NCAA 14 Thread

[HailtotheYo]

I'm going to look into switching to the 4-2-5.

For your two linebackers, are both of them converted 6'2" safeties? Or do you have one for coverage and a larger, original linebacker in the middle too?

I ask because in my online dynasty, I play in a conference with a guy who recruits only tackles for his O-Line, a minimum of 6'6" and 325 lbs. He runs pro-style offense and I've always had bigger linebackers to make up for my smaller, faster front four. I just don't want to get too small since there is so much of an emphasis this year on size.

I feel like I'm going to need to completely re-examine the defensive tackle position, like you, by putting two run stuffers there instead of my usual scheme.

That said, I'm enjoying tinkering with my offense. I've adopted the Air Force playbook and run primarily their Wing-T formation. It's a blast and takes me back to my high school days. Not many things more fun than having a fullback be your leading rusher.

I'm going to look into switching to the 4-2-5.

For your two linebackers, are both of them converted 6'2" safeties? Or do you have one for coverage and a larger, original linebacker in the middle too?

I ask because in my online dynasty, I play in a conference with a guy who recruits only tackles for his O-Line, a minimum of 6'6" and 325 lbs. He runs pro-style offense and I've always had bigger linebackers to make up for my smaller, faster front four. I just don't want to get too small since there is so much of an emphasis this year on size.

I feel like I'm going to need to completely re-examine the defensive tackle position, like you, by putting two run stuffers there instead of my usual scheme.

That said, I'm enjoying tinkering with my offense. I've adopted the Air Force playbook and run primarily their Wing-T formation. It's a blast and takes me back to my high school days. Not many things more fun than having a fullback be your leading rusher.

I have one plug and one balanced. If I can find a hard hitting safety that has the size I'll convert him, but otherwise I go with a pure run stopping LB and then a converted balanced safety as the other.

Against that guy, I don't know if what I do will work or not. Good test of the scheme. If you took my approach I think you might have to go with the 1 rushing DE and 1 run stopping DT on one side and then a pass rushing DT and a run stopping DE on the other so the entire line is balanced and you can go whatever way you want with blitz and stunt plays. It also prevents the "automatic" lanes from forming when you've got run stuffing in the middle and then pass rushing looping on the outside.

I'm finding Texas State's playbook to be immensely fun.

[METALMAN]

I've always had more or less the same philosophy in recruiting/position movements.

Unless an athlete is going to be an 81 overall QB his freshman year, I almost always move ATH to defense. Linebacker or secondary, depending on size.

I look for strong safeties who are no shorter than 6'2" and 210 lbs. and move them to OLB. I recruit OLB's who are no shorter than 6'5" and move them to defensive end. I have recently been running a four-man front, so I have one DT as a regular run-stopping DT and I put a pass-rushing, lighter and faster, DE at the second DT position.

I go no shorter than 6'0" when it comes to cornerback. I've passed on quite a few 4-star corners simply because 5'9" doesn't cut it for me. I prefer the 6'1" or 6'2" guys, but six feet is my cut off.

I replace my strong safeties (who usually get moved to OLB) with hard-hitting FS. I try to not go shorter than 6'2" on any of my safeties.

It's always been my way to optimize the speed available and it's always worked up until this year.

I've found a lot of my defensive issues start with a lack of pass rush. My faster D-Lines fail to get into the backfield. I may need to start sacrificing some of the faster guys (who before this year got the job done) for some more big hefties. I find myself only getting consistent pressure when I blitz.

I hope you get beaten by a midget team for being so heightist.

[HailtotheYo]

I've always had more or less the same philosophy in recruiting/position movements.

Unless an athlete is going to be an 81 overall QB his freshman year, I almost always move ATH to defense. Linebacker or secondary, depending on size.

I look for strong safeties who are no shorter than 6'2" and 210 lbs. and move them to OLB. I recruit OLB's who are no shorter than 6'5" and move them to defensive end. I have recently been running a four-man front, so I have one DT as a regular run-stopping DT and I put a pass-rushing, lighter and faster, DE at the second DT position.

I go no shorter than 6'0" when it comes to cornerback. I've passed on quite a few 4-star corners simply because 5'9" doesn't cut it for me. I prefer the 6'1" or 6'2" guys, but six feet is my cut off.

I replace my strong safeties (who usually get moved to OLB) with hard-hitting FS. I try to not go shorter than 6'2" on any of my safeties.

It's always been my way to optimize the speed available and it's always worked up until this year.

I've found a lot of my defensive issues start with a lack of pass rush. My faster D-Lines fail to get into the backfield. I may need to start sacrificing some of the faster guys (who before this year got the job done) for some more big hefties. I find myself only getting consistent pressure when I blitz.

I hope you get beaten by a midget team for being so heightist.

Heh, in all honesty it's only on defense that I apply this rule to simply because it appears to affect the game enough to do so.

I have 5-8/9/10 WR/RB/FB all day as long as certain other criteria are met. Hell, my first two seasons in my San Jose State dynasty had nobody in the backfield (including QB) over 5-10.

[A-Dub]

I jumped back into this recently since I don't have the time to dedicate to grinding GTA Online right now.

I've been using Vanderbilt and recruiting similar to what I read here a few weeks ago. My defense is turning into a hard hitting giant brute squad and offense is built as fast as can be in the backfield, as tall as can be on the wings, and as massive as can be on the line. I always used to recruit based on overall ratings, but recruiting based on size and one or two specific ratings is actually way more fun.The fun is also helped in that I'm running pistol and wing-option.

Edited October 29, 2013 by A-Dub

[HailtotheYo]

It's extremely satisfying doing it this way or in a variation of.

It also helps you adjust to different schools/conferences. I also find that it is VERY rewarding when starting with lower end schools.

[HailtotheYo]

Ok, I'm not sure what is going on but the last week or so I've had quite a bit of "auto" passing or juking/jumping/etc going on.

The auto passing only happens on either play action plays, or when I'm using the accelerate to try and get away from a defender. It just started this recently.

Then there's my RBs that decide to hurdle for no reason now and again.

I checked the settings and everything is fully manual. I also know that I'm not doing it (why too frequent and it just started).

Anyone else ?

[HailtotheYo]

Odd, the issue (with no updating since I've noticed it) apparently resolved itself for the most part. I'll still get a random occurrence but nothing like the 5+ times it was happening per game for a while.

Am I missing something with the coaching changes ? I mean, I want to target specific guys when my coordinators leave but ..... I can't seem to do that ?

[Meacon Keaton]

1. Regarding the auto-passing, hurdles, and what not: I had that happen when my controller battery was getting low. Maybe that was the issue?

2. Regarding the coaching changes: Unfortunately, you don't get to select your coordinators which is beyond lame. I guess it doesn't make too much of a difference since you get to run the offense and defense how you want. But it's still lame having a "Pro-style" offensive coordinator if I'm running the spread. That's something I would have liked them to fix had they continued the series.

[HailtotheYo]

1. Regarding the auto-passing, hurdles, and what not: I had that happen when my controller battery was getting low. Maybe that was the issue?

2. Regarding the coaching changes: Unfortunately, you don't get to select your coordinators which is beyond lame. I guess it doesn't make too much of a difference since you get to run the offense and defense how you want. But it's still lame having a "Pro-style" offensive coordinator if I'm running the spread. That's something I would have liked them to fix had they continued the series.

It may have been, didn't even think about that ... I'll have to pay attention to that as it runs down again.

While you having ultimate control over things certainly "moots the point" a bit, it still matters considering the "level" points assigned to each coach. Case in point: After my 2nd season with Texas State I lost both coordinators. I was given Bryan Johnson from Utah as my OC and it was an upgrade as his points were more than that of my old OC. My DC came from Akron (fucking seriously ?) and I literally had 5 points to use. That sucked pretty badly.

Forgot to mention though, that I am LOVING the tweaks to the position change this season. Playing into the whole size thing posted earlier, I've actually been able to end up fielding some pretty bad ass FB thanks to being able to realistically move people around. It's also helped out considerably at CB and TE.

[Meacon Keaton]

I had an abundance of linemen, so I moved a freshman, 6'8" 333 lbs. tackle that likely wouldn't play until his redshirt senior season to tight end. By his redshirt senior season he was 6'8" 345 lbs. with like 78 speed and decent hands. It was a blast seeing safeties trying to tackle his big ass.

[HailtotheYo]

Yeah, defenses had some issue with my 6' 260lb FB catching passes out of the backfield. I also had an unrealistic 20 INTs by a 6' 4" 220lb CB (2/3 of them by way of sim).

What I've loved best though, is my short Centers turning into wonderful DTs.

[Meacon Keaton]

So I won back-to-back National Titles with Georgia Tech in my online dynasty. The first two seasons I only had one loss each season, to human players. Breakdown went like this:

1st Season - 13-1 def. Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, finished #2, ACC Champions

2nd Season - 13-1 def. Georgia in the Orange Bowl, finished #2, ACC Champions

3rd Season - 14-0 def. UCLA (human team) in the BCS Championship, finished #1, ACC Champions

4th Season - 14-0 def. Ohio State (human team) in the BCS Championship, finished #1, ACC Champions

After that I left for Colorado State. I requested to be made an independent so I could make the toughest schedule possible for myself, and it was approved by the rest of the guys in the league.

First season, I go 12-0 and end up #2 in the BCS Rankings after the regular season is completed. I get matched up in the National Title game against a guy who has been at North Carolina all five seasons. He beats me 42-37. I threw three interceptions, two of which were bullshit drops by my receivers that somehow found their way into the defender's hands, and he didn't turn the ball over once. It sucks. Tough loss. But I took a one-star team all the way to within six points of a Championship. I actually had a chance with 30 seconds left to get the onside kick, but I don't think I've ever successfully done one of those.

But now the North Carolina coach thinks he's hot shit. I beat him EASILY all four years I was at Georgia Tech. I suspect he quits games when he's losing and claims that his Xbox froze or something. But more aggravating than that is the sad shit he's talking to me. He thinks he's better than me because he's had five seasons to build a six-star program and recruit his kind of players. I was at a one-star program, in my first season, and still only lost by five.

We're currently in Year Six, and I'm 8-0, ranked #3. And he's 8-0, and ranked #1. I have about seven freshmen starting between offense and defense. I usually hate playing freshmen but the guys I brought in were just so much better than the ones I had. I've developed my quarterback (only a junior) nicely over the last season and a half, and I'm just begging for another shot at UNC. I just know I'll crush him like I use to when I was at Georgia Tech.

Sorry for the vent, but the trash-talking is becoming annoying, and I figured if there was anywhere I could vent, it'd be here.

[HailtotheYo]

I understand the frustration and that's pretty much the reason I've all but quit online stuff .... especially with this game. A few years ago I pretty much had the exact same thing happen with a "friend" of mine. In 10 seasons we went head to head 7 times .... all 7 were bowl games, 2 were National Title games though. He won those two, but lost the other 5 (and I won the National Title 4 other seasons, meaning I went to 6 overall while he only went to those 2). Long story short, because of those 2 wins in the title game the fact that he lost 5 against me and never appeared in any other title game, he claimed dynasty superiority and just threw up all over the place with the shit talk ... it was pretty damned annoying.

Oddly enough, I took a job in his conference after that 10th season ... and "something came up" and he couldn't continue playing with us anymore.

*********

I'm really looking into trying to tweak the shit out of the conferences (like basically starting over) and drafting them up with two separate conditions:

1 - geography .... teams would only be available to two (maybe 3) conferences, period.

2 - strength .... I'd first do it historically, and then the last decade with historically being weighted more.

I'm curious as to how that would play out in actuality (as opposed to what I think would happen).

For the results, I'd go pretty black/white with the calculating .... meaning that a national title is just that, regardless of when it was or anything like that. Same thing for conference titles etc on down the line. I'm thinking about the following as the conditions and would assign a point value accordingly:

Historical winning %

National Titles

BCS Bowl appearances

Bowl appearances

Conference Titles

Division Titles

Top 25 Finish (end season)

Top 25 (pre-season)

10 win seasons

Winning seasons

I don't care if you're Ohio State or Akron, A&M or UTEP, or even if you're FSU or FAU ..... who you are will be determined by the numbers and nothing else (regardless of what division they were assigned too).

I've decided that I'll not have a conference bigger than 12 ... there are 10 conferences and 125 teams ... so 10 conferences of 12 and 5 IND (the 3 service academies, Old Dominion, and stupid ND just because it's easiest that way)

Anyone have anything else ? Suggestions ? What order the criteria should be placed (and weighted) ?

[Plubby]

I'd argue that recent success should carry more weight than historical if it is sustained.

[HailtotheYo]

I probably need to clarify something. I'm using numbers from the entirety of a team's existence. So, if they were in a lower division and have moved up their titles/etc are still counted (and counted just the same). The point, is to get an overall picture in terms of the success of a school's program, period (and then as best possible place them geographically).

I'd argue that recent success should carry more weight than historical if it is sustained.

I toyed around with it, but I went with historical because there are too many teams that are quite inflated going just by recent success (South Carolina/Baylor/Oregon State/Oklahoma State) and teams that are discounted because they've finally hit a relative dry spell (Penn State/Miami/Colorado).

I included everything, regardless of division to help smooth over the "when did their success happen" a bit. Playing around with the numbers, it's the fairest way to do it and get a feel of just how successful teams really are.

That's why winning % is the first, and biggest factor. EVERY team plays a schedule each season regardless, and it is that measure that leads to everything else .... so I'm starting there.

Recent success will be represented more than you might think with the criteria I've got at the moment. Perhaps you can think of another category that I can add or replace one with to get a better sense of recent times ?

I'm open to anything as I'm just tallying everything up at the moment.

----- Also, I'm going to do this World Cup Draw style. I'll create ten pots after everything is added up. Each team will have 2/3 "realistic" conferences they can be in and depending on how that shakes out, will depend on how many from each pot can end up in each conference.

[HailtotheYo]

*due to me being a genius and overlooking a team in the overall count, South Alabama will be an independent

[A-Dub]

I'm really interested in seeing how these ends up. Are you creating like a relegation system? It would be cool (not to mention incredibly time consuming and difficult) to pull conference champions up into the conference above them and push the cellar dwellers down a level. I think that would take a ton of customization that isn't in the game though.

Actually, I wish every sports game had a relegation feature.

[HailtotheYo]

I'm really interested in seeing how these ends up. Are you creating like a relegation system? It would be cool (not to mention incredibly time consuming and difficult) to pull conference champions up into the conference above them and push the cellar dwellers down a level. I think that would take a ton of customization that isn't in the game though.

Actually, I wish every sports game had a relegation feature.

It was a thought, but with the sorting ... the conferences will all be pretty decent. I mean, there won't be a conference or two that are clearly a step down in quality. Remember, that the sorting for the pots is going to be by "strength" but the spread is also going to be geographically. Once the pots are determined it will be like a World Cup draw with certain criteria about how/where the teams are placed in the conferences.

I've decided to drop the preseason top 25 from the list.

[Meacon Keaton]

I have a silly offline dynasty that I did something like this, though nowhere near as in-depth as what you're doing. I went simply by geography. Mainly because I'm lazy.

[HailtotheYo]

List, in order of winning percentage (and percentage) .... every 10 clubs is a pot right now.  I'll start factoring in the other criteria today and tomorrow to see how teams move up and down to make the final pots

Michigan	0.7344
Boise State	0.723
Oklahoma	0.7182
Ohio State 2	0.716
Texas	0.71596
Alabama 3	0.7124
Southern California 4	0.7015
Nebraska	0.7014
Tennessee	0.6845
Florida State 5	0.6678
Penn State 6	0.6585
LSU	0.6479
Georgia	0.6469
Miami (FL)	0.6343
Florida	0.6323
Auburn	0.6277
Miami (OH)	0.615
Washington	0.6106
Arizona State	0.609
Virginia Tech	0.6078
Central Michigan	0.601
West Virginia	0.60074
Texas A&M	0.60067
Clemson	0.6004
Arkansas	0.5946
Georgia Tech 7	0.5934
Michigan State	0.5929
Colorado	0.5923
Fresno State	0.5907
Southern Miss	0.59025
UCLA	0.59017
Utah	0.5882
South Florida	0.5873
Bowling Green	0.5854
Western Kentucky	0.5847
Syracuse	0.5816
Boston College	0.5777
Pittsburgh	0.5761
BYU	0.5752
Middle Tennessee	0.5734
Stanford	0.5727
Wisconsin	0.5712
Arizona	0.5701
Louisiana Tech	0.5696
Minnesota	0.5693
Troy	0.5658
Tulsa	0.5655
Hawaii	0.563
Texas Tech	0.5626
North Carolina 8	0.5623
California 9	0.5595
Oregon	0.5593
Ole Miss	0.5589
San Diego State	0.5553
Western Michigan	0.5552
Toledo	0.5457
UTSA	0.5455
Texas State	0.5422
Missouri	0.5404
Nevada	0.5351
TCU	0.534
Purdue	0.53333
NIU	0.5333
Houston	0.5316
Iowa	0.5283
Virginia	0.527
Maryland	0.5264
Ball State	0.524
UCF	0.5193
East Carolina	0.5164
Illinois	0.5162
Louisville	0.5146
South Carolina	0.5095
Massachusetts	0.5083
Marshall	0.5081
North Carolina State	0.5069
Rutgers	0.5067
North Texas	0.5066
Cincinnati	0.5055
Oklahoma State	0.5045
Baylor	0.5022
San Jose State	0.5016
Kentucky	0.4992
Vanderbilt	0.4979
Ohio	0.4973
Kansas	0.4971
Utah State	0.4961
Akron	0.4922
Louisiana-Lafayette	0.4882
Washington State	0.4879
Connecticut	0.4876
Duke	0.4873
SMU	0.4853
Wyoming	0.4844
Mississippi State 10	0.4841
Arkansas State	0.4832
Oregon State	0.482
Memphis	0.4766
Colorado State	0.4702
Iowa State	0.4579
Tulane	0.4551
New Mexico	0.4539
Eastern Michigan	0.447
Temple	0.4461
UAB	0.4458
Kansas State	0.444
Northwestern	0.4418
Rice	0.4392
Idaho	0.4377
Louisiana-Monroe	0.4324
Florida Atlantic	0.4236
Indiana	0.4192
New Mexico State	0.4159
Buffalo	0.4153
Wake Forest	0.4111
UTEP	0.41
UNLV	0.4082
Kent State	0.3951
FIU	0.3231
Georgia State1	0.303