Chris - Both NCAA and Madden received substantial improvements in the running-game department this year, and I don't think anyone can dispute that. The line blocking in each game helped improve this aspect of the game, as well as the turbo button being off by default. While Backbreaker also featured an interesting running game, I feel it was a very clear step behind. So when it comes to deciding which game I like more, I had to think about realism here. Simply put, I like NCAA's running game more, but only very slightly and only because of some very technical details. Pick: NCAA Football 11

Christian - I really enjoyed Backbreaker's running mechanics (especially the trigger modifiers), but ultimately I can not give it the nod because of its arcade nature. Even with its great offensive- and defensive-line interactions, what killed Madden's run game for me was the lack of animations and sluggish locomotion. In NCAA you can hit a hole, jitterbug through it and explode into the open field. Each run feels different in NCAA, and depending on the size/style of your running back, you will see a multitude of different collision animations. In Madden the run game feels pedestrian and boring. Even when using backs like Chris Johnson or Adrian Peterson, every run feels scripted -- and don't even get me started on the lack of ball-carrier collision animations. NCAA 11 features the most enjoyable run game I have ever experienced in a video game. Pick: NCAA Football 11

Steve B - To me, the running game in Madden is the most fun this year. The game speed allows for plays to develop, and ball carriers naturally hit the holes at a good pace. Trying to break a run to the outside when it's not there will result in a loss, so Madden's run schemes actually force gamers to take what's there and take a sim running approach. The top running backs all have their own distinct ball-carrying techniques, and you can feel a big distinction between a power back and a speed back. Making quick, split-second cuts is complex with the locomotion in effect, so you have to master the sticks to use the jukes to change directions -- it's a beautiful thing when achieved. The biggest factor in the run game this year is the depth of the run-blocking schemes provided. Stretch runs and zone-running plays function the way they do in real life, allowing backs to take what's there or to cut it back if the defense overcommits. The counter runs and inside run-blocking schemes all function differently, so you can really develop a run game based on your team's skill set with the variety of play designs here. This type of depth is not as polished in NCAA 11. Pick: Madden NFL 11

Christian - Picking the best passing game in this year's football titles is easy. Backbreaker's analog-stick setup, while innovative, did not feel polished enough to be considered a challenger in my eyes. My biggest issue with Madden 11's passing game was that I still hate the default drop-back pass camera angle. As someone who plays eight feet away from a 42-inch LCD screen, the passing camera in Madden is disorienting, and it has led to quite a few interceptions because of not being able to identify my players deep down the field. The NCAA passing game has some notable flaws (slants and TE go routes are difficult to stop), but overall it just feels right. I love how it feels when my QB steps up into the pocket, and some of the catch animations are spectacular, especially on deep balls. I am also loving how lower-tiered wideouts struggle to hold onto balls when hit, and how QB accuracy plays a huge factor in human passing this year (I've had my fair share of overthrows because I did not set my QB's feet). It may not be perfect, but passing in NCAA is a lot of fun and better than what is found in the other two football titles. Pick: NCAA Football 11

Steve B - The passing attacks in both NCAA 11 and Madden 11 are comparable. What separates the all-pros from the amateurs is the fact that I can actually put some touch on the ball in Madden this year to a certain extent -- the ball still comes out way too flat for my liking in NCAA. The receiver intelligence in Madden 11 is phenomenal -- sideline and end-zone catches provide some classic Madden moments. I also enjoy the route running in Madden. I think it's much more natural than NCAA's, and you can read and anticipate exactly how the play will develop, which allows for more timing-based passing. In NCAA the defensive backs mirror the WR routes and even run the route better than my wide receivers in some cases. This occurs in Madden, but not nearly as much. The passing game in Madden 11 is the closest thing to All-Pro Football 2K8's that I have experienced. The pocket formation is not as natural, but the drop back of the quarterback has been a nice addition to the game since Madden 10. The level of QB differentiation in Madden 11 compared to APF 2K8 is not there, but the game is moving in that direction. The skill sets are also not quite as distinct, and passing the ball is not as detailed and precise. Part of this may be because all quarterbacks in Madden have the same rating categories, just different ratings. This results in a flawed formula -- the ball comes out the same way for each quarterback with minor variations in speed and accuracy on the throws. In APF 2K8 Montana can drop it in a bread basket with his eyes closed 30 yards down the field, while Cunningham, who may not have that type of soft touch, can throw a rope on an out pattern. I take Madden this season because it is making strides to become a better simulation passing attack. We have signature-style throwing motions now, and even dynamic spirals and accuracy if your feet are not planted or if you take a hit while delivering the pass. Pick: Madden NFL 11

Chris - There is little separating both Madden and NCAA on the field, so it's really hard to differentiate between both games. The distinctions are subtle and sometimes are reflections of the differences between each version of the sport of football. While my two counterparts here are eager to point out some of the positives of both games, I can't help but point out that a lot of those differences are actually based on the quality of the quarterbacks at each level. Either way, I feel that Madden's passing is a little "too" good. In a lot of ways, the NFL quarterbacks presented in Madden are either too accurate or the secondaries are not good enough. Either way, I feel NCAA's passing game is better suited towards its individual sport, but the margin of error is so very slim. Pick: NCAA Football 11

Steve B - When playing online, the Strategy Pad is the default play-calling style on the field in Madden, and this is a problem. It just is not responsive enough as the "Y" button on the Xbox 360. There is a small delay between you hit the button and when the menus pop up, and it throws my game off. When you play online against players with a .900 win percentage, you don't have room for much error. However, I do like the defensive assignments and matchups in Madden. It's just too bad you cannot assign one corner to press and one corner to play off -- every call is universal for the defensive backs. I give the edge here to NCAA because the original hot-route system works well, and the hurry-up offense play calling gives you the play selection as your team lines up, which is a great feature. On the other hand, Gameflow is a sweet feature, and it's just so convenient when you are casually playing against the computer. Unfortunately, when I get into a competitive head-to-head match, I tend to completely abandon it. NCAA allows for some nice strategy on its own and separates from the competition here. There is so much variety in offensive playbooks this year that it gives users the ability to play to their roster's strengths. You can also develop your own philosophy and coaching schemes, and they will impact the game more in NCAA than in Madden. Pick: NCAA Football 11

Chris - I'm going to make this one short and sweet. While NCAA has in-game adjustments and whatnot that have become standard in EA football titles, Madden's are just so much better done. And let's not forget about Gameflow. As a franchise guy, I like Gameflow and Game Planning for developing a game plan because it's pretty much the same as me getting into a groove of calling the same plays over and over again anyways. Steve is right that the varying styles are much more pronounced in NCAA, but Madden's features far outweigh NCAA in this guy's humble opinion. Pick: Madden NFL 11

Christian - You can't be serious Chris. The Strategy Pad in Madden was a complete disaster -- hence the patch allowing gamers to revert to the old tried and true pre-snap option method found in NCAA. I'm not saying NCAA did anything revolutionary on the in-game strategy/control front, but I far prefer a a pre-snap control scheme that did not make me want to throw my controller in frustration. I also do not see how anyone can say Madden's Gameflow feature was a good addition. News flash, Gameflow has already been included in Madden for years -- it was just called "Ask Madden." The only addition to this year's game was the ability to weight the "Ask Madden" plays so that the play you wanted would be called more often. At least NCAA's Game Planning feature gives me the feeling that I can emphasize specific aspects of a specific game. Plus, it is very rewarding to adjust a game plan mid-game and notice that the adjustments you made have had an impact on the game. Pick: NCAA Football 11

Chris - The presentation within EA football games is a strange mixture of good mixed with generic. In a lot of ways, I really liked some of what Backbreaker brought to the table as far as its camera and overall in-stadium presentation. In fact, Backbreaker did what Madden NFL 06 could not in presenting a compelling presentation with no TV-broadcast shell around it. However, Backbreaker's presentation can only go so far in its present state. As for the two EA football games, I prefer the new approach by Madden with Cris Collinsworth and Gus Johnson in the booth. Nessler and Herbie are getting old, and NCAA's atmosphere does not quite have the "oomph" it should. College football in-stadium atmospheres are usually so much better than those found in NFL stadiums. Madden's presentation is closer to the real thing. Pick: Madden NFL 11

Christian - I have the stones to say it: Gus Johnson is annoying, and one of the most overrated announcers ever. Within the first five games I played of Madden 11, I had to turn my TV down because I could not handle any more of Gus' "witty" metaphors. The NCAA team is no gem either, so both games are lacking in this department. Nevertheless, NCAA gets my vote in the presentation category. Sure, Madden has some cool cut scenes with players getting off the bus, locker room walkthroughs and cuts to the sideline, but after a few games you start noticing that every team has the same presentation cut scenes -- since when did the Lions start doing the Drew Brees circle chant before games? I love NCAA's team-specific entrances and in-game atmosphere. The bands blare fight songs and team-specific offense/defense songs, all the while the cheerleaders and mascots pump up the crowd. Also, the ESPN overlays, songs and replay wipes add a ton to the authenticity of the game. It's not the be all end all of college football presentation as Chris mentioned, but I'll take it any day over Madden's bland presentation suite. Pick: NCAA Football 11

Steve B - This is a tough one because I love the commentary of Nessler and Herbstreit. I also think both titles are comparable in other aspects. Madden takes on NBC's Football Night in America approach and NCAA goes with the ESPN broadcast -- both look and sound amazing. Nevertheless, even though Erin Andrews is beautiful and all, having her appear a few times is not enough for me to look past NCAA's flaws. I don't like the fact that you cannot turn left or right in the coach camera in NCAA to view your wide receiver matchups. If NCAA brings back stadium-shaking screens to the level it was at in NCAA 06, then we will be talking. I love the zoom feature for action down the sidelines in Madden, especially when I break a run to the outside and take one to the house. The zoom drops you into the enormity of an NFL stadium, and I get my swag going when my guys on the field are celebrating on the way to the end zone. Pick: Madden NFL 11

Christian - Hmm, lets see. Would I rather play a bare bones NFL Franchise mode that has not been touched in years or NCAA 11's fully fleshed out offline and online Dynasty mode? Sarcasm aside, Madden's Franchise mode is a complete joke -- Nintendo 64 games offered more depth. How the Madden team decided that this mode was not worth development resources is beyond me. Even though NCAA 11's Dynasty mode is starting to feel a bit stale (sans the excellent new recruiting mechanic), it's still a complete blast to play, especially online against your buddies. The mode contains enough depth both online and off to keep gamers invested for months, and that's all you can really ask for these days with a $60 game purchase. Pick: NCAA Football 11

Steve B - NCAA's Dynasty mode destroys Madden's Franchise mode. The recruiting is on another level this year, especially with the online Dynasty's depth and competitive recruiting. Scouting the appropriate players for your system and recruiting from your pipeline states is definitely an investment of your time that will be rewarded. If you listen to the interests of your recruits like an honest coach, you will know what to pitch to them late in the recruiting season. The Madden developers have some work to do. I look forward to what they will implement for the next installment because they are making it a priority as we speak. Pick: NCAA Football 11

Chris - Even despite NCAA Football 11's incredibly stale Dynasty mode, it still far outshines Madden's Franchise mode in almost every respect. Recruiting is more fun than anything in Madden's Franchise mode, and while I still hate the new randomness thrown in by the new system, I can live with losing control of my program rather than having fewer options within my franchise. I almost just gave this title to Tecmo Bowl so both development teams could get the picture. In other words, there had better be improvements in a massive way next year. Pick: NCAA Football 11

Steve B - If dynasty modes and career modes are to progress in the sports genre, NCAA's Dynasty mode will have undoubtedly delivered a blueprint for scouting, recruiting and signing players to rosters. Adding the elements of personality to the recruits in this game takes sports gaming to new levels. This element of emotion plays right into the basis of why we play sports games in the first place: We wish to be fully immersed in the sports we love. In the case of NCAA, allegiances to your alma matter will affect your own decisions in-game, and the prestige and glory of the historical football programs wins over the young ESPN Top 150 recruits. Emotional decision making can build off the in-game composure. Pick: NCAA Football 11

Chris - While there are intangibles in both Madden and NCAA that deserve some mention, their intangibles are not nearly the same as Backbreaker's intangibles. Backbreaker introduced a new control scheme, a new perspective to play the game, oh and there's that little thing called real-time physics that it has going for it as well. Backbreaker initially was an abomination of a game, and it only recently became passable with the new patch. However, despite the many flaws in football-ness Backbreaker had, it still had a lot of unique charm going for it. And if for no other reason than to avoid the shutout, I'm giving Backbreaker some love by giving it my intangibles category. Pick: Backbreaker

Christian - I'm going to give some major love to Backbreaker for implementing the best physics engine I have ever seen in a sports game. Every hit truly feels different in that game, making the Tackle Alley mini-game worth the price of admission. Also, the NCAA team needs a huge pat on the back for including the Dynasty Wire and Dynasty Anywhere features. Dynasty Wire introduces a whole new way to talk trash to friends, and putting together a highlight package of your team's dominance over a friend is absolutely priceless. Dynasty Anywhere has integrated NCAA 11 into my life in ways I never thought possible -- recruiting while on vacation, watching highlights of a friend's game while sitting on my deck, and even setting up my depth chart while at an actual college football game. It's truly an amazing feature. Pick: NCAA Football 11

The Score:
11 - NCAA Football
5 - Madden NFL
1 - Backbreaker