Being the youngest writer on the site and one of the youngest posters as well means video games still have a special place in my heart. I can't count the hours I've wasted in college playing NCAA 10 or NCAA 11. It would also explain why I spent the first two months of college failing almost every class. Video games such as these are perfect distractions from the tedious amount of schoolwork, and they also allow for bragging rights. I've discovered that bragging rights might be the most treasured thing in a residence hall or apartment complex. Well, that and your own bathroom.
Last night, Adam Kramer of Kegs N Eggs, tweeted a link to the NCAA 12 player ratings for the Big 10, SEC, PAC 12, and ACC. I'm sure there is a joke about the Big X in there, but I'll refrain. I decided to check out the ratings to see how our Boilers fared. Some ratings are accurate, but others got my blood boiling. After the jump, I'll breakdown the ratings for each posistion.
(Note: Going off of the title, I spent 15 minutes deciding whether or not I should include numerous pro wrestling references. For the sake of the casual fan, I didn't. Just know that was an option.)
QB: Robert Marve, 80. Rob Henry, 75.
Not terrible on their part, but I would switch it. Something like a 79 for Henry and a 77 for Marve. The video didn't show throwing power or accuracy, so that could be why Marve is ahead.
RB/FB: Ralph Bolden, 86. Jared Crank, 72.
Not going to complain about this one, especially with a speed rating of 90. Seems high after an ACL injury, however. Crank is on the low end here. I thought something like a 76 or 77 would suffice for him.
WR/TE: Antavian Edison, 78. Justin Siller, 75. Gabe Holmes, 72.
Antavian kind of got screwed here, overall and with his speed at just an 87. I'm surprised that we don't have a pass catcher above an 80 overall. Edison should have been a 82, if not a little bit higher. Holmes seems about right, as he didn't show a lot last year.
OL: Dennis Kelly, 90. Rick Schmeig, 81. Peters Drey, 83. Ken Plue, 87. Nick Mondek, 84.
Shocking, this is our highest rated grouping. I bet many people wouldn't have guessed that. Big shoutout to Dennis for being the only player to crack 90 for the Boilers. Hopefully this grouping plays up to these ratings when the real season starts.
DL: LE #49, 77. Gerald Gooden, 82. Kawann Short, 79. Bruce Gaston, 76.
Looks like the makers of this game didn't do their homework. As far as I can tell, there is no #49 on the roster. Maybe they just flipped Kerrigan's number and made him worse. Gooden's rating seems spot on, but Gaston and Short got short-ed. Kawann should be at least an 85, if not higher. Bruce should have been able to crack 80. I guess actually watching players play isn't a requirement to make ratings.
LB: DeVarro Greaves, 79. Dwayne Beckford, 85. Joe Holland, 85.
This grouping makes me laugh. Antwon Higgs was only rated as a 74, and I will be shocked if he's not starting. Sorry DeVarro, I've actually never heard of you. If you beat out Antwon and start, I apologize for the previous statement. Beckford and Hollard have accurate ratings. Will Lucas also got shafted. 70 overall? He's going to have a big year this year. That rating won't stand up.
DB: Josh Johnson, 78. Ricardo Allen, 76. Albert Evans, 80. Logan Link, 87.
This grouping actually has me steaming mad. Ricardo's rating actually prompted me to Tweet him (@Ricardo21Allen) and voice my displeasure with his rating. He re-tweeted me, so that was pretty cool. At no point last year did I think Josh was better than Ricardo. No way should a fresman All-American not be able to crack 80. I assumed he would be at least a 86 or 87. Speaking of 87, way to go Logan! Your rating is a lot higher than I would've guessed. I will say this, though. All of our defensive backs have extremely high speed ratings. At least they got that part of defense accurate.
K/P: Carson Wiggs, 84. Cody Webster, 79.
Another rating that made me mad. Carson should be close to a 90. However, the video didn't show kicking power or accuracy. If his power isn't at least a 96, there is something wrong with people. I agree with Cody's rating. He had a good freshman campaign and a strong season this year should bump him up into the mid-80s.
There is your breakdown of the Purdue player ratings on NCAA 12. If you are looking for a little more depth on this post, check out Big 10 Rant: Purdue tonight (purdue.big10rant.com) for my deeper thoughts. Plus, professional wrestling references, which will be great fun. Follow me on Twitter @Riles 23 and remember, NCAA player ratings only serve to piss the general public off.