity to learn about Football in Paradise via rebuild.
Redshirt-Senior WR Easton Messer checks in as the Owls’ highest-rated player and is tied for 1st in the American Conference at a 90 OVR.
Some notable players behind Messer include: C Vincent Fiacable (85 OVR), WR Dominique Henry (82 OVR), QB Caden Veltkamp (81 OVR), DT CJ Doggette Jr. (81 OVR), and K Collin Rogers (81 OVR).
For as many Owls players that ARE present in the game, there are some players who are ABSENT from the game. Some of these include: EDGE Jackson Forte (R-Jr.), RB Joshua Harriott (R-Jr.), DL Corey Clark (R-Sr.), TE Marcus Vinson (R-Sr.), DB Justin Weatherall (Fr.), WR Elijah West (Fr.), and others.
IN-GAME PAGEANTRY, TRADITION, AND ATMOSPHERE IN PARADISE
One of the biggest aspects of college football is how unique each and every program is with its tradition and overall atmosphere of each game.
It starts on the team selection screen, where you choose your uniform combo, featuring all of FAU’s jersey combinations from last season. A part of this customization is new to CFB 27: getting to choose the crowd theme for your games. Aside from keeping it at the default setting, playing with FAU also gives you the option of an ‘ALL RED’ crowd theme, one that the Owls’ faithful and crowd have rocked many times in the past.
When you finally hop into a home game with Florida Atlantic, expect to see FAU’s beloved mascot ‘Owlsley’ getting the fans at Flagler Credit Union Stadium hyped up, followed by FAU being led out onto Howard Schnellenberger Field by head coach Zach Kittley to the tune of the university’s fight song as the stadium’s crowd roars in excitement. Along with Owlsley’s inclusion, another new part of this intro is a camera cut showing FAU’s “DEFEND PARADISE” banner being held high by the Owls’ student section.
Before the opening kickoff of a game, you will hear FAU’s other hype song, a “Zombie Nation”-like track with “F-A-U OWLS!” roaring throughout the stadium. In this year’s game, you can actually hear the crowd singing along with the song. This track will also play right after you force a turnover with FAU, followed by players celebrating with the Owls’ aforementioned ‘turnover chain’.
MASCOT MASHUP FEATURING ‘OWLSLEY’
Another cool aspect of the new video game is its the revival of a former game mode, “Mascot Mashup”, an 11-on-11 arcade-style mode where it is nothing BUT mascots on the field. The game mode originally debuted in NCAA Football ’06 as “Mascot Match-Up”, and remained a staple of the franchise until the brief hiatus following NCAA Football 2014.
For the first time in the revival series, FAU’s mascot ‘Owlsley’ makes his long-awaited debut, and he absolutely shines, both on the sidelines in regular games and in the brand new mascot-oriented mode.
When you play as Owlsley, along with the other 119 mascots featured, expect the most wacky and silly game of football you have ever played. Whether it is cocky dances before snapping the ball, silly and unorthodox throwing motions/ball-carrying moves, or funny sound effects and celebrations for different situations, this mode is an absolute hoot of a time.
EA Sports College Football is back for another year of fun, simulation football, and Florida Atlantic, from players to the pageantry, will be a very fun play in the new video game.
*Cover image and all other images captured on ‘EA Sports College Football 27’ for the Xbox Series X*
