25 things to do when the college football video game is released

Your College Football 25 experience will likely begin and end with the Road to Glory, where you create a player and lead them to glory. It's no secret that quarterbacks have dominated the awards in recent years. Why not try your hand at the trophy as a running back or wide receiver? Or maybe you'll do the unthinkable and try your hand at the trophy as a defensive player and become the first to win it since Charles Woodson in 1997.

Is there a more unlikely team to emerge from the Power 4 as a College Football Playoff contender than Vanderbilt? Buying the Commodores and leading them to the top of the SEC and CFP would be quite a feat and would probably get you a statue in Nashville.

We know that military academy football is unique. These players want to serve their country and play the sport they love while attending school. Whether it's Army, Navy or triple-option Air Force, why not try to lead these teams to new heights? Maybe we can achieve something that hasn't been achieved in 80 years. No military academy has won a national title since Army won back-to-back championships in 1945.

Who wouldn't want to bring a national championship to Boise State's blue field? During the BCS era, we got a glimpse of what the Broncos could be. Who can forget when Boise State used both the “Hook and Ladder” and “Statue of Liberty” plays to pull off an upset of the Sooners, 43-42, in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl? Why not relive that chance with College Football 25?

Former head coach Nick Saban proved to be the best head coach in college football history by winning seven national titles at two different universities. Most of those titles were won at Alabama, where Saban tied the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant with six titles. Saban has one more title to his name, which he won with the LSU Tigers in the 2003 season. Maybe in dynasty mode you can lead your favorite team to multiple national titles. Or you can make it harder and achieve it with a non-prestigious program.

At one time, the Miami Hurricanes and Nebraska Cornhuskers were two of the best teams in the nation. But over the years, these teams have fallen behind while teams like Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State and Michigan have found success on the biggest stage. There could be joy in leading either team back to the top.

Here are some teams that would make college football even more exciting if they competed for the title in the College Football 25.

The latest in the college football video game series allows you to build your team the way you want through the transfer portal. Do you have what it takes to be the “Transfer Portal King”? Whether you want to build your team legitimately and become a perennial winner, or collect all your favorite players on one team, the addition of the portal to the game gives you the chance.

Currently, USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley is known as one of the top offensive talents in college football. But now it's your chance to become a mad scientist yourself. Instead of running the football, simply run an offense centered around the “four verticals.” Or, even better, the “oopty oop” offense of the “Varsity Blues.”

The Madden NFL series thrives on its Ultimate Team mode, where you can create your own top team. College Football 25 has its own Ultimate Team mode, where you can create your own team and play against other players. What if Joe Burrow passed to Odell Beckham Jr.? What if Vince Young passed to Bijan Robinson? Or what if Kordell Stewart passed to Travis Hunter? The possibilities are endless.

While the first nine on the list seem like fun ideas, it would be hard to ignore leading your favorite football team to new heights or maintaining their place in the upper echelons of college football. For me, it's the former with the Red Raiders. Maybe we can recreate the kind of team that won 11 games in 2008 with Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree.