Who misses the NCAA Football video game?

If you’re like me, it was a right of passage every August amongst friends who were waiting for fall practice to end and the college football season to begin — a necessary space-filler and quality appetizer for the main course only weeks away.

From building dynasties as a head coach by recruiting five-star prospects to becoming the next superstar on Road to Glory, EA Sports did it right and for that, I’ll be forever grateful.

In lieu of the franchise’s two-year absence following Ed O’Bannon class-action lawsuit relating to use of likenesses, we’ve combed through fanatical forums (one 535 pages long and counting) to find the most accurate 2015 season roster update available, downloadable for free on the NCAA Football 14 main menu.

This is what SEC rosters would look like if NCAA Football had released last month. For those playing on Playstation 3, use vikesfan059’s roster for an entire, well-put together FBS update.

Editor’s note: This is the seventh story in a series of team-by-team articles revealing updated 2015 SEC player ratings in the most recent EA Sports college football video game, NCAA Football 14.

How Mizzou players would rate in NCAA Football 16

  • Evan Boehm, OL, 90 OVR (overall)
  • Kentrell Brothers, LB, 88 OVR
  • Josh Augusta, DL, 87 OVR
  • Harold Brantley, DL, 87 OVR
  • Kenya Dennis, DB, 86 OVR
  • Russell Hansbrough, RB, 86 OVR
  • Michael Scherer, LB, 86 OVR
  • Maty Mauk, QB, 86 OVR
  • Aarion Penton, DB, 84 OVR
  • Connor McGovern, OL, 83 OVR

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It’s no surprise preseason All-SEC center Evan Boehm is Mizzou’s highest-rated player, but it’s hard to believe the Tigers don’t have another player rated 90 overall or higher considering they’ve won back to back division titles. Defensive tackle Harold Brantley is one of the SEC’s highest-ranked interior linemen on the game, but it’s a little strange Josh Augusta has a matching 86 OVR.  He’s simply not as talented as the preseason All-American candidate who the Tigers won’t have this season due to injury.

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Add a couple points to Maty Mauk’s speed, agility and acceleration attributes and you’re looking at a quarterback in the 88-89 OVR range, second only to Dak Prescott among league signal callers in the game. I’d have to label video game Mauk as dual-threat. In the simulation I played with the Tigers, Mauk had 89 yards rushing on eight carries (mixed in a couple scrambles with zone read keepers). His accuracy from the pocket needed work, though.

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Glancing at Mizzou’s unfamiliar faces at wide receiver, a unit replacing all four of its leading pass-catchers from a season ago, no player is ranked above 76 — the only team in the SEC that can say with this roster update outside of Vanderbilt. Nate Brown’s overall rating of 75 is too low for a player I think is capable of surpassing 1,000 yards this fall if he stays healthy.