Ben Vollmer: I'm having a hard time putting my finger on it. What is it that makes NCAA Football 14 so much better than it's most recent predecessors? Is it the Infinity Engine 2.0, the incredible upgrade in graphics and colors, or perhaps the wealth of new camera options at our disposal? I'd argue that it is all of these things. For once, EA seems to be getting some of the little things right. Things we have been calling for since this generation of consoles hit shelves. For the first time in years, NCAA plays a solid game of football.

That said, there are still a few issues that clearly have not been taken care of. Special teams is better, but no where near where it needs to be. Sidelines still look terrible, and the crowds are even worse (thankfully, EA has stated that will change with the Ignite Engine). What's great is that even with all of these things, NCAA 14 still gives us plenty to be excited about. I saw plenty of things that made me want to play the game a lot more, and I've already played five or six games. At this point, we just have to hope EA doesn't alter anything too drastically before the game's release.

Rob Kollars: If I am being completely upfront here, I wasn't that excited about this years annual NCAA release. My complete thought was that with the next-gen systems right around the corner, that at best NCAA fans would get some cosmetic touch-ups, a new mode that would be viewed as a gimmick, and some random updates and changes to the online dynasty portion that would do little to propel it forward - boy was I wrong. While I am not claiming it's the best sports title released this generation (it's a demo), it sure feels like the full version might have the chance to be mentioned someone's top five.

From the improvements in the gameplay itself, and the infinity engine 2.0, to the CPU's ability to not just run the ball, but do it in a way that mimics human characteristics. From the much improved secondary play, and the solid offensive/defensive line interaction and a new color palette that just pops off the screen, there is a lot to be impressed by. That's not where the improvements end though, as the coordinator cam is great, the overall ability of the CPU's game and its seemingly intelligent decisions, to neutral site games - there is just so much to like early on. Yes it has some issues that were noticeable in the demo, but for me the pro's far outweigh the con's so far.

Jayson Young: Like the college senior whose GPA is beyond repair after seven straight semesters of Ds and Cs, there is nothing NCAA Football 14 could have reasonably done in its final semester before the Xbox One/PlayStation 4 that would salvage the disastrous foundation of code on which NCAA Football and Madden NFL has been built this generation.

Downloadable uniforms and authentic glove patterns do not matter when the players sporting such super-detailed equipment still motor around the field using jerky, robotic animations.

Lavishly detailed stadiums betray their very purpose when the cardboard cutouts seated within continue to sound so muted and disinterested.

99-rated defenses full of All-Americans look as foolish as ever when their AI coordinators still profess that a "goal-line stand" is best achieved by calling a cover 2 zone from a nickel formation.

Adding a "2.0" moniker to NCAA Football 14's "Infinity Engine" does nothing to change the fact that the feature currently functions better as a comedy routine than it does as a physics simulator.

A game can license all the Nesslers and Herbstreits and ESPN logos it wants, but without intelligent commentary scripting or proper cutaway camera angles, even icons of sports television will fail to sell a believable broadcast experience.

Without getting into a doctoral dissertation on the game's shortcomings, I'll simply say that the NCAA Football 14 demo feels like the type of Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 experience that EA Tiburon should have delivered two to three years earlier, not two to three weeks before the series ingloriously graduates.

Caley Roark: Last year was the first year in a while that I skipped NCAA. From reports, it either got worse or didn't change enough to warrant a purchase. From my brief time with the demo, I'm not sure I'll be back for 2014.

I loved the Coordinator Cam, which I feel gets close to an actual playable broadcast camera. The new option plays felt good, and thanks to the tutorials, were easy to execute. The training actually helps you look for the best "option" to run based on what the defense does.

Still, as Jayson points out, there are problems with this game that haven't been fixed, and probably won't be until the next gen release in 2014. To compound on his criticism, I thought cut scenes looked washed and low-res (demo limitations?). Some animations, both player and mascot, had severe clipping. And, during a fake field goal, the commentary team pontificated on how making a quarterback change might affect the psyche of the team -- based on one gadget play.

I am still interested in NCAA 14, but more for curiosity's sake than to seriously purchase. Perhaps it may eventually quench my football thirst while I'm waiting for the next generation version of Madden.

What do you think of the NCAA Football 14 demo? Add your thoughts in the comments!