DeMarco Murray and 3 Finalists for the Cover of NCAA Football 2012 Video Game

Each year EA Sports comes out with a new edition of one of their most popular sports games behind the Madden NFL franchise.  Each year the video game franchise of NCAA Football features a star player who either graduated from college or elected to enter the NFL draft early.  

This year's final candidates include the University of Washington quarterback Jake Locker, Auburn University's defensive tackle Nick Fairley, the University of Alabama's running back Mark Ingram, and of course the the University of Oklahoma's running back, with the softest hands in the land, DeMarco Murray.  Nick Fairley would make history if he makes the cover, as a defensive player has never been featured.  

For the older folks who aren't big into Xbox and PlayStation, it may be news to you that making the cover of the newest NCAA Football game is considered the "second Heisman Trophy," as a great number of young college football fans are also frequent video game players.  

The situation is mirrored each year when the NCAA Football game's counterpart, Madden NFL Football, selects a cover.  The featured player on the cover of Madden is considered a high honor.  Drew Brees, for example, was featured on the cover of Madden NFL 2011, and Brett Favre was featured on the cover of Madden NFL 2009 wearing a Green Bay Packers uniform.  

Essentially making the cover is just a way to honor a player in front of a different fanbase.  Typically a player of quasi-historical stature is chosen.  Tim Tebow for example, who is considered one of the greatest college football players in the history of the sport, was featured on last year's installment NCAA Football 2011 on every platform, though often multiple players are featured on separate platforms.  One player could be featured on the Xbox 360 version, while another could be on the PlayStation version.  

This year EA Sports is allowing fans to vote on their favorite player.  The winning player is supposedly going to be featured on the cover, but it's very likely that multiple players will be used for the varying platforms.  

Fans of a particular player or team in general have been known to attempt to promote their icons through the Internet, specifically on YouTube.  This year, a fan of the Sooners running back DeMarco Murray produced several smear videos, which were clearly made in jest, to help promote Murray with a specific humor that typically appeals to college-age students, which is also the target audience of the game itself.  There was no video created to defame Mark Ingram, possibly because there's not a whole lot to poke fun at this young man.  

As before, EA Sports typically chooses an excellent player who is also a fan favorite.  The players considered for the cover often include Heisman Trophy winners, such as Reggie Bush on the cover of NCAA 2007.  Others include players who shocked the football world or played on a team that did so, such as Boise State Broncos quarterback Jared Zebransky.  

Zebransky was featured on the cover of NCAA Football 2008, who played for the Boise State team that put small schools on the map when the Broncos defeated the Oklahoma Sooners in a stunning upset during the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.  

A curious situation involving the cover selection is the omission of Auburn quarterback Cam Newton. Newton led a team that went 8-5 in 2009 to the a perfect season and the 2010 BCS National Championship over the Oregon Ducks.

To top it off, he won a Heisman Trophy along the way and was the leader in the greatest comeback in Iron Bowl history when the Tigers overcame a 24-0 deficit to defeat the Alabama Crimson Tide on their home turf and preserve Auburn's hope to reach Glendale.

Though some are quick to relate this to the controversy and scrutiny Newton faced throughout the year, it is more likely that Newton was only a big face in college football for a very short period of time.  

Other players such as Darren McFadden, Tim Tebow and current candidates DeMarco Murray and Jake Locker played a large role for their teams for several years, as opposed to just one.

Regardless of your stance on video games, love them or hate them, EA Sports and the college football fans of the world who play these games would love anyone's support in crowning a new NCAA Football 2012 cover athlete. Again, voting is done through Facebook on the NCAA Football 2012 page.