The triumph of College Football 26 is in the details
Good morning. If you see a lot of people dragging it at work this a.m., show them a little bit of grace. They were probably up all night playing the early release of College Football 26. I would know, because I'm one of them.
Though your tired co-workers will need more than their usual dose of coffee to make it through the day, I can say with full confidence they don't regret their decision to stay up one bit. It was worth it. EA Sports pulled it off again.
This isn't a full review of the game. I'll need more than a few hours to do that. I haven't even touched my favorite mode yet, which is Dynasty. So take this for what it is. But after spending a lot of time with the updated Road to Glory and playing enough to get a feel for some of the new features, I feel comfortable saying College Football 26 continues the positive momentum of the CFB franchise after last year's successful return from an 11-year hiatus. Where this game specifically succeeds is in the details.
Before we get to those smaller things, the one big change to Road to Glory is that it now begins in high school and allows you build tape towards college offers. This made the mode infinitely more engaging as you earn scholarships, narrow your options down to three schools and have a hat-selection ceremony following your final high school game. That process added more weight to a college decision that was surprisingly hard to make (my 2-star quarterback stunned the world by turning down his hometown team, Maryland, for a chance to play more immediately at James Madison).
Other than that addition, the accumulation of small tweaks are what made CFB 26 a step in the right direction for me; more authentic team entrances, (almost all) real coaches, updated gameplay mechanics, authentic time-of-day lighting, updated crowd noise, new graphic packages and so many new band songs. All of these things add up to make the college football broadcast experience feel that much more authentic.
From the one annoying drumline song last year to this in College Football 26 🔥 pic.twitter.com/z1CWEPYJeF
Is CFB 26 perfect? No. Even in the limited time I played, I came across things that can be improved on (RTG is still limited to five positions). But when I finally pried myself away from the controller, I found myself wanting to play more, which is the best compliment you can give a game; it's fun to play. I can't wait to dive into the other modes soon.
Wimbledon heartbreak
Grigor Dimitrov had the absolute worst luck Monday after he was forced to retire from his fourth-round Wimbledon match with No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner after jumping out to a two-set lead.
Dimitrov was potentially on his way to pulling off the latest huge upset of the tournament, then he injured his pec and couldn't go anymore. It was gut-wrenching to see. To make it more heart-breaking, it's the fifth straight Grand Slam tournament in which the 34-year-old Dimitrov has retired dating back to last year's French Open.
A sight we never want to see.Grigor Dimitrov is forced to retire while leading two sets to love. Everyone at #Wimbledon is wishing you a speedy recovery, Grigor 💚💜 pic.twitter.com/qBwiMbq3e2
Though Sinner graciously refused to count the match as a win, he'll advance to play American Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals Wednesday. The 22-year-old Shelton is on an absolute heater, having lost just one set through the first four rounds to become the youngest American man to reach the Wimbledon quarters since Andy Roddick in 2004.
Ben Shelton (22) is the youngest American man to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals since Andy Roddick (21) in 2004 😮 pic.twitter.com/IlsJhJJybu
With his good luck charm on site to root him on, and girlfriend Trinity Rodman in the stands too, Shelton might just give Sinner a run for his money.
Quick Hits: Chris Paul retiring soon ... Kirk Cousins 'misled' ... and more
Thanks for reading. Don't forget to put down the sticks and get some work done.
This was For The Win's daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here.
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