NCAA Football 2010 tips

It doesn't take long to figure out this year's version isn't your same old NCAA Football. While you could practically take a nap while burning the defense last year, the game makes you work a bit more at it in this year's version, especially when the computer decides to send all its linebackers at your quarterback on 3rd and 14.

These NCAA Football 2010 tips should help give you a few ideas on how to attack the defense, and how to shutdown opposing offenses.

NCAA Football 2010 tips - Game Planning

The first thing you'll need to do is come up with a solid game plan. There is a lot of risk-reward in game planning, and it can sometimes be beneficial to switch to a more aggressive plan if you fall way behind, but the best gameplan to start the game is one that minimizes risk and maximizes return.

In order to do this, leave most options on green, which is normal, but go aggressive on (1) defensive line and conservative on (1) catching and (2) big hits.

Why conservative? If you catch more balls and have fewer knocked out as your receiver tries to bring it in, your offense will continue to move forward. An occassional broken tackle might be nice, but you'll kick yourself when your receiver drops the ball on a wide open slant route on 3rd and 6. Tackling is the same way. You might get lucky and force the ball out with a big hit, but one broken tackle can be the difference in six points being put on the board. Go for the sure tackle and you'll shut down the opposing offense easier.

I also go aggressive on getting open simply because I prefer the wide receivers to take off for the end zone while I'm scrambling. This one is best left as a matter of personal choice.

NCAA Football 2010 tips - Running the ball

In the past, I've always loved running the ball out of the Ace formation, but this year's version loves the lead blocker, so if you plan to run the ball a lot, choose a playbook with some I, Strong or Weak sets.

Don't start out sprinting. The defense gets aggressive when you sprint, and you can sometimes outrun your blockers. Be patient, watch your lead blockers and wait for the hole. Once you are through it, feel free to hit the gas.

Practice your juke moves and learn how to fake the defense out. If you are running towards the sideline, just doing a spin move often won't cut it, but if you can reverse back towards the line or just straighten up and run towards the goal line, your spin move has a better chance of working. And when you get hit, press on that highlight stick to try and break the tackle or just to bull through for more yards.

Use the ability to switch the side of the run. One easy way to pull off nice sweeps, pitches and option runs is to clear out one side by running out of an overloaded formation like I Twins that has the receivers lining up on one side of the line. If the defense is in man-to-man, the other side will be wide open, letting your speed back have some open field. If they are in zone, you'll have more blockers than they have defensive backs on the side with your receivers.

If you want to flexbone, don't go Option Run. The flexbone playbooks have been overhauled and can be very deadly in NCAA Football 2010, but the plain vanilla playbooks like Option Run have the old flexbone plays. If you want to flexbone, go with a school like Georgia Tech. If you want just a few flexbone formations, go with Air Force.

NCAA Football 2010 tips - Passing the ball

Learn to read the defense. Go into practice mode and watch how the defense plays different coverages, paying special attention to the safeties. Knowing if a defense is in cover 1, cover 2, cover 3 or cover 4 and if they are in man-to-man or zone will tell you what routes will be open.

Two easy ways to see if the opponent is in man coverage are to send a receiver in motion (if a corner follows, its man) or to use a formation that is overloaded with receivers to one side like the bunch formation. If the defense lines up opposite your receivers, they are probably in man coverage.

The post route is deadly against cover 2 and is one of the best ways to pick up that 3rd and 12. Watch the safeties. If they split, then wait for your wide receiver to break, then let loose the pass.

Slanted routes work great against man to man, so in addition to the post, the corner route and slants can work wonders. The 'C' route can be especially effective because it can work well against press coverage.

Hitch and curl routes are great against zone coverage. You can also 'uncover' these routes by moving the quarterback and watching the defender edge away from the receiver.

Watch for the blitz. The defense is blitz happy in this year's version, especially on third and long. When you expect a blitz, hot route one of your receivers to a slant route. When the computers sends all linebackers at you, the middle of the field will be wide open.

To avoid racking up a lot of sacks, stay in the pocket and avoid the sprint button. In years past, it was easy to just sprint from the line and read the defense, but in NCAA Football 10, breaking out of the pocket will allow defenders to break off their blocks easier. Stay in the pocket, and if no receiver comes open after a few seconds, then be ready to scramble.

And don't overdo it one a single great passing play. This year's version has Adaptive AI, which is a fancy way of saying the computer will figure it out if you call the same play every third down, so mix it up a little.

NCAA Football 2010 tips - Defense

There is a lot you can do before the snap of the ball to boost your defense, so it is important to learn the different hot reads and defensive keys. The most important thing to do is to play the pass except in obvious running situations. It's much easier to shut down the opponents run than pass, so even when you expect a run, play the pass.

If you expect a run, key on the running back, otherwise key on a receiver. One neat trick is to double cover one receiver and key on the other one. If the opponent is throwing a lot to their backs, or jamming it in to a particular receiver, then key on them as much as you can.

Be wary of the 3-3-5 and the 4-2-5. These two defenses can be fantastic, but it is also easy for these defenses to get burned, especially on plays where the strong safeties blitz or spy the quarterback. When the strong safeties aren't in coverage, the linebackers take that responsibility, and because they line up over the offensive line rather than in front of the receiver, they can be caught out of position.

Who you play on defense is a matter of personal preference, but one neat trick I like to do a lot is to play the linebacker/safety that is matched up against the fullback or the halfback. This way, I can read if it is a run and make a bee-line to the back. If it is a pass and the back is staying in to block, I can manually cover or I can blitz, and if the back is going out for the pass, I can switch to another defender and let the computer handle coverage. Many people prefer playing safeties to better be in position for user interceptions. This is a great strategy too, but it does take a lot of practice.

Don't be afraid to blitz. Last year, the defenses were broken and the quarterbacks were supermen, so blitzing really left you wide open. This year, the blitz is a much better risk-reward gamble. While you may not always get to the quarterback, you can rush his throw, or hit him as he's throwing and cause a flop pass. And if you want to blitz a lot, you have the option to play the pass conservatively and go for swatting the balls rather than intercepting, which can help out if your blitz doesn't get to the QB in time.

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