Barstool After Dark: ULM to a National Championship

It's always nice to see a champion give back, return to the underdog, and build another legacy. Well, Ohio's Tate is ready to do just that. On this week's Barstool After Dark, we have the return to the sidelines on Saturdays with the release of EA College Football 27. It is time for Tate and new ball coach Liam Blutman to go for the pinnacle of college football once again: a national championship.

If we have sadly forgotten the Morgantown Miracle, the San Jose State recruiting scandal, or even just the countless close calls and heartbreaks of last summer, no worries, now the challenge to be on top of the college football world will be even tougher. Last year, it began in the Midwest region as Coach Tate took over the MAC basement dwellers, Akron. But after his successes there and an eventual championship brought to his alma mater, he felt it was time to head south to the beautiful city of Monroe. Yep, you guessed it, his coaching journey will restart with the Warhawks of ULM, the worst-rated team in this newest edition of EA Sports College Football.

If you are thinking to yourself, “This should be a cakewalk, they have the blueprint from last year now, a championship is in the bag by Year 5...” well, then you must not be a ball knower, I'm afraid. EA has changed the game, and after my early access over the weekend, I have found this out as well. Recruiting, gameplay, and the coaching carousel have ALL been revamped, making the climb from literal zero (yes, ULM has zero stars) to hero one hell of a gauntlet.

Here are 3 MAJOR roadblocks that could lengthen their championship aspirations:

Dynasty Points

This is by far going to be the biggest issue in winning a championship. After playing a couple of different dynasties since Thursday's early release, I have found out it's nearly impossible to recruit and retain your most talented players at these small schools, and even in the lower Power 4. It is much harder to not only build a championship roster, but also to then retain it. In my one dynasty, my only 81-overall QB was demanding 300 in NIL and my team budget was 550. That is just one example. You then have to think about staff and facilities upgrades that cost points you really just don't have.

Playbooks

For me personally, you have to build a playbook where you know your plays and have your go-to picks in certain game situations. If they instead are tied to the playbook of the team they jump ship to, this could be a major problem, as it can very much impact play, especially when you may not have the best talent. We truly, though, do not know the extent of research Tate or Blutman will have done prior to the stream.

"Player" Abilities

As we saw last year, whether you are ULM or Oregon, it all comes down to the Jimmies and Joes... and uhhh, yeah, we all very much so remember Tate's video game ability. The wildcard will be Blutman. He is a veteran of the famed Coach Duggs staff in recent years, so you have to hope this experience will be vital to getting a championship. Though, when contacted for comment on his arrival to the new staff, he had this to say: "I no longer see the field like I used to." A very grim foreshadowing for the staff. He later added, "I'm doomed." We then combine this with Tate, who has been very vocal about his gameplay in the past, and it looked like he had a busy weekend on the Amtrak, so you have to wonder about some potential rust for him as well.

Though we can expect so many more variables for the squad to encounter, you have to think those three are going to dictate how long it takes, or if a national championship can be accomplished at all. Mission number one on Coach Tate's mind though is get to the promiseland!

"Let me be clear: If you are not at ULM to help me get out of there as quick as possible with a better job, we will replace you with someone who is" - Ohio's Tate(2052 National Champion)

The staff's seats are hot out of the gates this year & Coach Tate isn't fuckin around. Could we see Brandon Walker return? White Boy Rick (who has been on a coaching staff)? Or is there someone quietly in the shadows of the Barstool office with the magic touch to take this staff to another level? Or a little wrinkle from real life coaches to bring down the level could potentially change the whole landscape to a championship.

1 team, 20 teams, 1 season, 30 seasons, or somewhere in between...Barstool After Dark is looking to place yet another EA College Football banner into the rafters of the Chicago office. Get the YouTube on, get ready for no-sleep hours, and buckle in for a marathon, B.A.D. followers, as this one isn't for the weak. Ohio's Tate is kicking off a monster July with a banger on the gridiron.

Don't miss it, ULM kicks off live at 8 PM ET / 7 PM CT Tuesday night!