NCAA 2006

[Ripper]

Ever tried running an option offense? Ive tried it once or twice, and im bloody hopeless. Sure I can bury crappy unranked teams in all thier glory, but as soon as it's times to play the big boys it all goes downhill.

then again, it would be nice if you could lateral in Madden.

Ive won the Hiesman with my FB on NCAA before, but, like you, he spent alot in the halfbacks slot, but hey, sue me.

Originally posted by Confused
With the cupcakes, I find that I can at least gain yards on the ground unless the team is a lot better than mine. It is defense that hurts me. In the early stages, wwhen you can only get 1-2 star recruits, I go straight speed on defense. I'll take a poor tackler when he can at least get to the ball-carrier.

Ditto, you can improve tackling, but nothing is more valuable then pure speed.

 

[Confused]

Originally posted by Ripper@Nov 30 2005, 07:51 AM
Ever tried running an option offense? Ive tried it once or twice, and im bloody hopeless. Sure I can bury crappy unranked teams in all thier glory, but as soon as it's times to play the big boys it all goes downhill.

I can run the option perfectly. You gotta have a reasonably fast QB. Take the 3-star QB with 4.7 speed over the 5-star with 5.1 speed. You gotta have a fast QB. Once you get good, there will be 5-star QBs with 4.4 speed occasionally. Get that guy!!!!! I have won the Heisman with a QB who had 2,000 yards rushing and only about 1000 passing.

My favorite versions are the speed options from the regular Ace set and from the I-Twins. I send a receiver in motion to suck a D-back with him and then go the way he came from. If they play zone, I switch the receiver and go to the strong side. Against a human, I almost always send a guy in motion and then run it up the gut about half the time to keep him guessing. The triple option give to the FB is deadly once you go outside a few times, but you have to get used to how long you have to wait before sprinting if you want to keep the ball and go wide.

The key to the option is figuring out when to pitch or when to fake pitch. If you only have one guy to beat he will almost always go for the pitch man so you hit the fake pitch and cruise upfield for 10-20 yards. Somehow that one dude seems to be able to catch your RB before he turns the corner if you pitch.

Think Rugby. You gotta get the tackler to commit to you and when he tackles you, you just blocked him. If he doesn't commit to you, you keep it and hit the gap. You will fumble now and then if you run the option right because you are waiting until the last possible moment to pitch. I will pitch 20 yards downfield to get another five yards and then Kirk or Lee says something supposedly clever. Sometimes I get tackled because I wait a split-second too long. Practice grasshopper. If you want your QB to win the Heisman don't pitch downfield because the RB gets credit for all the yards even if the QB ran for 40 and he got 2 more. Sacks also kill your rushing yards.

The juke stick is insane good. I have juked 4-5 guys on one play going left then right whatever. I didn't like it at first, but I love it now.

 

[Ripper]

hmmm, Ive got all the peices in places. im in Year 2 of my new Dynasty and last night recurited a 4.4 speed 4 star QB out of Texas (using Memphis)... that should be enough speed.

My biggest problem with the option is timing, I usually do what you do and regulary send guys in motion depending on what I can see the CPU is feilding against me. I rarely get sacked when running the option, but my biggest killer is knowing when to pitch the ball. Sometimes I get panicked and just willy nilly pitch it to early, or else other times I get to to confindent and fail to see the DB who is about to blindside my sorry arse into the turf, turning a potential big gain into either lost yardage/minimal gain, or if you have greased hands like my QB, a fumble..

The juke stick I agree is lethal once you get the hang of it, ecspecially with fast QB's when you generally have more space running on the outside instead of the RB who is trying to get through a crowded mass of 300 pound linemen, half of which would love nothing better then to interdouce to the worms.

recuriting... is there anything more fun? I just spend hours on end recuriting, that is probably the most challenging and suprisingly funnest aspect of the game IMO, ecspecailly if your not in a powerhouse program and the best you can hope for is 3 Star recurits... if your lucky.

 

[USArugger]

Recruiting is one of the best parts of the game. Have you noticed if potential really makes a big difference? I try to get guys with decent discipline too. I hate having to suspend guys all the time. However, i can't find a discipline slider, so i don't know which rating (if any) pertains to discipline or potential. I have seen that you can make him really fast and good put give him poor awareness and his initial rating will not be very good, but he will get better quickly as his awareness improves.

The option... I have it down pretty good. I hit sprint immediately with the QB. Sometimes the DE gets off the tacle and nails me before I pitch, but usually I make the corner. You have to be aware of the d-backs. You know the LB is coming from the inside and you can see him. If you sent the WR in motion the other way and the DB follows, you know there isn't anybody wide (depending on formation). If the DB comes from nowehere, it is usually because they are playing zone or he is blitzing. Your WR has a reasonable chance of picking him off with a block. Against a zone, don't run too wide. Cut upfield with the QB a little sooner. The other thing is the guard-tackle gap. Start to the outside and look immediately between your guard and tackle for a gap and cut it up before you even get outside. So on a basic option it looks like this (of course part of it is just doing it until you get the feel for it)

#1 - Determine defensive formation
#2 - Send guy in motion to determine coverage.
#3 - Flip play if necessary.
#4 - Snap the ball
#5 - Start sprinting outside
#6 - read DE. If he goes outside cut up in the G-T gap
#7 - Once outside the DE read LB. If he is not there or is stuck inside cut up just outside the DE. If he is on you, pitch just before he hits you but try to draw him towards the outside and get the DB to commit too.
#8 - Read CB. If he takes you pitch it, if he takes the RB keep it. Again easier said than done.

Easier said than done. Run the dang drill in pre-season mode again and again.

 

[USArugger]

Is it cheating to play a card???? I ask because it seems like the console plays cards from time to time.

Examples:

Your RB fumbles a lot in one game and he usually has sure hands
Your defense can't tackle in one game after completely shutting better teams down
Your offensive line suddenly loses all ability to create holes
Your QB has a defensive player all over him everytime he drops back to pass

I ask because I am currently losing at the half to Wisconsin and I can't stop their running game to save my ass. When I cheat up, the QB throws a perfect pass for a big gain. I can get no pressure on the QB after getting at least 4 sacks and 10 hurries in each of the last five games. My offensive line is struggling to open holes for my RB. Everything is going to **** and I'm down by ten points. This is the same team that struggled early in the season but has smoked their last five opponents.

Or maybe Camp Randall is really that tough of a place to play and it is all part of the ebb and flow of a season.

 

[Confused]

Originally posted by USArugger@Dec 4 2005, 07:51 AM
Is it cheating to play a card???? I ask because it seems like the console plays cards from time to time.

Examples:

Your RB fumbles a lot in one game and he usually has sure hands
Your defense can't tackle in one game after completely shutting better teams down
Your offensive line suddenly loses all ability to create holes
Your QB has a defensive player all over him everytime he drops back to pass

I ask because I am currently losing at the half to Wisconsin and I can't stop their running game to save my ass. When I cheat up, the QB throws a perfect pass for a big gain. I can get no pressure on the QB after getting at least 4 sacks and 10 hurries in each of the last five games. My offensive line is struggling to open holes for my RB. Everything is going to **** and I'm down by ten points. This is the same team that struggled early in the season but has smoked their last five opponents.

Or maybe Camp Randall is really that tough of a place to play and it is all part of the ebb and flow of a season.

It is cheating to play a card, but it's a video game and if you want to be Champion every year why not?

I was tempted this last year with my created team. I finished season 5 ranked #7 with one loss (on the road). I am still a B/B+ team. I am spending such a high percentage of points on recruiting that my players don't improve much. Now that I have four full classes of recruits I am gradually spending more on training. We will see how this goes.

I just beat ASU/#22 Vandy/#13 Oregon State in my first three games of season 6 and am ranked #11. Building a cupcake has been harder than I thought it would be. Like I said, I got fired when I tried to do it in a BCS conference. Independent has worked so far.

 

[cavan]

i've only played ncaa once or twice in america but can anyone tell me what the Texas tech playbook is like? is it very radical? With flip all running plays? Thanks

 

[USArugger]

Texas tech runs from the spread in the game if I remember correctly. I will check tonight if I get a chance.

 

[cavan]

cheers man i just read a really good article about their offense, coach Mike leach and their philosohy on playing football against the biggest programs.

 

[Ripper]

Texas Tech are a ***** to play, you could say they are my bogey team.

they have ended 4 National Championship runs in my various RTTH and Dynastys.

 

[USArugger]

The game does not really replicate their playbook. Kind of like Utah last year. Tech is very good in the game. I haven't played them in my dynasty yet.

 

[DC]

try my future school ohio state, i love there defense, its so solid, and ther offense is pretty good, pittman the rb, troy smith the qb, ginnn holmes amazing..not to mention one of the best lines in the country...

dc...

 

[Ripper]

Meh, I used them in my Ron Mexico Race to the Hiesman, didnt really like them.

I usually roll with in either the Big 12 or PAC 10... Hate the SEC, all those Miami and Florida programs make me puke.

 

[DC]

my fav confrence obviously is the big ten, biggest stadiums, best football, best fans

nuff' said..

dc...

 

[Ripper]

The Big 10 Blows

Ohio State plays 2 good teams, gets loses both of them, then beats up on the rest of the crappy Big 10 and gets a BCS game against Notre Dame.. another overated team.

 

[DC]

thats rubbish, the big 10 is one of the strongest conferences, number 3 and 4 teams, not to mention a number 21, and a bunch of teams with 100,000 plus seaters, hmm i dont think so..

dc...

 

[DC]

ill say that ND is overrated, but ohio state was better than texas no doubt about it, shitty play calling by jim tressel blew the game, we shoudl have won..

dc...

 

[Ripper]

Originally posted by DC13@Dec 10 2005, 05:20 PM
thats rubbish, the big 10 is one of the strongest conferences, number 3 and 4 teams, not to mention a number 21, and a bunch of teams with 100,000 plus seaters, hmm i dont think so..

dc...

Ohio State shouldnt be in the Top 5, Oregon, Georgia and Auburn are easily more deserving of that spot and you could make cases for the likes of Alabama or the UCLA

 

[USArugger]

dc...

Ohio State shouldnt be in the Top 5, Oregon, Georgia and Auburn are easily more deserving of that spot and you could make cases for the likes of Alabama or the UCLA [/quote]
Kind of hard to slam on the Big Ten. Wait until Bowl season. What conference is better? Certainly not the PAC 10? Big 12 is a joke, so we are left with the SEC and the ACC. SEC is good, but they beat up on each other this year just like the Big Ten. ACC did the same thing. People judge a conference way too much by the best team in the conference. Texas is a couple points better than tOSU and USC is a couple points better than ND. How about Iowa or Minnesota? Far better than the #6 and #7 teams in the other conferences. What about Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan and even NW this year? The Big Ten is a pretty deep conference.

 

[DC]

Originally posted by Ripper+Dec 10 2005, 04:50 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ripper @ Dec 10 2005, 04:50 PM)</div>

<!--QuoteBegin-DC13

@Dec 10 2005, 05:20 PM
thats rubbish, the big 10 is one of the strongest conferences, number 3 and 4 teams, not to mention a number 21, and a bunch of teams with 100,000 plus seaters, hmm i dont think so..

dc...

Ohio State shouldnt be in the Top 5, Oregon, Georgia and Auburn are easily more deserving of that spot and you could make cases for the likes of Alabama or the UCLA [/b]

oregon, are you kidding me lets take a peak at their schedule of the mighty ducks! pffft...

houston
montana
fresno state
so cal-- #1
stanfod
arizona state
washington
arizona
cal
wash state
oregon state

thats a cupcake of a schedule, one ranked team c'mon you have to be kidding me!


auburn football schedule
boise state
south carolina
louisiana monroe
miss state
tennessee
vanderbilt
arkansas
florida-- 16
auburn--7
kentucky
georgia tech--24
lsu--10

loss came to florida the number 16 team...now keep in mind this georgia team doesnt matter, considering they are in a BCS bowl

heres auburn
georgia tech--24
miss state
ball state
w kentucky
south carolina
arkansas
lsu--10
ole miss
kentucky
georgia--8
alabama--13

okay they lost to lsu and georgia tech the 24 and 10 teams, more deserving than osu, i think not

alabama:
mid tenesee
southern miss
south carolina
arkansas
florida--16
miss
tenn
utah state
miss state
lsu--10
auburn--7

losses to lsu and auburn, more deserving no

ucla:
san diego state
rice
oklahoma
wash
cal
wash state
oregon state
stanford
arizona
arizona state
so cal--1

playing one count em' one ranked team and getting absolutely demolished, not to mention a hefty 52-14 loss to the 3-8 arizona wildcats, please dont make me laugh

now here is the ohio state buckeyes schedule..
miami
texas--2
san diego state
iowa--25
penn state--3
michigan state
indiana
minnesota
illinios
northwestern
michigan--20

losses to 2 and 3 teams, by narrow margins, and not deserving, rethink your logic... look at the teams that these other schools lost to..

dc...